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.

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.

Bonsai of the YEAR!

Have you ever seen a circus performer spinning plates on the end of long sticks and wondered how they did it? Is it some kind of a trick? Are the plates glued on somehow? In our hearts we know that this has actually come from a good sense of balance and years and years of practice, but it is always amazing to see.

I though of these spinning plates recently when I ran across this AMAZING bonsai garden on the east side of mid Beacon Hill. The shrubbery seems to defy gravity as it is suspended in hovering circles floating above the branches. Rings of foliage waft above the ground magically as if there is some unseen creature underground blowing leafy smoke rings for our amusement.

This yard is a real show stopper and I'm not taking it lightly when I'm officially naming it Behi Bonsai's YARD OF THE YEAR!! This yard is a labor of love, a testament to patience, artistic ability and frankly one of the coolest yards I've ever seen on or off the hill.

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.

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!

Cookie Monster

They seem like they were trying to go somewhere specific with this one. But I'm not sure what. Any ideas? To me I think that it looks kind of like Cookie Monster with those two eyes on top.

The Birthday Cake

Here is my first shrub entry. I saw this amazing bush while walking my dog on the east side of the golf course and knew that I had to start a website to honor it. If I were to name it, I would call it 'birthday cake bush'