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New import from Japan and Korea

Pinus parviflora Pseudocydonia sinensis Pinus parviflora, Acer buergerianum,

Nanbanishiki, 25 cm ± 20 years 29.5 cm ± 15 years 49 cm ± 25years 17 cm ±35 years
€ 259,95 € 995,00 € 695,00 € 395,00

Crataegus cuneata, Zelkova serrata, Oval blue/green pot by Shibakatsu, Ulmus parvifolia Nire,
20.5 cm ± 10 years 15 cm ± 5 years 137 x 114 x 40 mm 37 cm ± 25 years
€117,99 € 69,95 € 125,00 €3.250,00

Acer palmatum, 30 cm, ± 45 year, Rectangle unglazed pot by Shiba­ Carpinus coreana, Scissors
nebari 5.5 tot 9 cm katsu - 178 x 138 x 55 mm 21 cm ± 25 years 200 mm
€ 995,00 € 150,00 € 899,95 € 12,79

Japanese stone lantern Rectangle blue pot by Fuka Kokofu-Ten #57

Kasuga Gata Ishidoro 220 cm 111 x 101 x 48 mm photo album
€3.750,00 € 210,00 € 41,99

4 Bonsai Focus
Who we are

Publisher
Bonsai Europe Publications
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2566 GJ The Hague
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Chief Editor:
Farrand Bloch
[email protected] The perfect shape
This issue's cover features an amazing The Japanese bonsai growers always aim
Editorial staff:
juniper; it’s the creation of a Master not for perfection. Same goes for Katsumi
English edition: Ann Scutcher
so well known in the west, lura Hirokatsu. Komiya, a shohin expert, who deals with
French edition: Patrick Bose
He started to work on the tree more than lots of imperfect material. He approaches
20 years ago. Although receiving many it from another point of view, blending
Germ an edition: Jorg Derlien
credits and awards the tree was not to all the ‘misfits’ to create something really
Dutch edition: Hein-Dik Barentsen
the satisfaction of everybody. So when stunning.
Italian edition: Erika Lakin
it came in the hands of its new owner, a Also stunning are the craft tables made
famous bonsai collector, things started by Alexandre Imbeault. His passion made
Advertising & Marketing:
to change for the famed tree. Obviously him decide to move to a larger house, so
Rene Rooswinkel there was some more potential hidden in he could have a professional workshop to
[email protected] it. The young and ambitious bonsai artist perfect his wood craft techniques.
Yoshihiko Moriyama was challenged to And to perfect your skills or knowledge,
Subscriptions & Administration: re-work this famous juniper to bring it to you can simply leaf through this first
Marja Heijmink an even higher level. That's an enormous issue of the New Year. Enjoy the read.
[email protected] weight on a man’s shoulders, and it took
Yoshihiko several years before daring to
Issn UK: 1874 - 6853 start work on it. Then finally, the eureka
Issn U S: 1876 - 6137 moment came. Yoshihiko just approached
it from a different perspective which after
Price: € 15.75 a couple of days' work gave the tree the
perfect shape.
© Copyright 2023 Finding the perfect shape is probably
Bonsai Europe, world rights reserved. No the most intriguing aspect of this art,
part of this publication may be repro­ it always changes and there are always
duced in any form without the written ways to improve the tree. Just like Harry
permission of the publisher.
Harrington does with a hornbeam that,
similar to the juniper, changed owner
though was nurtured by Harry right from
Bonsai Focus has a co-operation with
the start. After more than 14 years, over
Kinbon m agazine, Kyoto, Japan
quite a bumpy road, it became a show
stopper at ‘Bonsai Show Live’ in October, Farrand Bloch
Translations:
in Telford (UK). Chief editor
Peter Warren

KINBON Bonsai Focus 5

 THIS ISSUE

Our Icons Beginner On the cover

Juniperus chinensis,

Video available
Styled by Yoshihiko Moriyama.
Advanced
bonsaifocus.com
Photo: Kinbon, Japan

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with your phone Expert

6 Where Eagles Dared

The Austrian National Bonsai Convention.

1 0 Gallery
A selection of the finest bonsai.

1 2 So Immature
Harry Harrington improves the development of a
field-grown hornbeam.

1 8 Between the buds

Using graft techniques to improve the quality of trees.

2 3 Top priority
Hiroki Miura solves the problem of a Japanese white pine.

2 7 The Echo
Frangois Jeker exhibits his work in Japan.

2 9 Time for change

Yoshihiko Moriyama dares to work on a masterpiece.

3 9 Gallery
A selection of the finest bonsai.
4 1 Together we're strong
Katsumi Komiya has a very creative method to save time.

4 8 A story to tell
The passion of Alexandre Imbeault for bonsai tables.

5 1 Cat and Mouse

Todd Schlafer works on a Ponderosa pine.

5 7 Gallery
A selection of the finest bonsai.

6 0 Thinner than thin

Kiyoshi Koiwai had no connection with bonsai.

6 4 Grow: Giant Itabi

How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods.

6 8 Kusamono: It's a Hit..

An evergreen fern that stays green, even in winter.

7 2 News
The events for the New Year.
 REPORT

Where Eagles Dared

The Austrian National Bonsai Convention in the Fortress Hohenwerfen
Text: Jorg Derlien/Gil Marriner Photography: Jorg Derlien
The National Austrian Bonsai Convention took place
this year high up on a plateau in the medieval Fortress
Hohenwerfen, located near Salzkammergut (Austria).
From 14 -16 October, 2022, the Austrian Bonsai Club
under the direction of Herbert Aigner and his team,
held their annual convention, which was successfully
executed resulting in a very noteworthy show with
numerous highlights

Instead of backdrops, the rustic walls add character to the bonsai displays

he Fortress Hohenwerfen lies though, the idea came to him to have a integrated with the bonsai, the trees were
in the Pongau area of Austria bonsai show perched on this 113 metre

T
all presented in a very unusual fashion
just south of Salzburg. The rock formation in an historically induced without a traditional neutral background,
1000-year-old Fortress is atmosphere. The idea eventually became but instead placing them in front of the
accessible by either cable reality and, after seven consecutive shows rustic wall of the gun emplacement that
car or foot, and was the location for the
in Hallein town, Fortress Hohenwerfen gave each tree a somewhat unusual
was finally chosen as the new location for
classic film 'Where Eagles Dare', staring character. The exhibition was not solely
Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. For the Austrian national show 2022. restricted to Austrian club members, but
some years Herbert Aigner passed by the numerous bonsai were on presentation
Fortress on his way to work. Eventually The Fortress’ fortified artillery battery was from Germany and Italy as well.

8 Bonsai Focus
 The special section with Shitakusa and Kusamono and Kokeshi

As it is in the rest of Europe, Kusamono

and Shitakusa are fully on trend, and
therefore it had a separate section. This
was all accomplished under the direction
The overview of the show in the rustic battery
of Fritz Baier who enthusiastically offered
advice to the curious public.

a The rustic walls of the artillery battery gave each tree an

unusual character

In addition to the category of Special

Presentation, the Bonsai Club Salzburg
invited Valentina Moretti from Italy, to
present her collection of wooden dolls
known as 'Kokeshi'.

During the show, numerous presentations

were held. On day one, Gunther Klosch
held his talk on the Bonsai Museum
in Seeboden, including its history and
planned future expansion. On the second
day, Josef Maihofer did a talk on bonsai
pottery that ended in a somewhat lively
discussion of the subject.
A moving presentation of live harp music
was performed by Georg Frener, which Acer
pertained to inspiration of nature. The buergerianum

Bonsai Focus 9
final presentation was held on Sunday
from chef and bonsai enthusiast Helmut
Bachmann. As well as bonsai, Helmut is
also known for his numerous published
cook books. Helmut offered an unusual
presentation called 'Bonsai and Culinary '.

Another highlight was a guided tour

through the fortress, which also included
an explanation of the armour from
medieval times by Fortress caretaker
Karl-Heinz Leitner. This will remain in
the memory of the visitors for quite some
time, as well as the delightful farewell
dinner.
Comus mas

Millettia japonica 'Hime Fuji'

Malus

The lively bonsai pot discussion by Josef Maihofer

With this unusually creative show now

complete, the Bonsai Club Salzburg has
managed to make a presentation in a
tasteful ambiance, which will obviously
remain in our memories for a long time.
In his opening speech, Herbert Aigner
encouraged not only the continuing care
of bonsai, but also the care of current and
future friendships. This show should be
remembered as a very special event and a
very special thankyou to the Bonsai Club
Salzburg and Herbert Aigner for all their
hard work and effort.

10 Bonsai Focus
 Elaeagnus

The idea had finally become

after so many years

Left: The Fortress on top of the hill

Right: The Farewell dinner. Below: The rustic
arched space of the artillery battery

Bonsai Focus
 GALLERY

Pinus syluestris
Helmut Bachm ann
45cm 117"

Photo: Jorg Derlien

Pinus thunbergii
Kazuo Moriyama, Pot: Kazu Osakata (Funayama)
63cm | 24"

n
a
p
a
J,
n
o
b
n
i
K
:s
'
o
t
o
h
P

12 Bonsai Focus
Acer palmatum
Tsuyoshi Kam ano
62cm I 24"

Acer palmatum 'Shishigashira'

Masaru Hasaka,
70cm | 27"

Bonsai Focus 13
 NATIVE BONSAI

Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) —

the progression
Text and photography: Harry Harrington
Harry Harrington improved the development of a field
grown hornbeam

started working on this European

hornbeam in 2008, more than 14

I years ago. Obtained by owner Faisal

Waheedi as an immature tree, I
would continue to work on the tree
for over a decade before it came to my
garden. Faisal had purchased the tree as
field grown material in early 2008 and
during that year, I pruned the tree and
gave it an initial wiring and styling to
establish the basic branch structure.

