Feature Gallery
The Bonsai of Christine Hayward
Christine, child of a Naval Officer, grew up moving around the United States and many parts of the world. After her parents visited Japan in the fifties, bringing home kimonos, block prints, ceramics and other items, she has had a strong attraction to the Japanese and other Asian cultures since she was quite young. She also expressed a strong artistic inclination as a child, which was encouraged. This interest has continued throughout her life, education, and developed into a decorative arts business which she has maintained for more than 20 years, painting in mostly high end residential situations, in a wide range of styles and painting techniques. Her specialty is the art of illusion called trompe l'oeil. Her fascination with bonsai came about from Yuji Yoshimura's original book that her mother had been given in the late 50's, but she did not begin growing trees until the mid 70's, continuing on since then. Christine's bonsai collection is mostly small to medium sized trees of a variety of species and cultivars. She is an experienced collector of wild trees, enjoys accessory plants and also propagates. Her trees have been exhibited at both the Boston and Philadelphia Horticultural Shows, and other bonsai seminars and exhibitions around the North East where she resides.
Bonsai and photographs by Christine Hayward
Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis thyoides "Valavanis")
Eastern White Cedar (Thuja occidentalis) 12" (30cm)H
Collected in Canada
Shimpaku Juniper (Juniperus chinensis) Rock Planting
Photograph by Walter Pall
Shohin Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida)
Photograph by Walter Pall
Crab Apple 14" (35cm) L
Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) 9" (22cm) H
Pot by Nick Lenz
Collected 18 or so years ago as a seedling growing in a dirt parking lot on Cape Cod, with her lunch spoon.
Larch Forest (Larix laricina and Larix decidua) 33" (81cm)H
Christine mistakenly mixed the two species for a happy outcome she calls her Friendship Forest.
left to right: Berberis, Red Barberry, 7" (18cm)H, Ginkgo Biloba, Acer palmatum "katsura", Azalea from a root cutting in front, in a Sara Rayner pot.
