Your Bonsai Education
Hey, lets not kid ourselves, this hobby requires a lot of work and dedication. This is a fact that we treat as mantra for rookies in the club and for our seasoned vets. We learn how to water, feed, train, and display our trees from many sources. There is no set curriculum for most of us. Over the years, we search out our own bonsai educational opportunities. In the end, we are all beginners at many levels so there is always something to learn. So, where do inspiring bonsai artists start? Here in the Bay Area, there are no shortages of opportunities to learn about bonsai. Here is where you should begin:

1. Join a club. Join two! Your bonsai club is your liaison to the bonsai community and the single most important thing you should do to learn about bonsai. Learning bonsai on your own is not impossible, but not recommended. By joining a club you gain access to club resources.

The number one resource of any club is experienced members. They can give you instant advice for your trees, act as sounding boards for your ideas, and provide valuable direction for the development of your skills. Most clubs also hold bonsai classes that teach bonsai basics, wiring, and repotting. Active clubs are also tied into the local bonsai network that will give you information on club and personal bonsai sales, shows, and workshops. And lets not forget the programs! BSSF provides monthly programs that cover beginner and advance bonsai topics as well as species specific discussions and clinics. Most clubs set up one or more shows during the year. These shows not only give you a chance to display your hard work, but also serve as time points to reach your goals.

2. Bonsai Study Groups. Through your club’s membership, smaller groups of friends meet to work and discuss bonsai. These bonsai study groups meet once a month at someones’s home. They are great for focused study and development of trees and your collection. They also allow everyone to discuss their personal views of bonsai.

3. SHOWS! Bonsai is art. End of discussion. If you grow and train bonsai - you are an artist - beginner or seasoned vet. Like all good artists, we like to show off our work. Part of showing your tress is critiquing your work and others. So, do not be offended by criticisms given to your trees. Hopefully the comments given and that you give are constructive and will help the development of your trees. Part of your development as a bonsai artist is to attend shows and study trees. Keep your own trees in mind as you browse the exhibits. Use shows to gather ideas. Examine how other artists have developed branches and foliage. Look at pots, stands, and accents. Try to understand why the elements of a particular arrangement were chosen. If needed, make yourself a checklist for each display. Take pictures, make drawings, or write down notes. Make your visit an active learning experience. If possible, try to visit shows with other members - especially more experience bonsai artists. They can provide additional information and discussions. Think of it as a brainstorming session.

4. Obtain and work with quality material. Each year there are club sales and auctions. Lots of opportunities to purchase quality plants for developing bonsai. Now, quality doesn’t always equal expensive, but it is true that superb material will most likely cost more than others. For your personal collection, plan to spend more for a few good trees instead of buying lots of cheap not-so-great-quality trees. If you are going to spend all your time wiring, watering, and fertilizing, then make your time is worth it. That being said, you should consider buying a few cheaper trees for practice. At every auction or sale, there are a few young shimpaku junipers in the mix. They are forgiving, grow relatively fast, and can give some instant gratification after styling. For the price of a first run movie and popcorn at the local cinema, you can pick up a couple little shimpaku’s, study them, wire them into interesting forms and maybe have a decent little tree in an evening. Best of all, you get some practice at styling and wiring.

5. Visit the GSBF Bonsai Collection at Lake Merritt. Items 1-4 will be covered after a few visits to the Garden (as we like to call it). The Garden is the center piece of Bay Area bonsai clubs. It links local clubs together. Most local bonsai events are announced there through flyers on the bulletin board by volunteers of the respective clubs. The garden is usually filled with like-minded bonsai artists happy to discuss any aspect of bonsai horticulture. Spending a day as a docent and talking with the general public about bonsai is great for exposing new people the hobby.

Of course, the reason to visit the Garden is for the bonsai. It is filled with fantastic examples of mature bonsai for study. Each tree is a great study for the day and for most, you can track the development of the tree through extensive records of its upkeep. Best of all, if you ask nicely, you can even care for a Garden tree and discuss its styling and progress with Kathy Shaner. As for obtaining your own quality material, the Garden helps by hosting the Mammoth sale each each February where you can bid on fantastic bonsai trees and material at the auction, buy material at the bonsai consignment sale, and fill your supply list from local bonsai vendors.

Our BSSF website (www.bssf.org) can help you along the way with announcements, newsletters, articles, reviews, and web logs.

And for your next bonsai experience - a trip to Japan!

Tag: Beginner