Although it seems acceptable now, the

twin-trunk tree divided above the base
and at the time it was only considered
correct that a twin-trunk, or multi-trunk
tree divided at the base. To me, f t alI started in 2008
this did not matter. It was simply ’ , ,
something that many deciduous .
trees do naturally.
The tree had its primary branches
established by the end of 2009. Q I Rs:

Partly in an effort to slow down PKS

the tree and reduce the amount H
of coarse growth that hornbeam | 1 1
normally produce, we decided to March 2009: After repotting the
move the tree into a bonsai pot in flK a hornbeam into its Jirst bonsai pot by
the spring 2009. Victor Harris

The repot revealed something

of a nightmare of a nebari and
trunk base. Primary roots that
were emerging from the trunk
base appeared to have folded
under themselves at some stage
in the life of the tree. This had left March 2009: the hornbeam seen from
some impressive flare around the what is now the back, prior to being
moved out of a large plastic tub
base, but with no further roots
extending directly outwards, there
seemed little way of improving the nebari

14 Bonsai Focus
 Autumn pruning

I cut back to a nicely bifurcated (divided) secondary

branch, removing the damaged growth and creating
taper. The secondary branches further back would
November 2011: The Hornbeam as it was when it also be encouraged to extend in the following season
came to me for restyling and styling. This image was
taken after removing the old leaves that otherwise
would cling to the branches until the following spring November 2011: The autumn pruning gives an ideal
opportunity to prune back deciduous branches for
taper, taking advantage of new branches emerging
from the interior. It also allowed me to remove some
unsightly wire marks!

u The repot revealed something of a

nightmare of a nebari and trunk base
The secondary branch that 1 cut back to now faces in
the wrong direction.

This secondary branch was wired and

in the future. repositioned so that it grows outwards
Dealing with the roots and nebari of towards the edge of the branch structure. The
other secondary branches are repositioned
European hornbeam is often problematic. in a similar manner, too. This pruning for
They are have strong root growth that is taper and to encourage extension on interior
needed to support the incredible growth branches is repeated across the whole tree
rate of the above ground parts of the tree.
This can produce very thick, untapered
roots in the nebari. Unless you are very
lucky, these roots will rarely branch into
secondary roots until quite a distance
from the base, so simply cutting them
back is not as straight forward as it is
with other deciduous species.
Pruning mistake
Increase ramification One mistake I repeatedly see on
Ring barking In early spring 2015, the bonsai's owner deciduous bonsai is interior branches
Over the next couple of years I made a asked me to prune and to restyle the that have been pruned during the
few attempts at layering new roots by hornbeam and then to keep the tree growing season. Interior branches
ring-barking the edges of the nebari, throughout the growing season of 2015 need to be allowed to extend freely
but to no avail. The tree was simply not to increase its ramification. The design so that the branches can be cut back
interested! of the hornbeam had subtly changed in late autumn to create branch
In late 2011, the tree came to my garden over the previous years and its branch taper.
for autumn pruning and detail-wiring. structure had matured well. Individual
Now firmly established in its new pot, the branches had reasonable ramification, but
tree had continued to develop rapidly and more importantly, had developed good
the ramification had doubled over the branch taper, an effective indicator of age
previous 2 years. in a bonsai.

Bonsai Focus 15
 Summer 2012: the tree is back in leaf and growing
happily in Faisal's garden

Slow release fertilizer

The European hornbeam is a vigorous
species and throughout spring 2015 I
only gave the bonsai a weak slow-release
fertilizer. Fertilizing too heavily would
have encouraged coarse growth with long
internodes that would not be suitable for
the delicate growth the tree now required.
November 2011: Autumn pruning and styling is complete. By this stage, I was treating the hornbeam as a
triple-trunk, dividing above the base. I had decided that the heavy branch emerging from the front of the tree In the relatively weak spring sun, the tree
would be better as a trunk, growing upwards and having its own apex developed was also given a position in the garden
where it received full sun to encourage

u
more delicate refined shoots and leaves.

Complete defoliation resulted in a huge number of new shoots

Midsummer defoliation
The hornbeam was pruned regularly
throughout the spring and new shoots
were only allowed to extend a short
distance before being pruned back. Again,
this discouraged the coarse thick growth,
particularly in the vigorous areas of the
tree, as well as increasing ramification.
At midsummer I partially defoliated the
tree. A single leaf is left at the tip of each
shoot as a sap-drawer, but otherwise,
each branch is completely defoliated and
results in a huge number of new shoots
emerging from where individual leaves
previously grew. Larger, over-sized leaves
are cut into half in order to help balance
the vigour of the tree as a whole.

April 2015: After pruning and wiring again. This The hornbeam after its partial defoliation during Once the tree was partially defoliated, I
styling was carried out in the spring, not an ideal summer 2015. ensured it was placed in the sunniest part
time as it meant that some of the strength of the tree
was lost while I was pruning
of the garden, encouraging the maximum
light to fall on the branches. This will
motivate inner buds to swell. The tree

16 Bonsai Focus
was fed very heavily with slow-release
fertilizers and a weekly liquid feed. As can
be seen here, this regime encouraged an
incredible increase in branch ramification.
Note that once the new leaves emerged
after defoliation, I moved the hornbeam
to a shadier position. As a species, the
hornbeam in leaf is susceptible to leaf
scorch during the hottest parts of the
summer and requires some shading.

Even more improvement

Once the leaves had fallen at the end of
the growing season in November, the Detail of the partially-defoliated hornbeam bonsai
improved ramification of the branch
structure was revealed and it could be
refined. The hornbeam was pruned where
necessary and each and every one of the
new shoots was then detail-wired and
positioned.
The increase in ramification was most
impressive, as was the delicacy of the
tertiary branches, particularly given the
a Once leaves had fallen, the improved
ramification was revealed
coarse nature of European hornbeam.

November 2015: The tree in autumn after senescence

and further wiring

The repeated pruning and wiring has created a very

disciplined appearance to the tree

Nebari and trunk base

November 2015; Detail shows the slowly evolving

nebari and trunk base. Over time, it has become
more natural and spreading. I have also opened
up some of the thick roots and carved uro in them
to reduce them and change their very untapered
appearance. In the second image it's also possible
to see how the tertiary branches have been splayed
outwards in their own space in the branch structure

Bonsai Focus 17
 October 2020:
Apprentice Syed Abbas
clearing the leaves off the
tree in preparation for the
wiring and styling. The
hornbeam had been moved
to a blue Japanese bonsai
pot in the previous few
years. Although the pot did
suit the tree, I preferred the
original by Victor Harris!

Seven years
October 2020: 7 years later and the tree came back to me to be
worked on again. The garden of owner Faisal Waheedi had become
full to bursting with trees and with some regret, he decided that
this was one of those that needed to be sold to make some space.

Second and third trunk

November 2020: After
stripping the leaves it was
possible to study the tree
November 2020: 3 weeks later, after detail-wiring the youngest growth, the
properly. The taper and
silhouette was re-established and the branch structure de-cluttered
ramification of the branch
structure was fantastic
to see! I did, however, feel
that the tree needed to be
turned anti-clockwise in
its pot so that the three
trunks could be seen more
clearly. Especially pleasing
was seeing how much the
nebari had changed

November 2020: Although the current front still

looked good, the third trunk was lost in front of the
second trunk

18 Bonsai Focus
The bonsai taken out of its previous pot. It's possible Having repotted the tree over the years, I knew that
to see that the root ball is very healthy and consists the core would not have broken down
The root ball of the tree is shown here in some
of many fine roots, as well as new adventageous context. A super-ramified root ball bursting with fine
root caps roots can support a huge amount of top growth

Back to the original pot

March 2022: The new owner of the bonsai, Having repotted the tree over the years, also cleaned the top of the root ball, the
Jez Shakerley, brought the tree back to I knew that the core wouldn't have nebari, to see how the surface roots had
me, having managed to acquire the pot broken down and so there wasn't any developed. This kind of work is often
that had been made for it all those years reason to interfere with it. I was able to overlooked, but well worth doing, as can
ago. gently comb out the fine roots around be seen above. New areas of the nebari
the edge of the root ball. Importantly, I have developed over the years!

June 2020: Hornbeam bonsai (Carpinus betulus) after partial defoliation. Height: 80 cm. Pot: Victor Harris of
Hornbeam bonsai back into its original pot Erin Pottery

Many more years

Mid-June 2022: Work continues on the
tree. Its journey will carry on for many
more years. In June it came back to me for
a further partial defoliation. With a dense
canopy of leaves, partial-defoliation is no
longer just about increasing ramification.
It also allows light and air into the canopy
to ensure inner branches are not shaded,
causing possible die back.

Bonsai Focus 19
 TECHNIQUE

BETWEEN THE BUDS

Using graft techniques to improve the quality of trees
Text and photography: Kinbon, Japan
This hawthorn introduced here is commonly known as 'Matsudaira sansasi' (Crataegus cuneata). It has advantageous
features for enjoying it as a bonsai; its fruits and leaves are small and the fruit lasts a long time, excellent for display
purposes. The normal hawthorn has larger fruit, larger leaves and longer nodes than the Matsudaira hawthorn

The mother plant

Collect grafting scionsfrom the small-leaved

Matsudaira hawthorn. Use the vigorous, long
branches that have grown with vigour since the
spring

Slanting style, flowering (April) Height: 12 cm Width: 25 cm. Pot: Kohyo

Mokyoshiki. Work by Yukio Hirose using bud grafting

Instead of using the tip of the branch, take 2 or

3 stalks from the solid central part of the stem,
cover it with grafting tape and cut the end into a
wedge shape with a sharp knife

I apanese growers aim to perfect and

H propagate from material with the stock material, especially for shohin. So
H best qualities. They first tried to use they started to add grafts of the mother
K cuttings of a Matsudaira hawthorn plant to a fat-trunked hawthorn variety
J and grow them. However, branches that does not have these fine qualities.
of this tree had the disadvantage that The trees grown in this manner are called
while the cuttings were fairly good at 'Matsudaira-no-Sanzashi' and have come
growing, they were difficult to fatten their to be prized especially in the world of
trunks. It takes too long to obtain good shohin bonsai.

