The Bonsai Files
Your free access to general and how-to articles, The Bonsai Files. Detailed and filled with bonsai pictures, Zach shows you step-by-step how he designs bonsai and provides before, during, and after images.
The Bonsai Files
Repotting A Hawthorn; How To Correct A Root Problem
Here's my specimen Riverflat hawthorn, Crataegus opaca. I repotted this tree two years ago, and knew it had since filled its pot with roots. Certain hawthorn species do not root all that vigorously, but Riverflat is not one of them. At the same time, I've been faced...
It Was A Good BC Hunting Day, First One For 2017
Today I finally got out to where the Bald cypresses are, more specifically the smaller ones that have grown slowly giving rise to great taper and trunk movement. I brought a bunch home, and I wanted to post some photos for those of you who love the species as much as...
Of Groundhogs And Early Budding – What You Need To Know
I happened to catch the annual Groundhog Day festivities yesterday. Punxsutawney Phil was his usual chipper self, and he dutifully saw his shadow before going back to bed (wish I could have done the same). And so, it's said that we have another six weeks of winter...
The Bald Cypress Forest In The Trees – Diving In
On Sunday past I did some work on a new Bald cypress forest bonsai I started last fall. My work was limited to wiring and straightening the trunks of four of the seven trees. As I noted last fall, when building a forest bonsai the main consideration is the placement...
I Like Collecting Odd Species Too – And Even The Impossible
I'm somewhat a creature of habit when it comes to bonsai. I have a group of species I prefer to work with, and whenever I go collecting I pretty much stick to the known. But that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the occasional odd species. As for the impossible? Well, I...
Did Some Collecting Today – Check Out This Great Hornbeam
Today I went out in hopes of collecting some bald cypress. The water was up, however, so I had to fall back to Plan B. I ended up with some yaupons, huckleberries and even a pine. But the best find of the day was this tree, a truly great American hornbeam, Carpinus...
It’s Really Warm This Winter – This BC Agrees
It's not at all uncommon for us to have mild winters down here. What's really uncommon for us is to have balmy winters down here. What does balmy mean? It means temperatures in the 80s with humidity in the 90s. And not just an odd day here or there, but days on...
Fun With Some Ordinary Material – It’s Going To Be Nice
All of us have ordinary material hanging around on our benches. What I mean by ordinary material is the not-hundred-year-old masterpiece-in-the-making stuff. I'm a great proponent of working with ordinary material. As I like to say, it's hard to mess up really...
Two Privet Bonsai-To-Be – Same Height But Very Different
I lifted a couple of Chinese privets, Ligustrum sinense, today. I made the decision to collect them because of what I saw in the trunk of each - nice tapering potential and good trunk character. As with most deciduous species, you can cut back Chinese privet to a...