Bonsai in the City

Bonsai in the City

This past weekend we found more amazing bonsai in what I thought was an unusual place.  Travelling into Taipei city we entered an old run down building, pushed the 5th floor button and were thinking "This can't be the place!"  As the elevator doors opened a silent barren hallway greeted us.  No one was in sight and the place looked like it was devoid of any style.

No signs were anywhere so we kept walking along the wide hallway and walked into the first room we saw on our right.  The contrast was amazing.  The room was stacked with brilliant bonsai, both large and small.  There were around 10 people quietly studying the trees with a discerning eye.

After being blown away by these excellent trees I always try and learn something from them.  The overall shape, the branch structure, the position in pot, the pot itself, etc.

Hope you enjoy these trees as much as I did.  I apologize for not identifying each tree.  I plan on doing this when I have more time.  

This was the first tree I saw when I walked into the room.  Large trunk and a nice left, right sway.

A little small guy working over time.

A large box wood.  I really loved the old mustard pot as well.

An interesting shape.

A beautiful old pine.

Excellent ramification.

The next six pictures are of shohin bonsai.  Shohin bonsai are small bonsai that you can hold in one hand.

I like everything about this tree - the base, the movement, the branch placement and foliage.

A lot of time and patience has gone into this bonsai!

Some nice dead wood on this juniper.  You always want to display some dead wood on juniper trees.  It is a sign of great age.

A solid compact fellow.

The pot is fantastic.  I wasn't a big fan of the trunk on this tree.  

Looks slightly too big for the pot but very dramatic.

A larger juniper with a magnificent trunk.

Flowers on small bonsai always look good.

What looks like a really old pot.  I like the left, right branches.  I think they are in good proportion to the thickness of the trunk.  This gives the tree the aged look that we are after.

A Chinese elm tree.  These trees are really tough!

Good character.

Good levels and dead wood on this juniper.

I took this picture because I liked the tiny monkey sitting on the branch.

A juniper that has grown in the crevice of a rock.  

The whole tree.  I thought the branch structure could have been cleaned up a bit.  I liked the trunk in rock.  

A different style.  I had never seen a bonsai tree like this before.

A close up of the trees.  I suppose you could say it was a clump style.  Because it was a juniper I think that is why it looked so unusual.  You usually do not see clump style junipers.  

A very thick trunk and a lot of dead wood.  

The upper section of a larger bonsai.

Pine fever.

Close up of the base.  The bark is fantastic.

I like moss.

I appreciate the tree but it looks like it is going to fall over.  Maybe the large jins need to be different lengths?

A healthy smaller bonsai.

The smaller bonsai getting a watering - only the leaves this time.  The soil was watered earlier on in the day.

Has stood the test of time and seems to be flourishing.

A Chinese elm tree.

An adult looking tree.

Flowers growing on the tree below.

I would like to cut some more off the top of this tree.  

Amazing base.  So strong!

Fruit growing on the above tree.

Four trunks but still interesting.  Many bonsai people believe four is a no no.  

There is a rock under those roots.

That mustard pot that I had to take another picture of.

This strong bonsai pushed out some fruit.

The next couple are of some brilliant nebrari- root spread.  

The root spread known as nebrari gives the tree a sense of stability.

Holding the tree in place.

Here to stay.

Juniper nebrari - not that common to see this on junipers.