20 Bonsai Focus
Inserting the scion Matsudaira Bonsai Collection
Named after Yorinaga Matsudaira, who
was a Japanese political figure of the late
Meiji period, through early Showa. He was
also a noted collector of miniature bonsai,
and served as honorary president of the
Kofuku Bonsai Association. His collection
eventually reached a thousand specimens.
The Nippon Bonsai Association published a
commemorative album on the Matsudaira
Bonsai Collection in 1975.

Make a cut in the rootstock with a sharp knife and insert the scion. Cover the joints with grafting tape and tie
them tightly to complete the work

How it works
An example of a variety change from the normal variety (Daijitsu sanzashi) to Matsudaira to increase its value.

Appearance before work in August. The large fruit and large-leaved nature of the Matsudaira scions were grafted at five locations at the base of the branches.
tree makes it unbalanced with the dimensions of the tree After the work, branches were thinned out to ensure sunlight. Usually, the best
time to do this is around May-June

Next, remove branches after confirming grafts have taken

One month after work. Although work was delayed, Same as above, most of the branches were cut off, Situation in April, the following year. Since the bud
all five plants had taken safely leaving some old branches to help absorb water movement after dormancy was confirmed, all the old
branches were cut off

Bonsai Focus 21
August, after sprouting work Condition after 1 month. Greatly reduced old Situation in April the following year. Once each
branches branch is a little fuller, they are cut down to the joint

Height: 29 cm Width: 33 cm Pot: Aokoshinmaru

It has been six and a half years since his Jirst work,
and has shown its true form at the Gafu-ten, the best
stage in the shohin bonsai world

Some more examples

These were once displayed during the Gafu-ten exhibition, held
in January.

Semi cascade, Height: 14 cm, Width: about 21 cm Pot: Nanjing hexagon

Wind stream. Height: 16 cm Width: 23 cm Pot: Shosen Shoho

22 Bonsai Focus
Bud grafting
Yukio Hirose of Yamatoen showed us his work, which is in the
process of growing from bud grafting. Both are promising works
that have not yet been shown. Bud grafting is a technique in
which a single bud from the desired scion is used rather than
an entire scion containing many buds. Most bud grafting is done
just before or during the growing season.

Kabudachi. Height: 19 cm Pot: Kongyou ellipse.

A massive tree with a powerful rise, made by grafting buds

Photo taken in early April. 25 x 27 cm. When I looked at the tree's base I decided
it was just right for a small piece and, although it was expensive, 1 acquired it
and bud-grafted it. It is one of my most anticipated trees. Two more years and it
will be at the stage of being finished. A t the moment I am considering whether or
not to bud-graft another one near the crown

21 x 26 cm. Grafted two or three years

ago. The branches are extended and
wired together to form a semi cascade

17 x 22 cm. Four shoots grafted in August of

the previous year have broken through the
tape and sprouted, but one additional shoot
grafted at the end of January this year has not
yet moved

Bud splicing
Bud splicing/grafting is used to propagate
trees with desirable qualities. Budding is
the only form of grafting that is done in the
summer. However, it takes more practice
and precision than other forms of grafting.
The cambium of the bud and the rootstock
must be lined up exactly. If it is carried out
properly, the graft is more likely to grow
than with other types of budding.

Bonsai Focus 23
Matsudaira expert
Craftsman Mr Koichiro Toyoda, (Toyoda
Fukujuen, Saitama) currently produces
the most Matsudaira sansasi. His method
of splicing is commonly called 'sogi
splicing' and is a popular method in fruit
production. From the end of the Obon*
period (mid-August/early September) cut
chips around the buds that will become
scions (grafts), insert into the rootstock,
and fix and tie them. The development of
buds starts from the next spring, but their
success or failure can be known by the
autumn.

The Matsudaira variety is attractive as

its fruits are round and beautiful, and
because they grow late in the season. Ten
years ago, they borrowed a Matsudaira A bud graft by splicing the bark, photo shows an example of plum. A cut is made in the rootstock and the
sanzashi tree from Hirose's garden, and grafted bud is inserted to adhere to the formation layer. Bind tightly with tape, but leave the buds out and
began to collect scions for one or two secure them in place. These buds won't develop this year, but start to move the following spring
years to produce the material. As is the
case with all sansasi trees, the shoots are
hard and grow fast, so it is necessary to
wire the shoots early on in order to build What type is this?
a foundation. Once established, cut the A twin-trunked tree with no grafting marks. Yukio Hirose was surprised that such an
roots, leaving only the bottom part, and old tree existed and thought it was a Matsudaira tree, but it appeared to be a different
wire them when they have grown 3-4 cm. type, because it has smaller berries than the normal hawthorn, but compared to the
This is an important point, as a single Matsudaira type, the berries are a size larger and drop faster. Considering this subtly
bend at the base of a branch can make a different character and the age of the tree it may be that this tree is a strain produced
difference in the future. by taking wood from overseas material introduced before the war.

* Obon Festival is an annual Japanese holiday that

commemorates and remembers deceased ancestors

This is a 5-year-old tree that was bud-grafted on to a

10-y ear-old rootstock
An enigmatic small fruit variety
Twin trunk style. Height: 17 cm, pot: white oval

24 Bonsai Focus
 STEP BY STEP V)

Top priority
Trunk becomes branch
Text and photography: Kinbon, Japan
Hiroki Miura solves the problem of a Japanese white pine that has no apex, but
has instead a long extended branch, or is it a trunk?

Top trunk close-up. The

Five-needle pine problem is that this area
Height: 21cm. Before work extending to the left is
straight and the base is
slightly overstretched

Bending the long, thick

left-hand branch

Right-hand side, Left side, before work

before work
Check if the long branch can be bent. A s the tree is
still young it seems bendable to some extent

his is a five-needle pine with concentrating on the active growth of the suggests that the thick trunk (branch) in
the top section of white pine rootstock and scion, and the fully-fledged the centre has been cut off. Candidate for

T
with the good foliage grafted tree shape and branching is still in its the new leader appears to be the large
on the trunk of a black pine. early stages of development. branch extending to the left, but the base
The thick, stable trunk has a of this branch is straight and slightly
solid shape and, although there are some
When checking the condition of the stronger than the other branches, so let's
differences in the age of the trunkbranches,
bark, there is an open space in the see what happens when we try to bend it.
the joint of the graft does not look too upper right-hand corner of the current
bad, making it well-balanced and good front, and there are traces of a large
material for a small bonsai or shohin. It branch having been removed. This rather
seems that up to now, the work has been

Bonsai Focus 25
Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora)
Monotonous branches are bent to create a moyogi style

Seen from the left side

branch right, and it was bent from

the base of the branch. The left
branch was also wired and bent, but
there is still some imbalance

Which branch to use as the apex?

A orB ?
View from above after first set up of the
main branch. Branch A could well be a
candidate for the apex, but it is thinner
and smaller than the other branches,
making it difficult to achieve the overall
balance. Another candidate considered by
Hiroki was a small branch in the middle
of left branch B. We can divide the long After bending the left branch, B
left branch as leader and apex, its tip as becomes the leader and apex
the left branch.

26 Bonsai Focus
Create an apex by bending the left branch

The left branch before wiring and bending side Side branch B after wiring The situation after wiring
branch B

After bending. The left branch was divided into

the crown and the leftmost branch

The tapering trunk

l\vo branches were likely candidates for it would be difficult to balance its power first left branch and the apex of the tree.
the tree's trunk leading to the apex: the with the other branches. The straight branches were then bent to
twig in the middle of the long, extended eliminate their shortcomings. The tree
branch on the left and the twig in the Hiroki Miura uses the twig branching in was reborn as a moyogi style showing a
middle where several branches branch the middle of the left branch as the new balanced appearance.
off. The central twig was the most likely tree leader. The long left-hand branch
candidate considering its balance as a was allocated a twig so that it became the
moyogi, but the branch is still small and

Pruning and shaping the right branch group

The first branch on the right, before work. Seen from After wiring and bending
the front

Bonsai Focus 27
 View from above

Same view, after readjustment. I used the small twig

to create a foliage pad, but the outline is a little too
strong
After styling, seen from above

The tapering of the trunk improved

and has an interesting curve

Height: 20 cm after styling.

The left branch now looks more natural

Now seen after correction. Strong upward facing

branches were cut at the base and the smaller side
branches shaped into a compact outline

28 Bonsai Focus
 REPORT

Francois Jeker exhibits his work in Japan

Text: Bonsai Focus Studio Photography: Francois Jeker
As well as being a bonsai artist Francois Jeker is also a painter, a photographer and he creates earth and land art
directly in the landscape. He is now taking a travelling exhibition of his Land’art paintings and photographs to three
different locations in Japan, starting at the Kunio Kobayashi museum in October and lasting through November 2022

had the first exhibition at Kunio

Kobayashi's Shunkaen. He chose

I the position of the paintings in the

various tokonoma, then selected a
bonsai from his collection for each
painting to create an echo between the
painting and bonsai. The exhibition then
travelled to other locations.

My very first major solo exhibition took

place in 1995 at the famous Sogetsu
School in Tokyo. It was a necessity for me
to thank the country that had given me The paintings were hung in the superb tokonoma rooms of the museum
so much inspiration. Hiroshi Teshigahara
— Master of ikebana, painter, collector of
art and film-maker (his film 'Femme de
sable' won a prize in Cannes in 1964) —
who had invited me. 27 years later, I was
able to show the evolution of my work,
thanks to the CEEJA (Centre Europeen
d'Etudes Japonaises en Alsace), the CEA
(Collectivite Europeenne d'Alsace) and
the Sasakawa Foundation.

