Bonsai Hearts for Valentines Day

I was going to post some heart shaped bonsai for Valentines Day anyway, but someone beat me to it by installing a series of heart shaped bushes in Jefferson Park this morning. I know that everyone will think that I did it, but I didn't.

We found a snow Haiku in honor of the first snow

first snow --
begins in the darkness
ends in the darkness

-NOZAWA Setsuko (1920-1995)

The Wave

Thanks to Beacon Hill neighbor Saya Moriyasu for showing me this one. She called it 'the wave' and I can understand why. It dips and swells beyond what shrubbery should be allowed.

Cutting Edge Bonsai

Sometimes artist try out different mediums than they usually use just to flex their creativity. I was reminded of this recently when I ran across these fantastic shrubs on the North East end of Beacon Hill. They reminded me of a mosaic floor that had been designed by famed NW painter Guy Anderson. Because mosaic is so different than paint it forced him out of his safety zone and although risky he came up with something truly unique and amazing.
Obviously this bonsai sculpture is also pushing the limits of what a shrub can be asked to do as this yard artist has sculpted some meticulous edges to these fine forms. Truly a master crafts person at work!

Bonsai is Like a Box of Chocolates

You never know what you are going to get. I spotted this yard on North Beacon Hill today full of equally sized well trimmed bushes, it reminded me of a chocolate sampler.

The Beehive, newest trend in Bonsai

The very latest in Spring Bonsai fashion seems to be the 'Beehive' shape, I've noticed this fresh look coming forward all over Beacon Hill this spring.

Bonsai and Mid Century Modernism

I was thinking today about Mid Century Modernism and it's value of simple shapes and lines. Bonsai shapes are a natural compliment to this aesthetic and I think that is why I'm so drawn to this combination. So I took a few photos this morning on my walk of mid century homes with nice bonsai, but this is a common sight on Beacon Hill.

Bonsai of the week, June 30th 2009

The trick to finding new bonsai like this one on mid Beacon Hill is to take different routes every time you have to drive somewhere. It's a little less convenient but it's been helping me discover new areas of the hood.

I liked this yard not only for it's shapely bonsai, but for it's excellent use of a sloped lot with lots and lots of amazing rock work.

Bonsai of the week, June 15th, 2009

Truth be told...it's actually hard coming up with Bonsai of the Week. Not because there isn't anything to choose from...actually it's because there is so much to choose from that it's hard to narrow it down. It's hard to find a single block on Beacon Hill that does not have some kind of crazy shaped bush.

I try to look for the funky factor, strange shapes, plastic sculptures, crazy arrangements...but often times I run across yards like this one located south of the VA hospital on south Columbian way. It's just really well done in a loving way and it looks great. Once again making me glad that I live on Beacon Hill.

Bonsai of the week, May 16th 2009

Why just stop when you have a nice well shaped bush? This person decided to add a second story to their shrubbery and deserve Bonsai of the Week for going that extra mile. Located somewhere over by the Viewpoint Park, it makes me think that Dr. Suess might have trimmed his bushes to look something like this.

Bonsai of the week

This is my favorite yard this week, it's along 15th Ave S in central Beacon Hill. Not only are there a lot of crazy Bonsai, but it's topped with plastic animals and even a palm tree! Beacon Hill at it's best!

shrubs as walls

I've been admiring people that form their shrubbery as walls that separate them from the street. If you think about it, who is going to put graffiti on a bush? Plus it can change over time, if you don't like your neighbor you could grow it bigger or maybe carve hearts into it for valentines day? It's still a labor of love but probably more eco-friendly than chopping down some trees to make a fence.

Fast Company #1 Bonsai

It's not too much of a surprise that Seattle was just named Fast Companies #1 city of the year. The article goes on and on about how clever and creative we are and the broad depth of our industry and that we are the kind of city that is going to lead America out of this recession. blah blah blah...you know the drill.

But perhaps the coolest thing about the whole story is that the main photo that they used (photo by Alessandra Petlin) prominently displays a iconic Bonsai almost as a cultural symbol of our region. Does this mean the rest of Seattle is finally catching up to Beacon Hill? I don't actually know where that bush is, but let's face it, there is a good chance that it is on Beacon Hill! Does anyone recognize it?!?!

Oh...and I guess you should read the rest of the story about how cool we are.

Earth Art on Beacon Hill

The Earth Art movement was born in the US in the late 1960's. Championed by such artists as Robert Smithson the movement could 'be understood as a protest against the perceived artificiality, plastic aesthetics and ruthless commercialization of art at the end of the 1960's". This has always been one of my favorite art movements because it took art out of the museum and into the natural world where it was meant to be part of the landscape and maybe more than any other art movement (yes, even Dadaism) I think it challenged us to look at art in new ways.

