Last weekend I went up to Bjorn’s for one last weekend of trees and tunes. I met Bjorn in March 2013, when I booked him for workshops in Birmingham. We worked on a few trees that I still have. Looking back at old photos, it was pretty cool to see the evolution over time. Here are a few trees from various workshops.
First up, an Itoigawa juniper
March 2013, our first round on this Itoigawa juniper, originally styled with Peter Warren.After the work.2024, some 10 years later.
Next up, an old Shimpaku, also from Evergreen Gardenworks.
March 2014. We bent the top down, folding it in half.December 2017, setting primary branches and some secondaries.After the 2017 round of work.After Fall 2021 work at Eisei-en.After a little pruning and arranging in 2024. It needs to be repotted with the left side tilted up a bit more.
Yet an other Shimpaku, an import that has been in several nurseries around the country before it hit my garden.
Fall 2015, first restyling.2016, US National Bonsai Expo prepFirst workshop at Eisei-en, 2018.Thinned out after the Natty
Japanese Black Pine, from Brussel’s, in training since 2008.
December 2017, 2018 USNBE show prepReady for the 2018 show. Unfortunately cold weather zapped the tree and I withdrew if from the show. 2020 was obviously canceled, and it was kept in show-shape until it finally went in 2021.After working on it in 2024.
Next, a Zuisho JWP from Evergreen Gardenworks.
Fall 2021, Zuisho first stylingAfter second round of pruning and wiring in 2024
Another Japanese Black Pine from Brussel’s.
Back up to Eisei-en, June 2019, after losing 55 pounds in 4 months. I need to get back on that diet for a few weeks!After work, 2019One last shot after working the tree in February 2024.
It’s been a privilege working with Bjorn over the last 11 years, and consider him a friend. I wish him, Nanxi and Luna the best of everything in Kyoto! Hope to see you there one day man!
I have been studying bonsai since 1994, in an ever-increasing obsessive fashion. In our last 5 years prior to moving from Iowa to Alabama pursuing a career in the foodservice industry, my bonsai collection was limited to a few varieties that could survive brutal winters outside, or winters under dim light in the dank basement of our humble duplex...my wife puts up with a lot. Including the trailer hitch I put on our brown 1983 Chrysler New Yorker to pull a U-Haul full of trees to Nashville for a 3-month stop along the career path that led us to Alabama. 12 years later, we no longer have the New Yorker; and not a single one of those trees remain on my bench, having given the last holdout to a new club member this summer. I prefer collecting native trees and buying the classical species used in Japan, feeding organic, and reading everything I can get my hands on.
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5 thoughts on “End of an Era”
It was great meeting you, even if briefly when we dropped off material and picked up ours from the week before.
Nebari Bonsai 
It was great meeting you, even if briefly when we dropped off material and picked up ours from the week before.
On a side note, we were able to pack everything in the van, including the hinoke!
Great to meet you too! Never knew who you’d run into up there! Glad you got everything in the van, that’s pretty impressive.
awesome progression of trees and friendships. bonsai does that.
Beautiful!! 💕