Here is a short photo essay of a styling session in the Midwest with a client tree:

Last weekend, for two day’s a local club called Kihachi Kai, put on an exhibit of their tree’s at the Shinpakuji Temple. The group was founded by the late Kamiya-San (one of our senpai’s, Boon’s Oyakata). When he passed away it was taken over by my Oyakata. We were there to help out setup and break down the next day. I had a short time frame to whip round and take a few pics.

As well the local club exhibition tree’s, some of the private collection of the head priest (Oomura-San) was on display, as it always is. Here are some of the tree’s on display outside.

The collection includes two Kokufu winner’s (A white pine and a Chinese quince) and Oomura-San has exhibited at Kokufu for the last 20 years.

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The swindon show has become over the years a real must view bonsai show on the UK bonsai calendar, and while the lighting this year had been replaced in the main hall for crisp white light giving superb conditions. The trees where of a superb quality, while all sizes where on show I was drawn to the shohin trees.

Very nice cork bark elm without as many have the inverse taper.

Another but this one has that classic inverse, but has good ramification.

Hornbeam size wise this is just outside shohin.

This one was interesting, while a nice idea I feel for me it was too large for the pagoda as the framework broke lines of the tree.

This chojubai is a favourite for me for shohin bonsai.

Here are a few of the accents that caught my eye.

Nothing quite says spring like snow drops.

This is a rare…