The marriage between painting

and bonsai
The cycle of exhibitions began in Tokyo,
at Kunio Kobayashi's Shunkaen Bonsai
Museum as part of an event celebrating
its 20th anniversary. Kunio had invited
the entire Japanese bonsai scene, some
300 guests. All his trees were carefully Kunio took matters into
prepared for the occasion and we were his own hands as he
all were treated to a performance of led his entire team to
mount the exhibition

Bonsai Focus 29
 Francois poses with Kunio Kobayashi who is dressed
in his traditional costume for the opening ceremony

traditional music, drums, dances and a

delicious lunch washed down with three
barrels of sake that were tapped by the
distinguished guests.
It was of course very emotional for me This painting, entitled 'The flight of the eagle' was chosen as the visual for the poster
to see my two passions reunited in this
magical place.
The exhibition then moved to Iwate, in
the Morioka county library, and then on
to Gifu in the Museum of Modern Art.

Francois Jeker's paintings

were strongly inspired
by Japanese culture and
aesthetics

Francois frequently uses gold leaf a hint to Kintsugi: in Japan, old

broken ceramics are repaired with lacquer and gold. It is a symbol
of resilience

30 Bonsai Focus
 MASTERCLASS

There is a lot of pressure in working with a famous tree like this

Text and photography: Kinbon, Japan
This juniper is one of the pieces of material created by the famed Master and owner of Katsuki-en, lura Hirokatsu.
Even though it has received awards many times it was time for a big change

he trunk is a hardTohoku
juniper and the deadwood

T
has a shape-shifting character
with plenty of variation. It has
been famed since it was very
raw material when it was just a trunk
with barely any branches. lura Hirokatsu
grafted in branches and started creating
the skeleton structure.

The well-known bonsai professional, Seiji

Morimae, the top bonsai dealer in Japan,
fell in love with the tree and decided
to take it on. His nursery, Uchikuan in
Hanyuu City, Saitama, has an enormous
number of trees that are bought and sold
regularly, but one side of Seiji Morimae is
his love of developing bonsai, changing
shape, wiring and restyling trees with his
distinctive and well-developed aesthetic
eye. This particular tree had been owned
by a famous collector and kept under
Seiji's care, but after twenty years, the
time had come to move into the next
stage of its evolution and help with the
development of young artist, Yoshihiko
Moriyama, who had set up his nursery
nearby.
He had the opportunity to present this
treasured tree and its new future came
at the Taikan-Ten where it found its new
owner, Akie Funayama, world renowned
bonsai collector from Fukushima. Akie
decided to allow Yoshihiko a free hand on
the design and care of the tree.

Bonsai Focus 31
A little history of a famous old
tree since it was raw material

It passed into the hands of Seiji Morimae (left) who

cared for it for 20 years; seen here with Yoshihiko
Moriyama

Seiji Morimae then brought the tree through to near

completion. It was one of his prized trees. He gave
it the name 'Hiten no Ryu', Heavenly Dragon, and it
was displayed at the sales booth at the Taikan-ten

New owner, renowned collector Akie Funayama

(right), having discussed the future of the tree
Approximately 20 years ago this tree was under the entrusts the care and design to the young artist
expert care of Hirokatsu lura in Suzuka city, Nagano Yoshihiko Moriyama
Pref. This photograph was taken two or three years
after it had been grafted and the foliage is starting The situation in March 2020
to fill out. The deadwood and live vein have changed
very little in the interim period. The front was chosen
at the time of initial planting and has not changed

The character is found in the shari

a and its relationship with the live

vein

Same as seen from the right-hand side. The natural Same as seen from the left hand side. The ita-shari
deadwood has much more interest from this side.- deadwood looks extremely interesting

Before work started. Height: 92 cm Width: 103 cm

The current front. The live vein twists up tightly
around the trunk in an undulating and interest­
ing way. The branches and foliage are all positioned
well and have reached completion. It could be said,
though, that the live vein is a little too thick and
unrefined. Is there another possibility?

32 Bonsai Focus
Daring plan
After looking after the tree for several
years, Yoshihiko Moriyama comes up
with a daring plan for transformation.
The seed for the idea came from a chat
with the previous artist, Seiji Morimae,
who was unable to pursue his idea at the
time. As it was a raw piece of material
the front of the tree hasn't changed. The
character of junipers is found in the shari
and its relationship with the live vein. It's
thought to be taboo if the live vein cannot
The live vein is much calmer when viewed from this The current rear. The shari in the middle section gives
be sufficiently seen from the front. So for
side, where there is also no problem with deadwood an incredible amount of interest. The branching is not
this tree, the front was chosen so that the or branch positions very interesting from this view and will need a good
live vein took precedence and was able to deal of manipulation

be seen at its fullest. Over time, however,

the live vein has thickened and changed,
especially in the top section where its
Seeking the best position to view the
straight appearance almost makes it middle section of the shari, this position
look rather like an umbrella. The current and angle is considered. Yoshihiko
styling does not help to hide the heavy Morimae says 'This is also a
good front', and they both
section. decide on this orientation

The back of the tree has an incredible

section of deadwood visible, arguably
better than the front. Transforming a tree
of this calibre is not easily done as it will
become an entirely different shape and
there is risk in that. Without the consent
of the owner, it is not something that's
easily undertaken, especially for a young
artist such as Yoshihiko Moriyama, but
being told to 'Do with it as you want' by
Akie Funayama, the challenge was laid
down and the permission given for the
This is the key branch
dramatic transformation.

The tree requires a lot of work and one of the trainee

staff members from S-Cube (Bonsai garden north of
Tokyo) lends a hand

A metal rod is
placed alongside a branch
that needs to be moved and another rod
is fixed at the back of the tree to use as a fixing point. The
branch crossing the trunk is concealing the character of the
shari and so must be moved

Bonsai Focus 33
The most important part of the transformation is happening The current owner, Akie Funayama, arrives to observe the
first. Moving the branch slowly and carefully, the branch can work. A s this is the key to the entire transformation, there
be checked for damage at the base and halfway along as it is is a heart-stopping air of tension
bent. Using various guy wires to keep everything in position,
So that all power is not concentrated
the metal bar is used to pull the branch into position slowly
in one point, there are multiple fixing
points to spread the load. The raffia has
been soaked in water containing indian
ink to blacken it

Key branch is hiding behind the shari

The key branch
This branch that hides behind the shari is created. character is essential. The manipulation
problematic. It cannot easily be removed For a young tree this would not be too of this branch is key to the success of the
as it would be an enormous step back. much of a problem; however, this is an
The skeleton structure of the tree will be established masterpiece tree and so the transformation and it is handled with
entirely different and a simple new tree maintenance of the sense of age and great care.

The main purpose of this transformation is now complete

After this major branch
was moved. The branch
that was growing
towards the front of
the tree is now towards
the back and right. The
shari that was hidden
is now visible. The
main purpose of this
transformation is now The branch pulled to the lower right needs to be lifted halfway
complete along the branch. It is difficult to get inside the tree due to the
amount of foliage

34 Bonsai Focus
After the major bending of the lower right branch. The lower right pad has been made more horizontal The lower right branch has been transformed from an
The metal bar has been removed and now the basic and brought closer to the trunk untidy dropping branch to a foliage pad at the ideal
structure can be seen height

After the main

transformation

The upper branches have been

lowered and compacted — the
first step to transforming the
tree

The left-hand side has been lowered and tightened

up, bringing it closer to the trunk and condensing the
character of the tree

The right branch

transformation
Seen from the right side

Before work. The branch shown with The metal bar is used as leverage to After styling. The secondary branches
an arrow is the one to be moved pull the branch into a lower position at the bottom and halfway along have
been adjusted to form two horizontal
foliage pads

Bonsai Focus 35
 This part of the shari was not visiblefrom the previous
front as it was hidden by foliage. It is clearly the focal point
of the tree and has now been made visible by the change of
angle and the bend of the key branch

The charm of the shari has been

released

Repotting and changing the angle

The tree is positioned at roughly the new

front and the new pot it will be planted in is
checked for size. The new pot is around 10
A root saw is used to cut around the edge of the pot With some difficulty, the tree is finally removed from
cm smaller than the previous one
in order to remove the tree from the pot the pot

The root ball is initially broken down around the The section of root ball that will be raised due to Old inactive roots that are on the surface are
edges the angle change is reduced. A s the root ball is to be removed. In order to check to see if they are active
reduced in general, this is done with great care and or not, the bark is scratched off to see the colour
attention underneath

36 Bonsai Focus
After breaking down the root ball a little, the base of It is reduced using a chisel. Great care is taken not to
the trunk is discovered. It was initially left to give a damage the fine roots around the stump
solid base for the tree to sit on in the pot, but due to
the change in angle, it will now be visible. It will be
necessary to reduce it
A little more soil is removed from the root ball to
reduce the size as much as possible without causing
too much stress

Fixing wires are positioned and large particle soil Three people are needed to position the tree in the pot
is used in the bottom of the pot. Preparations are
complete

The exact angle must be achieved as it cannot be

redone. The angle, position and front are checked from
a distance many times

A piece of wood is hammered into the root ball Using the handle of the hammer, the wood is pushed Soil is poured into the pot and worked around the
down while tightening the wires roots so there are no gaps at all

Bonsai Focus 37
A bamboo chopstick is thrust deep into the pot to Roots that could not be buried under the soil are It is watered thoroughly and the repotting is complete
push soil underneath the roots covered with sphagnum moss

A new tree has been

brought to life!
The new angle and front have given birth to
an entirely new tree (October 2020). The new
pot is just the right size and depth and the
design adds strength and interest, making it
a perfect fit.
After one more year of development the
shape will reach its completion. The next
challenge? To exhibit it at the Sakkafu-ten.

