Strange name for a lovely cultivar. This little tree was featured in teh tropical section at our local nursery. The name hearkens to the clusters of "grapes" on the trunk, resembling tiny caulflowers... But the specimen featured has perfect form for bonsai, even...

The best color-- lavender-blue-- longlasting blossoms are stunning. Hydrangea makes a surprisingly good bonsai, with a balance between the plant's woody stems and a good terracotta pottery container. Here's a success story, a long-lasting bloomer with wonderful...

Newly styled with a handmade container. Celtis, or Hackberry, grow on every continent, as a native shrub or small tree. A wide canopy and graceful curved trunk with good caliper makes this specimen a satisfying expression of the indoor or tropical bonsai collector's...

A sweet tropical for a sunny windowsill indoors. Sageretia is a native of Brazil, with glossy foliage and a habit of putting forth flowers and fruit--hence its Chinese nickname of "Bird Plum." Easy to train in the traditional curved-trunk style, it is a staple of the...

Subtle differences define foliage of this classic forest. Hinoki Cypress are keynote bonsai specimens, but in fact are not a true cypress species. A more accurate name is Japanese Cedar, but they are a form of "false" cypress, Chamaecyparis, to be exact. They have...

How we create and style trees in miniature. Bonsai has a reputation for being fairly esoteric, with mysterious and magical components to the art of fashioning small trees that endure a long time.This blog is intended to give a few pointers about the techniques of...

Another look at an Ironwood forest. Ironwood grows in various northern climates, and is reputed for its dense hardwood, suitable for building. Used in Japan for many centuries, and in North America since ancient times for native canoes, this species is characterized...

Lagerstromeria wins for leaf color, summer blossoms, and structural growth. Crape Myrtle is a common choice for our Pacific Northwest gardens because of its vigor and beauty, especially in hot dry summer conditions. This cultivar is a crimson leafed variety developed...

An unusual styling now has a container to match. New pottery from Portland ceramic artist Sherri Aytche has given me some impetus to revise the planting of some of my bonsai, including this Shimpaku Juniper, Juniperus sinensis. The sinuous lines are characteristic of...

Beech, Maple and mixed Conifers reach for the stars together... A "happy forest" was the descriptor used by a visitor to the garden today---for this grouping of five varieties. It includes Acer bergeurianum, Fagus purpurea, Thuja occidentalis, and a dwarf variety of...

Three trees do make a forest--it's all in the perspective... The little forest of three beech trees, Fagus sylvatica, has reached maturity. Here it is shown with underplanting of Lady Mantle, supposedly a dwarf ground cover variety, but presently reaching to the...

Here's the Proof-- New Shipping Certificates! Bonsai Akira Nuraery had its annual visit from the Oregon State Agriculture inspector today. Licence # 1039105 is in compliance with "best practices" for Oregon nurseries, as of May 12, 2017. Second deficiency free...

From ten feet to two feet in two years--- This specimen was at the back of a nursery where it was growing into the gravel pavement. I pulled out the roots, up to ten feet long, and took it from ten feet to two feet high the first year. Here it is finally showing what...