Bonsai tree: You Can Still Enter (and Win) Our $1,000 Bonsai fromScratch Contest

Some of these drawings look like bonsai that aren’t too far from scratch.

Don’t be intimidated!

Anyone can enter our Bonsai from Scratch Contest. Everyone’s entries will be respected, and your entry won’t be published on Bonsai Bark unless you are one of the winners. So, not to worry.

Here’s one reason why you can win

At least twelve prizes will be awarded and only about ten people have entered so far.

It’s not too late

You have until October 15th for your final submission.

Your final submission can be in a nursery container or a bonsai pot

Some trees don’t take to too much root pruning all at once. So, either way: in a bonsai, or in nursery container is okay.

Contest details and how to enter are here

If you own a bonsai business, you can offer a prize

If you would like to promote you business and help the contest along, you can submit a prize. In exchange we will acknowledge and link your website.

It’s fairly easy (and fun) to make saikei bonsai from scratch. This one is from Lew Buller’s Saikei and Art.


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Bonsai tree: Bonsai Mania

Labor of love. I would love to see this majestic and wonderful mountain scene photographed with a neutral background and maybe a little stronger lighting. Still, even with the busy background, this planting stands out as pure inspiration and joy. I found it on Bonsai Mania facebook. The photo belongs to Bambang Gautama’s album. I was unable to determine if the planting belongs to Bambang or someone else.

Hats off

If you’re a facebook user, you might want to visit Bonsai Mania. They have been consistently posting excellent photos of bonsai and powerful natural scenes for a long time. Day in and day out. Such dedication deserves a nod.

Must be China’s Yellow Mountains (Haunshan). A good example of one of Bonsai Mania’s ‘Inspiraciones para tu Bonsái (Inspirations to your bonsai – their translation, not mine)’ which features hundreds of photos of beautiful trees and natural scene.

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Bonsai tree: A Lost Treasure #6: Enchanted Lands

Enchanted lands, our fifth in a series of plantings (here for the previous one) from Toshio Kawamoto’s Sakei classic (long out of print). The tree are 3 five year old ezo spruce, 16 five to eight year old cryptomeria (6-8 inches tall), 7 three to eight year old satsuki azaleas and 3 three year old tsutsuji azaleas. The pot is a round unglazed tray, 28 inches (71cm) in diameter (you can’t really tell from the photo just how large the pot is).



This diagram is designed to give you a little better idea of the layout and relationship of the elements. The trees are numbered, but your eyes are much better than mine if you can distinguish them.



 
This bird’s eye view shows the placements of the rocks and footprint of the hills. Yes, the tray is really completely round. Round tray-style pots this size are very unusual. You’ll see extra large ovals and rectangles for sure, but when was the last time you saw a monster round tray-style pot?
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Bonsai tree: Coming Soon: Field Grown Bonsai Stock

One little man made hill that serves as landscaping and as a growing bed for future bonsai.
I’ve started digging some of my field grown stuff and putting them in plastic containers. Soon we’ll start photographing and putting some up for sale.
More than half of what I’ve been growing are larches that have been collected here in northern Vermont. All have been pruned some. Some has been wired and a few have even been carved. Most are not bonsai pot ready, but all have good potential.
When they are ready, I’ll be putting them up here and on Stone Lantern.

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Bonsai tree: Win a Free Gift Certificate

 
A River in India, by Lew Buller. From his book, Saikei and Art: Minature Landscapes.


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Bonsai tree: Land of Paradise

Land of Paradise, our forth in a series of plantings from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic. The trees are seven 5 to 7-year-old rock cotoneasters (4″ – 7″ tall) and seven somewhat shorter 3-year-old satsuki azaleas. Though you can’t really tell in the photo, the pot is very large (48″ x 16″ – 122cm x 41cm).
 
Side view diagram.
 
Bird’s eye diagram. This shows what looks like two rocks are actually fifteen joined together.
The purpose of this section is to show how to create a saikei that depicts two wild rocky mountains that are dotted with beautiful old trees. The photo taken together with the drawings, create the impression that the author is inviting you to duplicate his work.
What looks at a glance like two large rocks are actually fifteen stones joined together. The original text says: secure the rocks with peat and sphagnum moss then fill in the spaces between the rock with soil. The remaining materials are green moss and river sand.
The Land of Paradise refers to the indescribably beautiful Pure Land that is described in some Chinese and Japanese Buddhist scriptures.

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Bonsai (saikei) landscape: Peaceful Lagoon: Japanese Black Pine

Peaceful Lagoon, my third in a series of plantings from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic. The trees are five to twenty-year-old Japanese black pines. The pot is similar to the ones in the previous two landscapes, though quite a bit larger.
The purpose of this section is to show how to create a saikei that depicts a peaceful lagoon just off the ocean. The photo taken together with the drawings, create the impression that the author is inviting you to duplicate his work.
If you look at all the elements: the rocks, the trees, the moss, the gravel and the white sand, you can see that their placement and their relative sizes creates a near perfect effect.
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