Final styling
30th September 2021

A year and a half from the initial transformation

and the tree is back to full health. There has been no
excessive growth and just some small extensions all
over the tree making it full and slightly bigger. For
the final styling, Yoshihiko Moriyama has pointed out
two areas that need attention, the lower right branch
(marked A) and the space in the middle (B). In autumn last year the tree started to grow again. The exposed area of roots has matured and looks
New shoots began to extend (as shown in the picture) natural and aged
before they were pruned back slightly to control the
growth

38 Bonsai Focus
The metal rod used for keeping the branches in First the lower right branch is worked on After one branch is moved, the neighbouring branches need to be
position has done its job and is removed. None of changed to achieve balance. This is done branch by branch across the
the branches revert to their original position entire tree until all are in the correct position

Tightening up the lower right branch

March 2020, after the initial work was finished Before the final styling. There is too much space After the final styling. The branch has been brought
between the branch and the shari closer to the shari and tightened up

Filling the space in the middle

Before the final styling. There is too wide a space Checking the position of the surrounding branches, After the final styling. Branches have been brought
between the branches and the shari and the line of then branches are lowered into the space down into the space to fill it and have also created a
the back branches can be seen too easily better rhythm throughout the foliage pads

Bonsai Focus 39
Two years of pressure and expectation are rewarded
Having served a full apprenticeship under be made. nurtured. From the sincere and humble
Masahiko Kimura, Yoshihiko Moriyama There were great expectations from all Yoshihiko Moriyama and the owner, Akie
has the skills and ability to work on old around and after two years of doubt and Funayama, who took the risk and gave
famous trees. Reconstructing a famous deep thought, Yoshihiko came through him encouragement, the hopes of all
tree and restyling it into something new stronger and was rightfully presented involved came to fruition.
is difficult work and an artist must stake with the Prime Minister's Award at the
their reputation on it. If it fails, they must Sakkafuten in October 2021. This famous
bear the burden of failure. In that sense, tree has been restyled into an even more
this was a tree where mistakes could not famous tree and one young artist was

40. Bonsai Focus

GALLERY

Pseudo cydonia
Tsukasa Imanishi
105cm 141"
Cotoneaster
Keizo Doshita Pot: Hoseimaru
5cm 11,9"

Ulmus, Juniperus rigida

Aigner Verant

Bonsai Focus 41
4 Photo s: Jorg Derhen
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1: BLACK PINES COMING TOGETHER
The fun of growing trees from seed is
only really understood by those people However, if steps are not taken to push Katsumi Komiya tells us that if they can't
who do it. Sowing a seed and watering it the material in the right direction they be used individually, they can be used
will result in much very low cost material. just age and grow in all the wrong places, together as a group. In that way foliage
The goal though is to have material that requiring remedial steps to correct the from one tree can be used to hide the
is useful for bonsai and so they need to be problems that should have been avoided. long thin trunk of another. Let us start by
grown correctly with a plan in mind, as All of these black pines have a few issues looking at an example then creating one.
the material will thicken and in ten years that need correcting and will be very hard
you will have some trees worth using. to make into bonsai by themselves.

Black pine A : It had been planned as a semi cascade Black pine B: Too much movement was put in the Black pine C: You cannot easily see the trunk, but it is
but the lower trunk will need to be bent a lot to make base and the trunks have stuck together. long and leggy. Height: 13 cm
it interesting. Height 16 cm Height 11 cm

The goal is a group like this!

u
If one tree by itself
Height: 18 cm Width: 33 cm is unviable, create a
group

Black Pine D: Movement has been put into the trunk,

but the top section has become long and leggy.
Height: 12 cm

This example has been growing together for 5 years.

It was put together when the trees were very young
and it now looks as though it is all one tree. If it is
planted in a proper bonsai pot it would come alive.
Although they are trees grown from seed, they have
been worked on from an early age and have had a
plan applied and so they have been turned into an
excellent tree. With the material we have here, the
plan is to create a group like this

Black Pine E: Lots of movement and twists and turns Black Pine F: It is a small, mini bonsai size piece of
have been put into the trunk, but it's a little hard to material that could easily be used in a group.
use. Height: 17 cm Height: 8 cm

44 Bonsai Focus
Starting the work
Work begins by selecting the seed-grown
material to use for grouping together.
From the six trees introduced, three are
chosen that will work together well.

Katsumi Komiya chooses three trees Root balls of the chosen material are broken down. A s he untangles
from the six that he will group the roots, Katsumi Komiya says 'Perhaps I can plant another'
together

The three trees chosen by Katsumi Komiya

The planting angles of all

are different. From the right
we have material B, C and F
positioned together

The compact twin trunk material B The material C has been The smallest mini bonsai sized
has been chosen to become the apex chosen as it is long and has tree F has been chosen as a
and the balancing branch movement. It will become the compact front branch
character branch

The angle is chosen and it is

planted in a suitable pot. The
position of the branches and the
angles are all roughly where
they should be
Once the order and arrangement has been decided, they are bound
together with raffia

Bonsai Focus 45
After planting, the needles are reduced a little Some of the branches are wired to give shape

Finally
Getting to this shape with just one tree
would take a long time, but by combining
three trees together, an image is created
quite quickly. Each of the three trees now
plays an important part in the whole
design.

Final shape. Height: 14 cm Width: 22 cm Pot: Chinese square

Enjoy growing black pine from seed

This group planting was possible because Movement should be put into the trunks
the material was originally grown from of seedlings from an early age. Sacrifice
seed. If we do not sow seeds the supply of branches should be used to thicken the
material will ultimately dry up. For those trunk and improve movement before cut­
who say growing from seed is tiresome, ting back to lower branches. Doing this
perhaps they are trying to grow too many repeatedly in the trunk and branches over
trees and find they cannot keep up with many years will result in high quality
all the work involved. Therefore good bonsai material.
trees go to waste because there is insuf­ An example of a seed-grown tree after 20 years. It
ficient time. will soon be ready for display
For those growing from seed, being very
selective is important. Each year pick out
the best trees to focus on and concentrate
on improving the quality of a smaller
number of trees.

46 Bonsai Focus
2: THE JU M PER
THE DESIRE TO BEND A
THICK TRUNK The trunk is rather
boring and is too thick to
be bent easily.

A cutting Juniper. Provisional front before work

begins. The lowest three branches are
After the seed-grown black pine, we will
already dead. Height: 30 cm
look at this juniper grown from a cutting.
It is 15 years since it was taken as a
cutting and has been developed
by a shohin bonsai enthusiast.
The intention was not to allow
it to become too big, but for some « Difficult to bend
reason the lowest branch has ■ The provisional front chosen before the work begins has all the
been cut off and turned into . J I deadwood features visible as well as the thick trunk. Over such
deadwood. Perhaps the idea Hajf* a short distance like this, it will be difficult to bend the trunk
was to bend the trunk; however, significantly. If it is bent to the right it will be much too big for
the short distance makes it impossible a shohin; bent to the left it becomes a little more compact, though the
to bend it easily with wire. Here Katsumi apex will be far away. What will Katsumi Komiya do?
Komiya will introduce his special plan.

As seen from the right A s seen from the rear A s seen from the left

Preparing to split the trunk and bend

Here Katsumi Komiya decides to try and bend the trunk. Best practice would be to bend the trunk
before it becomes too thick.

This short length will make it very difficult to bend First the trunk is split into two along the middle and The woody core of each section is carefully removed
each section can be bent differently to make it much easier to bend

Bonsai Focus 47
The trunk splitting is complete. One Thick aluminium wire is used in three strands along the length of After wrapping with raffia. The preparations are
trunk has now been split in half the trunk before being wrapped in raffia. The same is done to the complete
other section

The leggy, long branch has now been split into two After bending and shaping the character The remaining branch is twisted and shaped
branches. The front is yet to be decided branch, this side is chosen as the front to become the apex

The leggy branch is now split in two

After the final styling it was repotted.
What was very undesirable material has
been transformed into a bonsai with
character. By splitting the trunk into two,
each section has been bent and can now
be used. Once the raffia is removed, the
shari on the back of each trunk will be
visible. Like the black pine material grown
from seed, growing junipers from cuttings
proved to be fun.

Afterfinal styling. Height: 21 cm

Width: 27 cm Pot: Japanese round

48 Bonsai Focus
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 PROFLE

The Bonsai passion of Alexandre Imbeault

Text: Bonsai Focus Studio Photography: Alex Imbo
The passion of Alexandre Imbeault (known as Alex Imbo) made him decide to buy a larger house so he could work
on his tables

he advised me to make them myself, as

W hat was your professional they are not easily accessible here. So I
education? got some tools to make them. My first
My professional training was for the results were not extraordinary, but they
glazier trade. In the main this consists were encouraging. This awakened in me
of the installation of glass and building a great passion for woodworking. After
windows. It is a field of construction that some ten tables, people started to show
has also allowed me to gain experience as an interest in my work. And that's when
a carpenter and in woodworking. everything took off, even buying a house
to have a large space dedicated to making
How did it all start? my tables.
My interest in making bonsai tables
began in my early days in bonsai. I was Who was your teacher?
at my first bonsai Quebec group show. It I am learning bonsai with the
was then that my eye first fell on these Italian master Michele
fascinating little tables. I asked one of my Andolfo. We are lucky
colleagues where I could get them and

50 Bonsai Focus
to have his school here in Quebec. As far
as tables are concerned, the late Doug
Mudd from the UK, played a big role in
my training. Without him, I wouldn't be at
this stage today. I didn't have the chance
Alexandre Imbeault (36)
of meeting him in person, but thanks
to the internet and social networks we Born in: Baie-Comeau, Canada
exchanged frequently. We had the same Married to: sati
vision and I like to think that he saw
Professional education:
potential in me. Thanks to him, I was
Mechanic glazier
able to develop and reach my goals more
quickly. He made me realise that I could Profession: Garden Services,
make anything I wanted. I have a special bonsai styling and education.
thoughts in his memory. Into bonsai since: 2017
Favourite species: shimpaku
Any plans to go to Japan? juniper, grey pine, Taxus, and all
I don't have any plans for Japan in the deciduous trees.
short term, but I think it would be nice to
visit the home of bonsai one day. For now,
I prefer to gain my experience as a bonsai
artist by exploring the European and
North American bonsai scene. I believe
it's a halfway stage before the final stage.
I am fortunate to have relationships with
many Europeans and Americans in the
bonsai field. I find this very rewarding.

