Douglas Wood

IN THE CARE and tending of bonsai trees, special attention is paid to the trunk. Although it is the foliage and crown that may be noticed first, it is really the trunk that provides ‘character.’ That gives the impression of age and strength and substance, and of something interesting. With a good trunk, a good bonsai can be made. These

I KNOW A LITTLE SOMETHING about reflecting waters. I have paddled over them all my life, from Lake Superior to the Northwest Territories–literally scores of trips upon clear waters reflecting blue skies and starry nights. I am not an expert on ‘reflecting pools’, unlike our current *president. But it seems his pool has a few problems. The main one is…

FATHERS DAY WONDERINGS: When I was a boy–and I suspect this is true for a great many of us, boys or girls–one of my great goals was to someday make my dad proud of me. And by extension my grandfather and uncles. And on this Fathers Day I wonder–how many of those previous American fathers and grandfathers, the ones who

LAST WINTER, through some combination of poor care, bad timing, too much/not enough water, I nearly killed this little Chinese Elm bonsai. In fact, I thought it was dead. But I brought it out in May, gave it sunlight and water and good care, and it is coming back. Life can be like that. Meanwhile, the two cascading Junipers, back