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
Wisteria In Bloom
You may recall my post "An Accidental Wisteria Bonsai...." published last September. In addition to the main trunk of the vine, I had a section that had split off it during the "standard" rotting process large collected wisterias usually go through. It looked like...
Water-Elm Styling Work 2016 – Part 1
I began working on this Water-elm, Planera aquatica, last year as my quest began to rebuild a collection devastated in Winter 2014. I'd collected this one in Summer 2014, and considering the great trunk character starting with the fine root base I knew this one would...
Unique Water-Elm Initial Styling 5-30-16
I collected this unique water-elm, Planera aquatica, last August. Well, it's just a phenomenal tree! It pushed a few buds in the fall, but then the season caught up with it and it stopped growing. I had spotted some nice roots extending across one of the pot's...
Defoliating A Sweetgum Forest
I assembled this Sweetgum forest, Liquidambar styraciflua, last year. As you can see in this photo taken just today, it has responded beautifully. Sweetgums are apically dominant, so each tree in the forest is doing its level best to get as tall as it can in a big...
Working On A Few Bonsai
With spring growth soon to give way to summer growth or doldrums, depending on the species, today it was time to work on a few trees. The first was this Chinese privet, Ligustrum sinense, that I collected this past winter. It got an initial styling last month, and...
Bonsai Odds & Ends – May 22, 2016
When we create and maintain our bonsai, we never work on them every day. No matter whether it's potting, wiring, pruning, or even pinching, bonsai is a "go and stop" endeavor. This excludes watering, of course. I highly recommend you water your trees daily (this is...
Coming Attractions – May 2016
May is Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua, collecting time. We were gone the first week of the month on vacation so I'm a week behind, but the work has now begun. Here are a couple of specimens I'm sure will make nice bonsai: This one is on a lateral subsurface root,...
Building A Chinese Elm Bonsai – Start Of Year 2
You may remember this Chinese elm, Ulmus parvifolia, from last November. In this photo, taken in August of 2014, we have a trunk with a new leader and some branches wired and positioned. In the photo below, the end of 2015 has arrived for this tree. It has changed...
The Accidental Wisteria Bonsai Needs Some Work
Last September I wrote about a Japanese wisteria, Wisteria floribunda, I'd rescued after it had been left for dead by a tree service I hired. Well, another spring is upon us and this pre-bonsai has already been through its annual bloom and the new foliar growth is...