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tradition is but a springboard—from there, bonsai is limitless
from the blog
Front Cover and Brief Review of Bonsai Heresy—
As it’s terrifically difficult to write a review of one’s own work and still sleep at night, I’m copying here what Wayne Schoech of Stone Lantern wrote in his newsletter about my forthcoming offbeat, educational book Bonsai Heresy: 56 Myths Exposed using Science and Tradition— Here’s the glimpse into the future we promised, Michael’s Bonsai Heresy is […]
Deciduous Early Development Part III: Styrax
Styrax is, like the magnolia featured in Part II of this series, a rarely seen deciduous bonsai. Mr. Takeyama in Japan has some remarkable styrax specimens, and seeing his was the reason I started trying them for bonsai. This specimen is Styrax japonicus, also known as Japanese snowbell- Continuing the theme of this series, you will […]
2,520 Degree Ponderosa Pine
Two years ago I collected this Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) with Backcountry Bonsai. It was tucked under a full sized tree, somehow eking out a very long life. Seven full rotations is 2,520 degrees of twist around the trunk…a bit of an eye boggler. It lay prostrate and un-inspiringly in its box until this fall when […]
