SHUNKA-EN bonsai Museum offers us all the opportunity to study with Kobayashi San through his generosity in welcoming international apprentices.  The following is an extract from his website:

"As we believe the apprenticeship system in traditional manner is the best way to learn Bonsai, we offer chances for anybody to join us if you are really serious about Bonsai.  Here we accept people not as a guest nor as a student, but as one of our member.
This means while we do our own business, you have to learn by yourself through observing us, doing as we do, eating, sleeping, and working together with us. We recommend you to stay at least 1 month but shorter term is also acceptable.
The cost would be 5,000JPY per day or 100,000JPY per month, including accomondations and 3 meals per day. You'll work with Kunio Kobayashi and his apprentices everyday, and get certificate at the end."

Anyone can apply; you are then INVITED to join as a member !!...... We can all do this if we wish!!!

Shunka-en apprentices we talked to in 2016

 Time to repot some very pot-bound Taxodium.  Very fast growing roots require me to repot frequently.  I don't fertilise these bonsai very much at all.  They DO NOT need a tray of water under the pot; many will disagree but I have been growing Taxodium for 40+ years without water trays.

This post is a slight departure from my usual news items.  It raises the issue of Sensitive Design in bonsai.

The following image was taken in 2016 on our tour of the Omiya Bonsai Village.  This bonsai is one of Yamada san's finest bonsai.  As you can see there are no 'hard' foliage pads with 'spirit level' clipped bases; just soft, sensitive foliage.... so natural.

Another beautiful example comes from Kobayoshi san.  The second image here, one that Mr Kobayashi is justifiably proud of, demonstrates the beauty of this 'sensitive design'. Please excuse the image of the very nervous 'gaijin' in this image.

This sensitivity in design requires an understanding and 'deep knowledge' rarely seen in the world of bonsai.  Not sure if I will live long enough to achieve such a level. 

Yes, Akadama in Dorrigo.  The Australian Bonsai Gallery makes it's own version of Akadama.  We have been developing this essential bonsai soil component for many years now.  It is hard and rates very well in soil dispersion tests.  It performs well in the pot and makes a real difference to tree health even in our very high rainfall climate.

Three old Chinese Elms re-potter.  This is the earliest I have re-potted elms in over 40 years!  Very warm in Dorrigo at the moment..... waiting for the cold of August to hit.  Will have to protect these elms from the cold and wind that is to come.

This old Liquidamber started it's bonsai journey as small nursery stock I purchased in the early 1980's. Heavily styled this winter, I am looking forward to further increasing the number of buds, and the consequent leaf size, over the spring and summer.

This bonsai is for sale.  Details at our on-line catalogue.

This old Liquidamber started it's bonsai journey as small nursery stock I purchased in the early 1980's.  Heavily styled this winter, I am looking forward to further increasing the number of buds, and the consequent leaf size, over the spring and summer.

This old Japanese White Pine, I have named Resukyū  (レスキュー ) has been in the collection for ~2 decades.  It was 'rescued', as a potted nursery plant, from a coastal nursery where it was in poor condition.  I was attracted to this pine due mainly to the very neat graft union and the foliage colour. Some years latter, after a period of recovery, it flowered for the first time with bright crimson inflorescence.

It spent two years under the care of Shannon Young, at the Canberra Arboritum.  I was fortunate to have Shannon and Pavel Slovák work on the bonsai as part of a demo at the Arboretum.

Resukyū (レスキュー )

This old Kuromatsu, I have named Zaidan ( 財団) as it is one of the major 'foundation' trees in the gallery.Zaidan ( 財団)

Most bonsai in the collection are in need of a Winter cleanup; starting with the nebari.  This is a very important element in the design and character of a good bonsai.