Your thoughts on your work?

People display their most beautiful trees,
put them in their most stunning pots and
I think the table should complete the pic­

u My first tables ended up in the bin

ture. I notice that there is a bit of neglect

here. In most exhibitions, the name of
the owner of the tree, the manufacturer
or the origin of the pot is indicated, but
nothing about the table. Yet the
table is an integral part of the
presentation. I'd like to con­
tribute to a change of mental­
ity in regard to the tables. I have
already seen some change.

Do you have any other interests

or hobbies?
Ice hockey, golf, music, drumming and
skateboarding, billiards to mention a few.

Bonsai Focus 51
Can you make a living from
your work?
Many people ask me that, but this is not
my aim. I am very realistic, it's a small
market. Designing a table takes a lot of
man-hours because everything is made
by hand. If it's a job, it then becomes a
production and in that case I feel that the
quality is not the same. I prefer to keep it
as a passion and focus all my energy on
the one I am making.

W hat is your worst mistake?

Many of my first tables ended up in the
bin. However, I consider that mistakes
are part of learning and to this day, every
table is a practice.

Your dream comes true when?

u Tree, pot and table have a
story to tell

In fact, my dream has since come true in

that I can make tables freely.

Do you favour the Japanese or

Western bonsai style?
I have a penchant for the Japanese style.
They have been practising this art for
centuries. The style and rules have been
worked on over the years. The tree, the
pot and the table have a story to tell.

Bonsai Focus
 STYLING

Cat and Mouse

Todd Schlafer works on a Ponderosa pine

Text and photography: Todd Schlafer

Todd: 'There is no other species I’ve worked with, that evokes a greater game of cat and mouse than
the Ponderosa pine. Twisted trunks, thick plated bark, fractured and splintered deadwood. Branches
; are quite flexible and able to be moved with a variety of techniques. However, some see these trees
5% as a challenge because these trees don’t back bud as well as some other species and they have a
longer needle length. Thus, the game begins'

he Ponderosa pine is one of J

the most widely distributed

tree species in North America.
It grows from the south of
Canada into Mexico, from
Nebraska to the Pacific Coast.
Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa van
Scopulorum) will back bud, but is different
from other species of pine. The twiggy
branches that can be obtained by other
pines isn’t (or is very rarely) achieved
with Ponderosa. They do have a coarse
and larger needle. That characteristic can
be used to achieve the look of a full and
ramified tree by using the needle mass as
visual volume.

To obtain back budding I fertilize heavily.

I use seaweed and fish emulsion, BioGold
or Dr Earth which are all organic and
available here in the US and beyond. On
trees I’m just trying to gain needle count
and strength. I’ll fertilize from spring into The impressive movement of the trunk and its
late autumn. On Ponderosas that have flaking bark
more refinement, I just fertilize in the
autumn, which is the most important
time to fertilize.

So, when designing Ponderosa pine, there

are times when you have a long branch,
or several, without any back budding and
foliage just at the end. This is a regular
occurrence with Ponderosa, therefore the
approach must be different. Sometimes
you have to use one branch with foliage
[ A Miyagi
<'.s
 The side I chose as the
new front before work
starts

The left side before work

The right side before work

on the end as a representation of a pad.

u Using needle mass as visual volume

The base
The work ahead
Autumn is the best time for work on
Ponderosas. If they are designed earlier
in the year, the needles will continue to
grow and be a longer length. If I wait until
autumn, I’m not going to struggle with
longer needles and the tree is getting
ready for winter, moving resources and
creating vascular tissue for next year, so
it will heal any damage which is created
during the styling process.
Before and after the work on the root base

Heat bed
This tree was collected at around 2400 trunk and the root ball and there were
metres in 2019. We had a mild autumn feet of roots everywhere. I carefully pulled
and so I went for a hike and found this the tree out, corralled the long roots and
tree. It was growing in a tight crack with layered them all into the container it is
a small, but intact root system. I collected currently in.
the tree and healed it into my heat bed I’m going to do is make that cut root
where all winter long the roots stayed look like a natural piece of deadwood.
around 25degC to stimulate root growth. I Long root Pine deadwood has a splintered and
left it in there, turning the heat mat off in As you can see I had to sever a long rough look to it unlike the deadwood of
the spring, once I knew we wouldn’t get root that was running along the crack. I a juniper. I used a wooded mallet, chisels
a freeze even until spring of 2021.1then severed it right after some smaller feeder and pliers to create the natural look of
began to move the pumice away from the roots. In the past 2 years those roots have deadwood making sure I keep the lifeline
thickened immensely. So, the first thing feeding the roots intact.

54 Bonsai Focus
Going to the left
When designing this tree, I saw that it
naturally leans to the left and felt like the
directional branch will go the left. There
are some large branches that need to be
compressed down and to the left. But first
I’m going to move the back branch into
position. There is a natural curve, which
I’m going to accentuate. The branch is
flexible, so I don’t need to put a wedge cut
into it to move it.
Detail o f the back branch The back branch has a natural curve. I will use guy
wires to move the branch into place

A second guy wire is used to compress the Seen from underneath, the two guy wires can be seen
branch towards the back of the trunk clearly

Weak and leggy branches are removed

The back branch is placed and has

drastically reduced the silhouette o f
the tree

Bonsai Focus 55
Next, I need to guy wire the main trunk line down and to the left The situation seen from above, the guy wire is attached to the forking part of the
branch

Overview of the situation so far There is a long branch (A) that I wired, but it is too far to the right and covers up
the trunk, so I’m going to remove it and create a short jin

After some more bending

to compress it towards the
trunk
I rarely use fine wire
like that I use on
junipers

Up or below the top?

Next, I’m moving another structural branch up and compressing
it towards the trunk and using some of the length to push to the
back for depth and push the apex up and back towards the trunk.
The question now is whether I raise the apex up or try to get it just
below the top of the trunk. I’m going to try and keep the apex just
below the top of the trunk. The structure is set, so now I will start
with the finer wiring.

56 Bonsai Focus
 Ponderosa pine branches are quite thick
compared with other species. So I rarely use
fine wire like I use on junipers. The small­
est I’ll use on occasion is 16 gauge, but it’s
normally 14, which is the smallest gauge
I’ll use

Detail of the top portion, after bending

the main branches

Before and after wiring Next, I’m going to work my way up the tree and wire
the pads making sure I spread them out to use the
large needles of Ponderosa for visual mass

Two spots
The tree is being styled, but there are two The second concern is that the lowest
spots that bother me as I photograph the branches and the upper portion of the
tree. One is the large empty space that is tree feel disjointed.
between the trunk and the lowest branch.

By bending some side branches to the back, I add more depth to the lower portion
of the main branch

Note the large empty space between the trunk and the lowest branch

Bonsai Focus 57
Making adjustment to fill in the gap between the Detail, after adjusting the top branches,
lower and upper branches

The right side

The final result

I fixed those areas and love that, after looking at this tree for four years, I’ve finally
been able to design it

58 Bonsai Focus
GALLERY

Pseudo cydonia
Gianni Tosetto
75cm | 29.5"

n
ei
lr
e
D
g
ro
J:
o
to Cotoneaster, Larix
h Georg Frener
P
22cm | 8.6" 18cm | 7"

Bonsai Focus 59
 Taxus cuspidata
Kazuo Morise, Pot: Shidei Rectangular
80cm | 31"

n
a
p
a
J,
n
o
b
n
i
K
:s
'
o
t
o
h
P

60 Bonsai Focus
Pinus parviflora
Mitsuo Shioda
52cm | 20"

Pinus parviflora, 'Chojubai' Quince

Yoshikazu Obata
40cm 115" 18cm | 7"

Bonsai Focus 61
 POTS

The bonsai pot passion of Kiyoshi Koiwai

Text and photography: Kinbon, Japan
At first the 'Fuka kiln' of Kiyoshi
Koiwai did not make pots for bonsai.
A direct connection with bonsai was
only via his grandfather, who had
many. However, he felt a spark of in­
terest when meeting a bonsai hobby­
ist who collected bonsai pots also

orn in Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo

in 1955. His mother, Nishida

B
Akiko was a leading leather
craftswoman. In 2003 he began
to study pottery under Yokota
Mitsuko, the head of the Keifu Kiln in
Saitama. At the end of 2011, he started a
pottery class in Tsukuba, Konosu City. At
first, he made tableware and other items,
but he started making bonsai pots after a Pictured here with his work. In the background you can see an electric kiln. To maximise production, up to 50
chance meeting. Subsequently he worked smaller pots are fired at the same time
hard to make pots while receiving advice
from bonsai dealers all over the country. Miyasama Trident, planted in a pot by Koiwai
Since 2014 he has been exhibiting at the
Modern Small Pot exhibition and has won
the gold and bronze awards for glazed
pots.

Making a living with your hands

After many years of moving around as a
salaried man, Kiyoshi Koiwai eventually
settled down in Saitama and began to
attend a ceramics class. From the outset
he told the teacher that he intended to
become a professional. His mother was
a master craftswoman working with
leather, teaching and becoming the chair
of the Leather Craft Union. Coming from
that lineage, even before starting to work
with ceramics, Kiyoshi Koiwai had always
intended to make a living from craft.

62 Bonsai Focus
 Kiyoshi Koiwai (67)
Bom in: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo in
1955
Education: Yokota Mitsuko, Keifu
Kiln, Saitama, Japan
Profession:
Ceramist, tableware and bonsai pots.
2011, started pottery class in Tsukuba,
Konosu City. (Sai no kuni Nakasendo
Fuka Kiln. Saitama Pref. Kounosu City.
Tsukuba 2-2-11)
Into bonsai/ceramics since:
2003
Princess persimmon, planted in a pot by Koiwai

Thankfully he received a comprehensive

education in pot building, learning slip
casting, coiling, slab building, moulding
on the wheel. Many teachers focus mainly
on the wheel, starting there before they
move on to other methods, but Kiyoshi
Koiwai is very grateful to have been
taught step-by-step, starting with simple
basic techniques until he firmly grasped
the basics of moulding.

