Small Spaces, Big Bonsai

I ran across this one in an alley near viewpoint park in North Beacon Hill. Proof that you don't need much space to create some funky bonsai.

Bonsai Reward

I know that there are a lot of great Beacon Hill Bonsai treasures out there still left for me to discover. But between my busy work schedule and our winters lack of sunshine I have been unmotivated to find new bonsai. So I'm going to try things the lazy way and offer a FREE BEHI BONSAI T-SHIRT to anyone that suggests a yard that can be included in the blog. Just let me know an address and description and I will take care of the rest. Mail your suggestions to behi.bonsai (at) gmail.com

***editors note*** thanks to the Beacon Hill Blog for the shout-out. But I thought I should clarify. I'm happy for all tips for bonsai treasures but you only get a free t-shirt if we feature your bonsai on the blog, so it better be pretty good. This is a limited time offer so act now!

Okay, you missed it already...contest closed...but you can always buy merchandise here.

Bonsai Crash

Recently on Beacon Hill a Corvette jumped the curb and hit some pedestrians. I'm not exactly sure where this happened but I knew from news reports that it was near one of my favorite Bonsai gardens. I did a search for 'Bonsai Crash' and came up with something entirely unexpected. A website that specializes in making tiny car crashes to run into your tiny bonsai tree trunks.

Bonsai of the week, December 8, 09

There is a neighborhood on the east central area of Beacon Hill that I've only recently discovered. Roughly between S Columbian and S Orcas streets, I don't seem to go through this neighborhood very often but I'm rewarded whenever I do. One recent find is the the house pictured above which is a classic example of the many treasures scattered through this area.

I'm going to go on a more extensive walk through this area soon and report back my findings.

Leah Giberson

I've recently been turned on to Leah Giberson's wonderful artwork. Click here to go directly to her Etsy shop.

Although she is not from Seattle, her modern bonsai paintings are amazing and her prints are very reasonably priced. Buy some bonsai art now and show your bonsai pride.

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.

Bulbous Bonsai of the week Sept 5, 09

Okay, I have to admit that I was a little turned around when I took these photos, but this yard is somewhere on the west side of North Beacon Hill.

It is a multitude of bulbous bonsai cascading out of this yard. For some reason it reminds me of that Candyland game I played as a kid. Part of me wants the owner to paint all of these in different bright fruity colors and stripes so that they will really look like giant gum-drops. Yummy!

Funky Bonsai Fabric

Recent find at Pacific Fabrics in SODO, maybe I should make a shirt out of this?

The Wave...Bonsai of the Week, Aug 18th, 2009

I like to call this bonsai effect 'The Wave', it is essentially when someone converts their entire yard into a sea of bonsai. Not only is it something to marvel as is the above pictured bonsai mass located on the west central side of Beacon Hill, but think about how hard it must be to maintain. How do you get to that center part? I would like to do a time lapse video of this yard that lasted for years, I bet that it would look like a shifting sea.

It Takes a Village- Bonsai of the Week Aug 1st 09

Please keep in mind as you read this that I am always actively looking for funky Bonsai and I'm walking around Beacon Hill constantly. That is why this one took me completely by surprise. I must have walked by this very house on the corner of 18th and Horton dozens of times and I never even noticed this crazy mountain village sculpture right out in someone's front yard. The thing must be about 6 feet tall and covered with little plastic houses/temples/people/cars/fake snow etc. How could I have missed this amazing gem? If you are walking on North Beacon Hill this one is one that you would not want to miss.

Fake Bonsai Tree Sale

Although I hate to suggest anything that is not technically on Beacon Hill. Viet Wa Super Foods grocery store on MLK has some badazz plastic 'lucky' bonsai on sale. Worth checking out if your in the hood. That's still close enough to Beacon Hill that it's cool, right?

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.

Art News

I just got around to reading the April 2009 issue of Artnews that prominently displayed a nice bonsai on the cover and an article on 'the new landscape'. The article was not that interesting but it did have a little blurb about Seattle's new sculpture park.

Bonsai Barber

I don't own a Wii. But seeing the new Bonsai Barber game makes me want to go out and buy one!!

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.

Extreme Bonsai of the week, June 6, 09

Sometimes you see someone's yard on Beacon Hill and you can't help but wonder why? I'm sure there is a good story behind these bushes, but what is it? Why would someone take it to such an extreme? Clearly they must have some love for their trees if they carve their fence around them to protect them. But what is up with the extreme shapes? Maybe this persons artistic aesthetic is just so much more advanced than mine that I can't understand it? I think that this is probably the most far out Bonsai on Beacon Hill, am I wrong? Located off of 39th on the south end of Beacon Hill.

Seattle Weekly

Hey! Our T-Shirts made the Beacon Hill Blog and the Seattle Weekly! Why don't you buy one right now? All proceeds to to charity!

Bonsai of the week, May 28th, 2009

This house is located in mid Beacon Hill somewhere east of Beacon Ave. Truthfully I was a little lost when I ran across it so I can't say exactly where. I was so excited about the AWESOME statues in the front of the house that I totally forgot to take photos of their well groomed shrubbery so you are just going to have to trust me that it was cool.

Beacon Hill Bear

Here at Behi Bonsai we are celebrating the fact that there seems to be a bear running around Beacon Hill by opening an online store. Now you can order T Shirts that show your neighborhood pride and it can help you identify large furry land mammals at the same time! All proceeds will be donated to local charity so order a bunch today. CLICK HERE TO GO TO OUR STORE!

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!

The Seattlest

Someone just pointed me to the link to Behi Bonsai in the Seattlest. Thanks for the cred!

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.