Photo credit: Walter Pall
Author: Bonsai Jack
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/12/2017
Todays photo of the day is a great example of why you should keep your foliage small. You have to remember that these plants or trees will grow big and large if you let them. The foliage must make sense on the tree. Can you imagine this tree if the leaves were double in size?
Photo Credit: Wiratchai wansamngam
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/11/2017 (Deadwood Techniques)
One of the coolest features any bonsai can have is deadwood. The deadwood technique enhances the illusion of age by creating, shaping and preserving deadwood on a living bonsai.
There are a few deadwood techniques that are used in bonsai:
JIN
This is used on branches or the top of the trunk to show that the tree has old age or has battled to survive. The Jin technique mimics natures attack on a tree through wind, lightning or any other adversity that usually kills the top ( or leader) of the tree and dries it out to form the jin.
URO
Although Jin may appear normal on the coniferous variety of bonsai, they really dont look natural on deciduous and most broadleaf species. This is because usually when the branches die on these species they rot and fall completely off. A small noticeable indentation is all that remains, while new wood growth forms around it creating a hollow. Bonsai artists replicate this by making small wounds in the trunk to avoid having a wound scar without control.
SHARI
In this technique the deadwood is actually the main trunk of the bonsai. Usually a wound exposes a dead part of the trunk, which is surrounded by living bark.
DRIFTWOOD ( SHARAMIKI)
If there is enough deadwood on the trunk, the bonsai is now considered a driftwood or Sharamiki style. This style is highlighted by “veins” of living bark connected to the branches that are still alive, but other than that, the majority of the wood around that is dead, stripped of bark and usually has a weathered look to it.
SABAMIKI
The literal meaning of the word means either a hollowed or split trunk. The technique recreates the effect of a lightning strike or other severe trunk damage that trees suffer in nature. Usually bonsai artists achieve this by stripping the bark, then carving the exposed wood to create a deep wound.
TANUKI
In this style a living bonsai tree is joined to an already preserved and treated deadwood to create something similar to the driftwood style. To do this style bonsai artists carve a groove into a deadwood and use a living tree is placed within the channel using nails, screws, wire wrappings or clamps. With enough time the tree grows into the groove, which makes it seem like it is growing from the actual deadwood. Once everything is in place, all the restraints are removed.
Photo Credit / Copyright: Walter Pall
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/10/2017 Mugo Pine
Todays photo of the day is known as the Pinus mugo. But it has alot of other names such as the creeping pine, dwarf mountainpine, mountain pine, scrub mountain pine or Swiss mountain pine and is native to central Europe.
Photo Credit / Copyright: Walter Pall
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/9/2017
Photo Credit : Walter Pall
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/5/2017 (Walter Pall)
Todays Photo Of The Day comes to us from the personal collection of Walter Pall.
Such a GORGEOUS bonsai!
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/4/2017
Todays Bonsai Of The Day!
What a gorgeous specimen! You can see the love they put into the plant itself!
Marvelous Piece!
One of the most intriguing things I find is that anyone can make a work of art with bonsai. Its all about learning and perfecting your craft. Once you get the initial rules down you are free to do with the art as you wish!
Photo Credit: Walter Pall
What are Qr codes? Why is Bonsai Jack using them?
Here is an example of our new QR code which points to our chopsticking video on youtube.
What are QR codes?
Qr is short for Quick Response ( since they can be read very quickly by a cell phone). It is a matrix barcode similar to the more well known UPC code found on nearly every single package sold everywhere in the world. It was first designed for the auto industry in Japan, where it was used to track vehicles during manufacturing.
The QR code spread quickly outside of the automotive industry due to the surge in FREE QR scanners that come standard in most newer model smartphones and the greater storage capacity for data than a UPC code. UPC codes can only store data horizontally, while QR code can do both horizontally and vertically allowing over 100 times more data to be transmitted in the same scan.
To read a more complete and technical description of the QR code click HERE for the Wikipedia page.
Why is Bonsai Jack using it? Why does it matter to me as a consumer?
We here at Bonsai Jack’s are always striving to improve the customer interaction and speed up the information delivery to all our customers. Using QR codes allows us to transmit much more information than writing it on a paper. You will no longer have to type in anything just scan our unique QR code and it will take you to a link that you can open and view instantly on your smart device (cell phone or tablet). Imagine being able to scan your package from BonsaiJack.com and INSTANTLY viewing reviews or seeing answered questions about the product you ordered? The possibilities are endless!
Ok ok I get it. But how the heck do I scan the Qr code??
Glad you asked 🙂 Here is a step by step tutorial on how to set everything up for FREE!
STEP 1: Download a QR Code Scanner. You can choose whichever you want, this is the one we used for tutorial purposes. Most new smartphones come with a barcode scanner as a default app so check with your service provider for more info.
Step 2. After you select your preferred scanner, click INSTALL to add the app.
Step 3. Click ACCEPT to download the app to your phone.
Step 4. Wait for installation to begin and finish.
Step 5. Click OPEN to activate the app and initialize the scanning application.
Step 6. Once the app is open, the scanner automatically begins to detect any barcode within its field of view. Hold your camera steady wait for it to focus on the code your trying to read.
Step 7. A new window will open telling you that the code has been accepted into the sytem and tells you where the code directs to. Click OPEN in BROWSER.
Congratulations! You have just scanned your first QR code! Was it hard or easy? Do you think this is a technology that you can get used to? Sound off in the comments below!
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/3/2017 ( Japanese Larch )
The Larix Kaempferi or better known as the Japanese Larch, is one of 5 genera of deciduous conifers. The tree is named after Engelbert Kaempfer who died in 1716.
Kaempfer was born in Germany and was a medical officer for the Dutch East India Company. He spent years in Japan, and wrote a book called “Amoenitatum exoticarum”, which was the first extensive book written about Japanese plants. There were a total of 23 plants that were introduced by him!
During the time that Kaempfer was in Japan, it was a time called the “Edo Period”, which basically isolated Japan and its mainland from the rest of the world.
His book and studies abroad are credited with introducing the Japanese Larch to a much wider audience!
Photo Credit: Mick Harper
Bonsai Photo Of The Day 1/2/2017 (Literati Style)
Todays Photo of the day comes to us from the Walter Pall collection. It is a beautiful example of the literati style of bonsai!