After attending classes for eight years,

aged 56, he finally said goodbye to his
salaried life, becoming an
independent ceramic artist.
First of all, he focused on run­
ning his class, he handed out
flyers, and made tableware
such as sake bottles, cups and
beer glasses. It was, however,
a difficult process at first.
Modem Small Pot Exhibition, the
10th edition held in 2015.1 received
Too thick the gold medal award for glazed
As he began to make his bonsai pots, pots
he realised various things. Mr Hamano

A piece made soon after starting his solo career. A One of Kiyoshi Koiwai’s yellow-glazed pots on the right. A customer sent a yellow glazed Ikkou pot as an
beautifully glazed vase and sake bottle example of the colour and it was slowly improved upon

Bonsai Focus 63
 Experimenting with glazes

Experimental glaze tests to show the progression of a colour. Left hand side is crystal glazed

Elaeagnus, planted in a pot by Kiyoshi

Skilful slab building

Kiyoshi keeps in mind the necessity of having as thin a body as possible and makes the pots from 3 mm thick clay slabs, which will become 2.6 mm when fired. His
hands move nimbly and quickly like magic

Hiromi of Toju-en in the Omiya Bonsai saying, 'For those who make things, it is
No Tofukuji
Village told him, 'It's good, but it's too an invaluable resource'.
Kiyoshi does not have the same strong
thick. You can't see the bonsai's roots, but
admiration for Tofukuji or Kozan pots
you need to make the pot thin so that you that most bonsai enthusiasts have as he Glazing
can feel the outside light.' The Master began as a general pottery artist rather Above all, the greatest attraction is the
who Kiyoshi had learned from made than a bonsai enthusiast who moved into deep commitment to the glaze. 'The
ceramic in the Mashiko style, with heavy, making pottery. Also he has no strong feeling of excitement when applying the
solid bodies. He had copied that style. He obsessions or ego. glaze, or just the feeling of what it will
decided to make slab built bodies that The repetition of making pots, listening to look like after applying the glaze, is the
were as thin as possible. It has been about opinions and carrying out corrections can best sensation. It’s pleasurable when I’m
10 years since he started making bonsai be a great strength in creating good and experimenting with pottery pieces and
pots and he has a close relationship with easy-to-use pots. Those opinions, both Glazing is the most enjoyable aspect,'
many bonsai gardens all over Japan. good and bad, are taken very seriously, says Kiyoshi Koiwai with a twinkle in

64 Bonsai Focus
his eye. His body of work is constantly
expanding and improving.

No gold, no silver
'At the 16th edition of the Small Pot
Exhibition, I exhibited a pot with a 'zinc
crystal glaze' that leaves a crystal pattern To my frustration it won Gold Medal, a pot by Heian Silver Medal pot by Futatsuki Koubun, exhibited at
on the inside of the glaze. Coincidentally, Senzan, exhibited at the 16th exhibition the 16th exhibition
similar works were submitted
by other potters (Heian Kosei,
Futatsuki Koubun), and the top
three prizes in the category
were all awarded to pots with
a similar crystalline glaze.
'I had no idea about the other
potters' intentions and I dis­
played a round pot. You can
imagine my surprise when I
found that both the gold and
silver prizes went to crystal­
line glazed pots. I was rather My pots received the Bronze Medal at the 16th exhibition
disappointed. After years of work, all
finally came together and I was ready to
exhibit, b u t. . . I wonder if I could have
won the gold prize if I had exhibited the
pot a year ago.' Kiyoshi Koiwai intends to
further improve the firing method for this
technique of firing with zinc crystal glaze
and continue to evolve it in the future.

The unique pot shape with wide rims and the varying glaze tone were very highly appreciated. The series
started with an order from Taiga Urushibata of Taisho-en

u It's good, but it is too thick. You can't see the roots
of the bonsai...

Exhibited in 2020 These indigo glazed pots were exhibited at the 17th exhibition in 2022

Bonsai Focus 65
 TECHNIQUE

Text: Kinbon, Japan Illustrations: Kyosuke Gun

How to create bonsai from cuttings, grafting and other methods using interesting and unusual species. With the help
of illustrations we will see how to take a piece of material through to its completion. This time we are working with
Giant itabi (Ficus thunbergii). The illustrations clearly navigate you through the process from material to completion
and maintenance

1-4 years
How to insert

Cuttings
Cut the leaves in
June-July half to reduce leaf
volume

Cut and insert about

5-6 sections at a time

Cutting it produces a
white latex

Insert a node just enough to get it into Wire the trunk

-r? the soil June-July the following year

J Scrape with a knife in a V-shape (when cut, a

white latex is produced)

Bend the trunk

Vi
i\
M _ J
I IJ I
I i / — Insert wire deeply
/ and fix in place
1, /

66 Bonsai Focus
Transplant
April next year Repotting
Example of soil April next year A root ball is formed
Akadama soil 70%

Trim the long parts

above the leaves

Prune long roots

Flowering in leaf axils on new How flowers grow

shoots. Separate male May to July
Lateral branches emerge and female plants
more easily

Placement of solid fertilizer

Tie with string

How to plant

Female fruit sac

3-4cm+
Fertilizer Both the male
and female fruits
have the same
shape.

How the trunk

Leaf shape develops
Elliptic
Form of fruit
November-December Thick with leathery Use new shoot to continue
texture trunk line

Height: 4-5 cm

Trim it if it's too long

Pulp can be eaten
Leaf blade
4-10 cm

Inverted ovoid fruiting

pods ripen to purple

Leaf width 3-5 cm June or dormant

season
The creeper
An evergreen fig in the family Mulberry, pointed at the tip, whereas the leaves of
genus fig. It is found in South East Asia the Ficus thunbergii are more elliptical and
and in Japan. It grows wild in the coastal broader, with a tip less sharply pointed.
areas west of the southern Kanto region. Cut branches that grow
Trunks with good downward
It grows by creeping up rocks and other The flowering season is from May to July, ccm produced
tree trunks by means of aerial roots that when spherical or oval flowers, called
emerge from the stem. The name 'giant flower stalks are produced in the axils of
itabi' is derived from its larger leaves the leaves on the shoots. The petals don't
compared with the of a similar species of open to expose stamens and pistils, but
itabi creeper. The two species are similar the flowers are produced inside the flower
in terms of their fruiting habit, but can be sac, just like figs. Though dioecious, the
distinguished by their leaves. The leaves shape of the flower sac is the same and
of Ficus surmentosu are narrower and more it's impossible to distinguish between

Bonsai Focus 67
male and female flowers until the sac is
opened. Both male and female flowers
turn purple when ripe.

It has larger leaves and is expected to be

more coarsely branched than the Ficus
sarmentosa, but as the number of branches
increases, the leaves become smaller and
branches more numerous.

Pruning
Dormant period

5 - 7 years

Wiring of branches
June-July

30 cm to the root

Distribute branches so
that the whole area is well
exposed to the sun

Cut branches that ob­

Produces aerial roots at joints struct the curvature
of the trunk

Cut downward
branches
Bending the branches

The branches that are Cut the branches that

Use the buds that in a good position are are inside the curve
appear in good positions laid down before they
become too thick

Vinyl or sheet
enclosure

Avoid cold wind

Bend down almost horizontally and frost

Winter protection
Early December to early April

68 Bonsai Focus
How to create branches
8 - 10 years
It is not an easy variety because it is
vine like and slow to grow. If you let the Prune to achieve compact growth
Dormant period or June - July
extensive shoots grow, you can get the
Fertilization
thickness of the branch base, but the
May-June
internodes tend to stretch. It is far better
to concentrate on twig-creation: repeat
prune by extending and cutting 2-3 base
leaves as new shoots grow during the
growing season. Pruning is also possible
during the dormant period, but since it is
a warm-climate tree species, protection
after work is essential. As the number of
branches increases, it will be less likely
pot when it ripens
to be extremely long, making it easier to
hold flower buds. Although it is vine like,
the wood part becomes hard and when it Tree with fruit
November-December
reaches the thickness of chopsticks, wire Make the crown
semi-circular
is almost ineffective. The proper time for
Cut off branches
shaping is the early growth period when that have grown too
long, or wire them
it absorbs a lot of water, and is easier to
down
adjust when new shoots grow.
It is worth checking that the fruit
is well-baldnced throughout

Removing old leaves

June-July
Leave the foliage at the.
tips of branches

Fruit ripens in winter

Cut old leaves

Repotting The number of branches

is small and they are both
Early spring long and short so as not to
erase the fun of the trunk's
Cut t o f t in a movement
shallow pot Remove a layer of soil

Cut roots around

Bonsai Focus 69
 WORKSHOP

It's a Hit...
As an accent plant the Hitotsuba genus (Pyrrosia var.) is a favourite
Text and photography: Kinbon, Japan
It is an evergreen fern that stays green, even in winter. It has been popular as an accent plant for bonsai since
ancient times because it keeps its beautiful leaves and retains its voluminous feel through autumn to winter, when
many bonsai exhibitions are held

here are almost one hundred

species of Pyrrosia, many used
for bonsai are cultivars of
Pyrrosia lingua or tongue fern
(Hitotsuba in Japanese), an

epiphytic fern. In recent years, a variety of

these ferns has become available, partly

due to the influence of gardening, but it is

this group that has been most familiar as

potted ferns in Japan since ancient times.

