California Aiseki Kai 22nd Annual Show

Going back to Southern California for Christmas provided me with an opportunity to visit the Huntington Gardens in San Marino northeast of L.A. The California Aiskei Kai held its annual stone show at the Huntington Garden’s the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s.

In addition to the stones, a few bonsai,accent plants and okimono were used to enhance the displays. Here are just a few of many amazing stones that were on display.

Each stone had a label with the owner’s name and where it was collected, unfortunately due to technical difficulties that info was lost. Fortunately the stones can be appreciated on their own.

 

Its the most wonderful time of the year.

I have head on multiple occasions that winter is the favorite time of year for the more discerning bonsai enthusiasts.  John Naka described a bonsai in leaf as “a beautiful woman with her cloths on”, meaning that the leaves of the tree conceal the form of the trunk and branches. Leaves can hide large scars, the lack of taper in the trunk or long internodes (the distance between two leaf axils). Only when a tree is leafless can you fully appreciate the level of  training that a deciduous bonsai has had. That could be why the most prestigious bonsai exhibition in the world, the Kokofu ten, is held during the winter.

Over the years the Museum has held its own exhibit entitled Winter Silhouettes. As the title implies, the exhibits goal is to showcase the beauty of a leafless bonsai. So while your trees are packed away for winter please enjoy some of the Museum’s bonsai in all their leafless splendor.

Smooth Leaf Elm, Ulmus carpinifolia, Donated by Kieth Scott, In training since 1982.

Chinese Elms, Ulmus parvifolia, Donated by Yee-sun Wu, In training since 1901.

Hornbeam, Carpinus tschonoskii, Donated by Minoru Koshimura, In training since 1935.

Chinese Elms, Ulmus parvifolia, Donated by Marybel Balendonck,  In training since 1976.

Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum, Donated by Vaughn Banting, In training since 1972.

Trident Maple, Acer buergerianum, Donated by Stanly Chin, Age Unknown.

Chinese Hackberry, Celtis sinensis, Donated by Dan Chiplis , In training since 1974.

Japanese Privet, Ligustrum obtusifolium, Donated by Seiko Koizumi, In training since 1968

Chinese Elms, Ulmus parvifolia, Donated by Shu-ying Lui,  In training since 1961.

Pomegranate, Punica granatum, Donated by Alice Naka, In training since 1963.

Autumn Bonsai

Autumn is my favorite time of the year at the Museum. Growing up in Southern California didn’t offer the dramatic change from summer to fall that occurs here on the East Coast.

For me, seeing the bonsai in their fall color is a reward for a job well done.When a bonsai looks great in the fall it means that it was well cared for during the long hot days of summer. So grab your scarf and join me for a tour of our Autumn Bonsai Exhibit.

  Bradford Pear, Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’, In training since 1976, Styled by the first curator Bob Drechsler.

 Close-up view of the trees foliage and fruit.

Japanese Elm, Zelkova serratta , In training since 1896 , Donated by Yoshibumi Itoigawa.

Star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, In training since 1986 , Donated by Kazuo Moriyama.

American Beech, Fagus grandifolia, In training since 1979, donated by Fred Mies.

Trident Maple, Acer buergerianum, Age unknown, Donated by Stanley Chin.

Trident Maple, Acer buergerianum, In training since 1976, Donated by Doris Froning.

A closer view of a very nice shohin.

Toringo Crabapple, Malus seiboldii ‘Toringo’, In training since 1905, Donated by Shyuichi Ueda.

What’s in the basket? Chestnuts are used as a seasonal accent in this display.

Sweet Gum, Liquidambar styraciflua, In training since 1975, Donated by Vaughn Banting.

Nepal Firethorn, Pyracantha crenulata, In training since 1966, Donated by Yee-Sun Wu.