light, hope & tiny little trees...

I am pleased to announce some developments that give me great hope for real growth and attainment in the practice of bonsai.

First, my "Growing Moss for Bonsai" presentation at the October meeting of the Bonsai Society of South Jersey was readily enjoyed by all. I received positive feedback from the other members publicly and privately. Consider this; I lectured to bonsai enthusiasts (some twice my age) for a solid hour about a subject that would put most people to sleep in mere minutes...

Thanks Fairegarden for this pic, one of many I used in my presentation for inspiration!

The group was enthusiastic, asked poignant questions and seemed really engaged. After the presentation, I then moved on to a demonstration of how to actually cultivate / grow / store collected moss in shallow dishes.

Second, I will begin volunteering with Ski Dombrowski this coming week. It's fall maintenance and re-potting time, and I offered my help to Ski with the hopes of watching the master at work and learning everything I can. Looks like we'll be repotting, un-wiring and wiring dozens of crab apples and quince...I can't wait. Ski also invited me to join him as his guest at the October meeting of the Brandywine Bonsai Society. Apparently, Ron Lang (Int'l bonsai potter extraordinaire) will be in attendance and Ski wanted to make the introduction.

AND, if that weren't enough, I've gotten the green light on developing the community website for the Bonsai Society of South Jersey. So, I bought http://www.southjerseybonsai.com/ on behalf of the club and have begun developing the site with basic capabilities. It's a labor of love...

and errr, the deck is getting there...plans have expanded to include lighting, extended patio cover and a 50 gallon rain hog rainwater storage system. Come spring I'll have a killer bonsai garden, folks. Just you wait and see...

There you have it, things are picking up and I feel I am approaching my proper sphere in bonsai.

The real learning can begin...

Free falling

It's fall...

It's getting colder and very wet, and some trees are setting buds. Orchids and tropicals are now indoors. I have a strong drive to get started on fall clean-up / winter prep, but it's just too wet and well, the backyard deck is still under construction.

It's a quiet time to reflect and watch the leaves change color as the wheels turn again in preparation for another season.

I may very well plant mums in desperation...

:)

Faux-konoma

The "tokonoma" is a feature of shoin style Japanese homes since the 14th century. It was historically a small space set in a wall...more like a "false room" where scrolls, flower arrangements and favorite objects could be displayed. In a recent bout of re-decorating at Jen's, I decided to try to integrate the sense of the tokonoma into our space and in a way that wouldn't seem too over-the-top, but still function as a place to practice a somewhat formal display of bonsai.

The result is pictured above, what I'm calling our "faux-konoma". We spent a nice day wandering around Philly's chinatown looking for neat little items we could use to accent the trees. We got a couple nice pictoral scrolls, a golden dragon, a double dragon carving, a nice painted silk fan, etc. We also found a really nice porcelain plate covered in dragons. (ok I admit I'm into the chinese dragons since I began collecting 19th century Imperial Chinese Post "coiling dragon" stamps)

Of course these items are all rather obviously Chinese, but they are just fine with me. I don't mind the cultural train wreck. I just think it looks neat and most laypeople probably wouldn't notice the difference anyway. I suppose if anyone wants to argue I can simply call my bonsai "penjing" and end all debate.

Dombrovski's Azalea

Just picked up this incredible azalea from "Ski" Dombrovski. It was my first time meeting him and he made quite an impression! The guy knows his bonsai, period. I don't like the pot, and would rather have something a bit more rustic considering the blood-red flowers...but I'll only re-pot after I see it bloom next year and know for sure. Until then I'm just going to enjoy it as is.

Big Box Azalea

Here's a cheap azalea I got from a big box store while it was absolutely covered in bright purple flowers. I subsequently cut it back to new buds 3 times over the course of the summer, and reduced it to about 1/5 it's original size. There's time to spare to harden off the new growth before winter. It's now ready to grow out in the shape I choose and real root work can begin next year.

Dragon Juniper

This is a 20 year old juniper purchased from Allshapes bonsai. This is the first "finished" bonsai I've ever bought or owned. It just caught my attention and well...there it is...

Large Mugo Pine

May 2010



I bought this mugo pine in preparation for attending my first BSSJ meeting. I wanted to get a tree that I could work on at workshops, and also represent my enthusiasm for having joined the group. At the first workshop I cleaned it up and began pinching the candles. I have since done some additional top side work including the wiring. I'm very pleased with this tree and believe it will be good bonsai.


September 2010



The weather was overcast, humid and not too hot, so I decided to try doing a full repot and styling of this mugo pine, even though it is not really the right time of year for it. Sometimes you can get away with this kind of activity if you time things right and are very careful. I'll be watching this tree very closely to make sure I haven't destroyed it. This thing has been taking it easy, living the good life all summer...time to work, tree!