I doubt that this is what this person was thinking of when they made their entire yard into a bulbous contorted mass of bonsai-ism but I can't help but thinking of the words of Robert Smithson when he said "A work of art when placed in a gallery loses its charge, and becomes a portable object or surface disengaged from the outside world."

The gardener that lives in this house (and many others on Beacon Hill) has created sort of a public folk art sculpture that reminds me of how lucky we are to live in this area of Seattle.

What is hiding in that bush?

I spotted this one just off Beacon Ave on the south end of Beacon Hill. This is one of my most entertaining things when people actually take the time to shape their bushes into recognizable imagery. Truly this is a labor of love that goes unappreciated like this butterfly.

I have had to train my eye to look for these things and there have been a few that I have passed by regularly and never noticed until someone pointed them out to me. I've now become a little bonsai paranoid and am starting to see all sorts of things that probably don't exist, but it's fun. Like lying on your back on a summers day and looking up and the clouds and seeing what they have to offer. Topiary can be like Rorschach tests so please let me know if you see any on the hill and I would be happy to add them to the list!

Bonsai Moon-Scape

Pointillism is not my favorite art movement. Championed by artists such as George Seurat, this neo-impressionistic movement took root in late 1800’s Paris and perhaps it’s most famous painting Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, has become an icon of post impressionistic art and it obviously deserves it’s place in the history books. The basic tenants of this movement is that the eye naturally blends different ‘points’ of light in order to recognize imagery.

This is not my favorite art movement because I find it a little stiff and boring. Or at least I used to find it stiff and boring until I ran across this Bonsai treasure yard. I can’t say exactly where I was because truthfully I was a little lost, somewhere in central Beacon Hill west of Beacon Ave.

This is actually someone’s back yard at it looks more like a moon-scape as they have lovingly draped their yard in different shapes and shades of well trimmed bushes. Who needs a lawn when you could cover your whole yard with living sculpture reminiscent of Pointillism?

Best Bonsai, bush as modern art

Truthfully, even after walking all day I really only saw a small slice of Beacon Hill so it's not really fair to say who had 'the best bonsai', but I none the less wanted to honor one particular bush that I ran across. This one is located on the north side of Graham st somewhere between Beacon and MLK.

I couldn't find the quote, but Michelangelo said something to the effect of 'I don't actually sculpt, I find the sculptures that are already hidden within the stone', I kept thinking about this when I ran across this bush. Someone had found the sculpture that was hidden within this shrub and lovingly and carefully brought it to life. It is a painstaking masterpiece that recalls Henry Moore on his best days. Good job whomever made this! It is a work of modern art that defies gravity.

Best viewing on Beacon Hill

I first fell in love with the topiary aesthetic when working briefly in
Japan 10 years ago.  Clearly there was a simple traditional Asian
influence at play in the walled gardens, shrines and temples of Kyoto,
but it had grown past this into a more modern art form that could be
found in the hippest neighborhoods of Tokyo.

Fast forward 10 years later and I’m living on Beacon Hill.  With it’s
large Asian population combined with the laid back west coast lifestyle
it has become a perfect breeding ground for a fashionable Bonsai that is less
feng shui and more funk-schway.  Beacon Hill hosts a variety of well groomed bushes that are just as much at home in front of mid-century modernist architecture as the classic Beacon Hill Bungalow and every variety in between, this website is dedicated to the love of that aesthetic and of the tragic and amazing baggage that comes with it.

Having said all of that after walking the circumference of the hill, I
think that the area with the highest percentage of Bonsai is the few
blocks immediately west of Jefferson Park.  I found myself unable to
walk down one side of the street and instead zig zagged back and forth
admiring all of the well trimmed hedges.  So if you don’t feel like
walking 18 miles but you would still like to experience a little bonsai
whiplash from admiring a lot of well trimmed shrubbery than I would
recommend this part of the neighborhood.

CLARIFICATION: I'm talking about the blocks a few blocks west and south west of Jefferson park on the other side of 15th.  Probably 13th Ave S is the best street.

Slow Version- Behi Bonsai Urban Safari

Ok, I got some requests from some plant purists wanting a slower version with more Bonsai, so here is another short sampler. Still trying to dig my way through all of the photos, more coming soon....

Urban Bonsai Safari Complete!

Ok folks, it's been a really long day, but my dog and I walked around the entire perimeter of Beacon Hill. I've seen a lot, I've learned a lot and according to Google maps I've walked about 18 miles today. I took about 400 photos so it is going to take me awhile to sort through everything and present everything I've found. In the meantime I thought you might enjoy this little movie, it's my entire journey squished down to a minute and twenty seven seconds. It's mostly just pictures of well groomed shrubs, but I threw in a bunch of random everything to make it more interesting. Enjoy!