beginner's bonsai

[Nancy M.]

Quote: Originally Posted by keokoi Nancy, this is where I sent Sam to Visit in Tokyo. I was gonna take you guys as well but time was short this trip. Next time for sure.. This is Kunio Kobayashi's museum. Our Bonsai Pal is his apprentice. Kobayashi Won Sakafu 10 4 times. This is equivalent to All Japan koi show. Joe

Oh my God, I am in Bonsai heaven...

[Dwight]

Now give the girl a list of places in CoCal where she can experience something similar. BTW , give me the list as well

Dwight

[bekko]

I had an 84-year-old moment last week and forgot to go to my first bonsai class. My wife says, "You idiot; why don't you get an appointment calendar?". I say, "I have a calendar but don't look at it because there are almost never have any appointments."

It was sad to miss the first day of school but I was there tonight. Mr. Liew is a funny old guy - VERY full of himself. According to him, no one in the US has an artistic sense when it comes to bonsai. After he denigrated the national bonsai collection in D.C., he lambasted the Weyerhauser collection. Just repeating what he said Dick, but we know better! I have a penchant for flamboyant hyper-inflated egos and find the guy highly entertaining.

So, at the end of the evening we were all sent off with scrawny little plants and pieces of wire for homework. Da' guy says this is a special Blue Pacific Juniper (the only one that does well here) and it is also special bonsai wire. I'm excited about the prospect, but have to tell you we ignore weeds which are larger than this tree and have a bin full of copper wire odds-and-ends.

Any suggestions about the style and how to shape this tree would be sincerely appreciated. This despite the fact that none of you Americans have an artistic sense when it comes to bonsai .

-ste ve

[kingkong]

Since this is an exercise of learning how to wire "you idiot", I would use the total plant and not do a trunk chop or worry so much about a perfect design, This is a little wavy but learning how to wire first..design second would be my thoughts. Style- informal upright. Bonus trees to study that may help as well.
ps. save some of the juniper needles and sneek some into your wife's underware.

[keokoi]

I have to agree with gary.. Informal upright (miyogi style) is not too complex. his tree will show you how to wire and its still very young enough you can manipulate the branches pretty much any direction. Learn from the tree and its limitations. Also since we cannot tell from the pic. Always pic the front of the tree mark it and then you can get a good idea. Twist turn tilt the pot in any direction. in bonsai fow and movement is a good thing.

[Mark Cooper]

Joe,

May bonsai pal from the UK has been with Kobayashi San (the "Chief") for the last several years. His name is Peter Warren. Your pal must know him ?

I have visited there twice now, and have been fortunate to have had some "one to one" time with Kunio San. There are some awesome bonsai to be seen there and the place is not that far out of central Tokyo. If you think top koi are expensive, the cost of top bonsai is pretty scarey too LOL !

Peter and the "Chief" wiil be visiting Europe later this year.

Small world eh ?

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by Mark Cooper Joe, May bonsai pal from the UK has been with Kobayashi San (the "Chief") for the last several years. His name is Peter Warren. Your pal must know him ? I have visited there twice now, and have been fortunate to have had some "one to one" time with Kunio San. There are some awesome bonsai to be seen there and the place is not that far out of central Tokyo. If you think top koi are expensive, the cost of top bonsai is pretty scarey too LOL ! Peter and the "Chief" wiil be visiting Europe later this year. Small world eh ?

Hi Mark!

yes, The wife and I know Peter and we met him through Marco Invernezzi student of (Masahiko Kimura)

LOL the ""Chief"" that cracks me up. We asked why the chief. He said calling him master makes him seem like the B*tch. I said Peter but you are He began to whine... LOL

Yes Peter told me he will be in the UK with the Chief. Kimura also told us he will be in San Diego in October.


Its a small world for sure...

I was gonna take Nancy and Frank there but Brian spent all day in the back half of All Japan filming ( oh brother) LOL

Joe

[dick benbow]

Nice to see Mark posting....is a small world!

When I think of junipers I always think of a plant that occupies a hard life. Yours is young and vigorus. I'd be tempted to make a cascade out of it as it is still very flexible. Keep in mind with young vigorus plants that you have options as to tell it what you want. Diligent pinching back will help it to fill out. repotting into a bigger or smaller pot will tell it to grow or slow down.

Rule number 1 ... is always taught that you always think first of the health of the plant before making an decisions. Sounds like your sensae is olde school. Today's modern kids will take a tree and in one setting give you a finished product. Old school says things are to be done in stages to allow you time to see the tree's response and not overstress it.

This has been a special thread for me, let us know what your intend to do....appreciate the pictures.

Stuff that i repotted a week ago is now starting to leaf....stuff is really coming on fast this year. Was surprised to see the crabapples and lilacs
starting...noticed the larch are beginning to get shiney

[Dwight]

I got this last week. It's a J. monosperma or one seed juniper. It's native to this area so it has a chance of surviving. It was collected in n New Mexco in Dec. I'm gonna try to make it look like Gary's fourth example.

[keokoi]

Quote: Originally Posted by jdfloyd45 I got this last week. It's a J. monosperma or one seed juniper. It's native to this area so it has a chance of surviving. It was collected in n New Mexco in Dec. I'm gonna try to make it look like Gary's fourth example.

Was it just collected in Dec? who collected it?

Joe