Black Pine 48 Years of Improvement

 Bonsai is a process of continuous improvement with the, knowingly, unachievable goal of perfect imperfection.

This is the notion of 'Wabi Sabi'; a focus on the perception of age and the transient nature of everything in life.  Bonsai is a true and tangible representation of this Japanese philosophy that goes beyond a single lifetime.

The bonsai that we so lovingly attend  can, if we are open to the philosopy, give us so much more than we put into their cultivation.

 Spring Bud Burst - Weeks Early

Spring is here.!!  Crazy bud burst on this old Chinese elm; it is getting earlier every year.!!  Even so we have some very even budding throughout the entire tree.  A testament to some accurate bud selection and vigour balancing done last Autumn.

Our Autumn/Winter workshops focus on this very important task.  It applies to all exotic bonsai species.

Progress on Bonsai Gallery

Great progress on our new Bonsai Gallery.!

The first phase of the build should be completed in a few weeks.  This pic only shows one part of the build.  Once finished we will share a short clip of the completed section.

The old Debate..... Copper or Aluminium

Frankly, I think there is no choice but to use copper wire when undertaking a full refinement project on an old bonsai.

There is no substitute for high quality, well softened copper wire.  Many of our students have been 'converted' to the exclusive use of copper for their bonsai work.

Used correctly, well softened copper wire is easy to apply, and most importantly, smaller gauges (than aluminium) can be applied with little or no impact on the look of a bonsai.

Winter Bonsai Workshops

Winter is a very busy time for the serious bonsai artist and there is no better time to add to the refinement of that special bonsai.

Pines should be needle plucked, bud selected and wired this time of the year.  Deciduous bonsai are much easier to refine in Winter, for obvious reasons; bare branches allow for easier wiring, bud selection and branch placement.

The Australian Bonsai Gallery workshops allow you to gain a clear understanding of these processes and give you the confidence to take your skills in bonsai to the next level.

Our workshops allow you to tap into more than 47 years of experience in the development and refinement of bonsai.

Details of our Workshop content can be found HERE.

Field Grown White Pine Refinement Work

Eight years from field planted small nursery plant, this grafted White Pine is starting to step up and is now showing some signs of becoming a nice bonsai.

Four years of development, shown here, has resulted in significant branch development from many back-buds.

Winter 2023

Late Colour in this Swampy

This old Swamp cypress is putting on a late show of colour due to the unusually warm Autumn.

It will soon be time for the next round of Winter pruning and wiring. 

We have had some great results from the previous Summers pruning.... allowing the first Spring flush to extend un-pruned.  This allows the first flush to mature before pruning.
…. see the article on this subject HERE.

Once the wiring and pruning is completed the rewards of this previous work will be evident.

Hail Shelter for the Bonsai

Finally, work has started on the hail shelter at The Australian Bonsai Gallery.  Hail is a regular threat in Dorrigo, particularly in the warmer months so we will be fully protected for next season.

Fortunately, our cool climate means that we don't require shade cloth.  Just a good, strong, commercial hail guard.!!

Autumn Colour in Trident Maples

Finally, some Autumn colour to boast about at the Australian Bonsai Gallery.

It will soon be time to bud select and wire these Trident Maples before the branches become to brittle.

Bud selection should be done well before the Spring so that growth can be directed only to important structural bud-points on the tree. Selecting two buds from each terminal will help to accelerate good ramification.

Spend the day working on & promoting BONSAI

The World Bonsai Friendship Federation established this international day of celebration to pay homage to bonsai Master Saburo Kato's mission to promote peace and friendship through the art of bonsai.

"Since the late 1970's Saburo Kato, Haruo Kaneshiro, John Naka, and Ted Tsukiyama worked tirelessly to create the World Bonsai Friendship for the pure love of bonsai."

The day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May each year.

Master Saburo Kato