The Effect of Gravity on Tree Growth
While a branch’s origin on the trunk doesn’t change—one thing I remember answering correctly on my biology SAT test 400 years back—the branch itself may bend and reorient. Trunks and branches are subject to many forces that change their shape. Some are environmental. And some are of the tree’s own making. One curious force that […]
Using Birds In Bonsai Display: Part I
Birds are often used in traditional bonsai display to give a suggestion of where the tree is. Is the bonsai in a field? In a swamp? By the ocean? On a mountain? Usually we use an accent to fulfill this need. An aster to suggest a field. A sundew for a bog. Birds offer the […]
Portland Japanese Garden: Part II
Delivering bonsai to the Portland Japanese Garden has one hairy bit. After grinding up a steep hill you come to the roof panels on the spectacular Kengo Kuma buildings, which are conveniently lower than the top of a 26’ U-Haul. But by taking this arrival slalom at 0.5 mph, in the past eight years both […]
Portland Japanese Garden: Part I
In early 2017 I got a call from the then-curator of the Portland Japanese Garden, Sadafumi Uchiyama, who asked for help sourcing bonsai. I coughed up some phlegm—getting over bronchitis that week—and said, “Yes, I’d like that”—cough—“thank you.” “We need about fifteen bonsai for a display. In two months. Sorry for the short notice—people are […]
Why Are My Pine Needles Twisted?
The shape of pine needles gives us clues to our pine care. Generally the straighter and shorter the needle the better. For clean profiles on our mature pine bonsai that is the preference. The tree looks tighter, less gangly, and we can organize foliage pads with greater precision—handy if the tree will be in a […]
Developing A Harland Boxwood
While Boxwood is considered a beginner’s tree in the west, in places like Taiwan it is a well-regarded plant for bonsai. A few years back I acquired two Harland Boxwoods from a friend and have greatly enjoyed having them around. This week one of them got up on the workbench. Harland Boxwood, Buxus harlandii, in […]
When Do We Create Accents?
Pitcher Plant and Pearly Everlasting at the Portland Japanese Garden Perennials make up most accent plants. They die back to the roots in the fall, with most of them stubble at repotting time. No leaves in sight. It may be hard to identify your lump of roots in the winter if you don’t have a […]
Australian National Bonsai and Penjing Collection
In May of 2025 I was in Australia to present at their National Bonsai Convention. It was held in Canberra on the grounds of the National Arboretum. Jennifer Price and myself—the headliners for the weekend—were given a great, personalized tour of the collection by Assistant Curator Sam Thompson. The Australian national collection has many of […]
Mid-Summer Trident Rework
Mid-summer can be a great time to work on deciduous bonsai. If you have 2 or 3 months left in the growing season it’s not too late. Strong plants like Trident Maple may be reimagined with a hard pruning at this time. Regrowth is strong, callus development is good in the heat, and disease pressure […]
The Snow Load Assumption
On mountaintops the snow can be deep and last into the summer. If branches on trees are brought down they may stay there for months, buried in snow, next to the trunks like bird wings. Some may even be pinned to the ground. Over time, year after year with repeated downward flexing, the wood sets […]