It is an evergreen fern that is common in

warm coastal areas like Honshu, Shikoku,

Kyushu and the Nansei Island, west of Hitotuba (Pyrrosia lingua) Height: 24 cm Width: 35 cm Japanese round pot
A potted plant that shows how the difference between the green of the rising bright leaves and the brown
the Kanto Region. It grows on slightly underside of the leaves, make a fine contrast
dry rocks and tree trunks. The leaves are

10-20 cm long, thick and stiff, with wavy A Hitotsuba (Pyrrosia lingua)
on a stone Height: 28 cm
leaf margins and brownish hairs on the Japanese oval basin.
A cool summer display will
underside. The Japanese name is derived become more controllable when
growing on stones
from the fact that the leaves are not
compound like those of other ferns, but

there are varieties in which the leaf tips

are divided.

Wavy leaves give it a voluminous look.

Mouko Hitotsuba, or Ko Hitotsuba, is a

slightly smaller Hitotsuba native to China,

characterized by the appearance of white

dots on the surface of its round leaves.

70 Bonsai Focus
Hitotsuba (Pyrrosia lingua) Height 44 cm Width: 64 cm Japanese round pot. Hitotsuba and Scutellaria fern with stone (left)
If grown freely, it will grow like this. Leaves can grow up to 40 cm in length in the An example displayed as an attachment to catch the bold cliff-shaped Shimpaku
wild juniper cascade. Shown at the 35th Taikanten by Hiroshi Tada

u They divide and curl at the tip of

the leaves

Moukohitotsuba (Pyrrosia petiolosa)

with stone. Height: 10 cm. It has lovely
small round leaves
Pyrrosia polydactylia Pyrrosia petiolosa

Momiji hitotsuba (Pyrrosia polydactylia) Height: Another Momiji hitotsuba (Pyrrosia polydactylia) Height: 35 cm Moukohitotsuba (Pyrrosia petiolosa)
15 cm Japanese round pot. A maple (momiji) like leaf Japanese round pot. Height: 4 cm Seifu Mokko style bowl.
fem that has been well sun-shaded and strengthened. This variety has narrow leaves. Individual differences are large The height of the plant is small, so it
Leaf width is broad is suitablefor small bonsai and mini
bonsai displays

Bonsai Focus 71
Other Hitotsuba fem varieties

Lion's leaf Hitotsuba, Chinese Hitotsuba. Height: 20 cm Width: 48 cm. Mottled Hitotsuba (Pyrrosia lingua 'Ogon Nishiki'J.
(Pyrrosia lingua 'Futaba Shishi'). Height: 20 cm. Japanese oval pot. Spotted and other foliage species have long been
Japanese round pot. The tips of the leaves are finely Thick leaves with clearly visible veins. Easy to grow. available in nurseries. The photograph shows a small
split species with yellow arrow feather spots

Hitotsuba fern planted on a stone

Hitotsuba cultivated in an unglazed pot alongside a Separate the plants according to the size of the stone It was tied with a fixing wire attached to the stone,
Yoshinogawa stone prepared as an attachment stone so that they fit but the base was too large to stabilise them

The final result. Planted on a stone that

suggests a natural landscape

Strains of sphagnum moss, used to make moss balls

(Kokedama), is used to tie the base and stones in a

72 Bonsai Focus
Placement and repotting
Spotted Hitotsuba fem maintenance, autumn-winter)
It is a hardy and easy-to-grow fern. Best
cultivated in light and well-ventilated
semi-shade throughout the year. They
aren’t picky about soil, though keeping
them too wet can cause some problems.
Adequate light is necessary, as growing
in too dark a place will tend to give it an
overstretched appearance. When kept in
full sun they get sunburned. In winter,
Hitotsuba on aflat Kurama stone. Various grasses The roots covering the soil surface are a mixture of
protect under the eaves of the roof, well living and dead
and weeds have jumped in and disrupted the shape
away from dry winds. Mutant varieties
are particularly sensitive to cold, so they
should be taken into a protective shelter
in winter.

Potted plants are prone to root clogging

if left in pots for too long, so they should
always be replanted every two to three
years. In this respect, stone plantings are
Feel each root individually and cut off, or drag out, Long, living roots should be bent and secured to the
easy to grow. the dead ones with tweezers soil surface with wire

The best time to replant is in spring,

before sprouting. Remove old soil, remove After work is finished.
A neat and tidy appearance for the spring.
damaged roots and fold up old rhizomes.
The roots of the Hitotsuba species do not
like excessive humidity and prefer to be
exposed to the air, so it is important to
plant them with good drainage. There is
no exact choice of planting medium, but
a coarse particle size is recommended.

Even grey-brown, seemingly dead roots are alive

if they are persistent and do not break (see above).
Dead roots snap off when force is applied

Bonsai Focus 73
 AGENDA
Winter images
Swindon Winter Image Show and Trade fair, will
be held on Sunday, 19th February, 2023. Enjoy the
In the open air deciduous and coniferous trees in their winter
splendour. There will be many awards presented
The 20th open-air bonsai ex­ in several bonsai categories,
hibition will be held again in such as best deciduous, best
the Japanese Garden, Bonn, coniferous and best shohin.
Germany, from Whit Satur­
day May 27 - Whit Monday Where: Grange Leisure Centre,
May 29, 2023. The Bonsai- Grange Drive, Stratton St Margaret,
Team Bonn presents a large exhibition of about 90 trees in the Swindon, Wiltshire (UK)
unique ambience of the Japanese garden at the presentation Info: www.swindon-bonsai.co.uk
areas specially made for this purpose. The entire bonsai team
is available to our visitors every day of the exhibition to answer
any questions they may have. You are welcome to bring your
trees with you for on-site advice.
There will be a bonsai demonstration on May 29,2023 (Whit
Monday) at around 1:00 pm. During the demo, bonsai, pre-bon-
Advertisement
sai, or raw plants are also welcome and will be discussed with
the audience. The owner of the most interesting tree will be
rewarded with a workshop by Ralf Beckers.

Opening hours: Sat 10:00 am - 6:00. Sunday 09:00 - 06:00.

Monday 09:00 - 05:00.
Admission is €3.00.
Children up to 12 years have free admission.
Bonsai ist unsere Leidenschaft: www.bonsaipark.de

The Trophy 23
Over the weekend, 25th-26th February 2023, the largest
bonsai event in Europe will again take place. The doors
will open at 09.00. You can then enjoy the large Bonsai 25-26 February, The Trophy
Market with numerous stands. Or can go directly to the International Expo and Bonsai Trade Fair.
amazing exhibition where, as well as all the participating Where: Limburghal, Jaarbeurslaan 6,3600
bonsai, there will be a special line-up of bonsai from Genk, Belgium. Info: www.bonsaiassociation.be
the Nippon Bonsai Sakka Kyookai, Europe, including the
private trees of Danny Use.
Guest speakers will be Piotr Czerniachowski (Poland)
Pietro Samirisi (Italy), Andres Alvarez Iglesias (Spain), and
Enrico Savini (Italy).
Info: www.bonsaiassociation.be
5-7 May, Arcobonsai
Trade fair and Bonsai show. Where: Centro
Congress Casino Municipale, Arco Trentino,
Italy. Info: www.arcobonsai.com

Arco back in spring 27-29-May, Bonsai - The fascination

The 37th edition of the Arco bonsai event will be held
of small trees. Where: Japanischer Garten,
again on 5th, 6th and 7th May at the Casino Municipale.
Rheinaue, Petra-Kelly-Allee, 53175 Bonn
It's a big show with bonsai and suiseki. Special guest
will be Takashi lura, who will also demonstrate his skills. 29-July - 6-August, BUGA
The Italian clubs and the bonsai instructors will hold the German Bonsai Show.
traditional Arco cup competition. The relaxed atmosphere Info: [email protected]
and nearby mountains make this one of the events not to
be missed. 14-15 October, the French Bonsai
Congres.

28 - 31 August 2026,10th World

Bonsai Convention
Where: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

74 Bonsai Focus
 ADVERTISEMENTS

Large selection of collected redwood trees,

sierra Junipers, and other native species.
• Great bases and natural shari.
• Formal upright, twin trunk, clump, raft, and

Check uur web site at mcbonsui.com for

I

Bob and Zack Shimon, P.O, Box 317, Point Arena, CA 95468
(707)884-4126, E-mail <shimon&mcn.org>.

BO NSAI
PREBONSAI
YAMAD0RI
THOR HOLVII A
SCHALEN

Chikugo-En
Bonsai Nursery
• bonsai (specializing in Kishu Shimpaku, Itoigawa, and Pine
• pre-bon sai
• imported Japanese pots, bonsai tools, wire,
books and accessories

18110 South Western Avenue

Gardena, California 90248
310/323-4011
Masaru Ishii Sorry, no catalog available Gary Ishii
 PREVIEW

Bonsai Focus #181 - 204 181

March / April 2023

Inspired by nature
Bruno Proietti Tocca works on a native yew
(Taxus bacatta).

Something completely different

An unusual creation by Mauro Stemberger.

From winter to spring

How to handle wild plum (Prunus). The main point when
pruning plums is to 'leave the leaf buds'.

Delicate task
When the harsh winter chill subsides, it's the right time for
repotting pine. But it requires caution to do it correctly.

76 Bonsai Focus
A R C O Sisi 7 MAGGIO 2023
f x CentroCongressi Casino Municipale e Palatennis
TRENTINO
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Organizzazione: A r c o b o n s a i C lu b G a r d a T r e n t i n o - Info I www.arcobonsai.com

HQ fl TH LAMC

FEDRIGONI GARDA
T A E N r iN O ITALV
 Bonsai Association Belgium presents

2023

international BONSAI show

26 Feb 2023

Top international demonstrators

Enrico Savini (IT)
Andres A lvarez Iglesias (ES)
Piotr Czerniachowski (PL)
Pietro Sampirisi (IT)

M ajor exhibition of Bonsai, Kifu and Shohin

Special line up of bonsai by Nippon Bonsai

Sakka Kyookai Europe 1

Special pri

Exhibition of suiseki and exclusive bonsa

ian selection for the EBA N ew T<

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76/76 O Limburghai C.V. Belgium
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