Blogs: Posts
Keep up with a few of our club members who are keeping a blog of their bonsai (and bonsai related) activities.
by Eric SchraderKeeping up with the work…?
Jun 6th: I have as many trees as I really need. So does nearly every person reading this article. But are each of my trees the best that they can be? Are my trees improving with each passing month and year? Bonsai is an art that definitely takes a long time to learn, and each tree takes many years to bring into top form; but am I making the most of the time that is passing? Am I moving each of my trees along the road to becoming a refined bonsai as quickly as I can... read more »
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by John EdwardsFrom the Prez.
May 23rd: The spring weather is giving way to our summer pattern and depending where you live that could mean anything from hotter and dryer to cooler, overcast and windy. It is a good time to take a careful look at your trees and see how they are adjusting to the changing season in your particular place. Don’t take anything for granted. Watering for example. It is not so simple as it sounds and different trees will have different needs... read more »
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by Aaron N.Photographing all my trees
May 7th: Each year (or so) I take photos of all my trees. It’s easy to loose track of how much things change. Looking at a tree I’ve had for years I can’t really imagine it looking like much of anything else. When I pull up a photo of it 3 years ago it’s quickly aparent how much it has changed. It’s satisfying to see the fruits of my labor spelled out so clearly.
It’s not really my intention that anyone browse through all these photos - they are more for my own use; a documentation of where I was with each tree as of a certain date... read more »
Posted in Aaron's Blog |
Tag: spring | 1 Comment »
by John EdwardsFrom the Prez.
Apr 26th: Everyone wants to know what is the way to having beautiful bonsai trees. And I would answer that you must know the trees you grow, their needs and characteristics, how and when to prune and shape them, when to water and spray for pests, when and how to root prune and repot, how to select an appropriate pot to put them in and how to cultivate and maintain them to keep their size and beauty. Additionally you must study other trees both in nature and the work of others on bonsai material... read more »
Posted in From the President, John E.'s Blog |
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by Eric SchraderOak Flowers
Apr 13th: Who needs "fruiting and flowering" trees when you have an oak I say! A few times in the past I have seen Tim Kong's large Valley Oak flowering at the Cow Palace show, but I had never seen one of my own oaks flower until this spring. I am torn between taking off the flowers to keep the tree focused on producing a nice canopy and just sitting back to watch the pretty little things bloom.
Oaks are not renowned for their flowers, but, as is well known, all trees flower in some manner or another... read more »
Posted in Eric's Blog |
Tags: oak, spring | 1 Comment »
by Eric SchraderWabi-Sabi
Mar 30th: I have been trying to get a grip on the concept of Wabi-Sabi for a while. I was standing in front of a pine tree this January at the Bay Island Bonsai show in hayward with Morten Welhaven, a former president of BSSF, when he pointed at a small dangling piece of bark on the trunk and said "this tree has had that one piece of bark hanging off like that for more than ten years. I keep expecting it to fall off, but it never does... read more »
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by Eric SchraderSpring makes everything look so good.
Mar 27th: I was wandering around my garden today and was so pleased to see the way everything looks. For San Francisco, where you are lucky if you don't have just dried paper for leaves by the time fall rolls around, spring is the most beautiful season for foliage. It's not only on the deciduous trees, but also on a lot of evergreens. In the spring the junipers put out a beautiful flush of new growth and so do evergreen oaks, maples have more color in the spring, and the new leaves opening look like a fan unfolding... read more »
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by Aaron N.The Story of a Tree
Mar 22nd: For the past several years I've photographed all the trees in our shows and every year, as I compose each shot, I get this deja vu because, well, I have done this before. I look through the viewfinder at the tree I'm about to photograph and see an image that I've seen before, but it's slightly different. Something has changed; sometimes it's slight, and sometimes it's dramatic. Looking through this year's gallery I saw many trees that have been shown repeatedly over the years and going back and finding those trees again illustrates how much they change... read more »
Posted in Articles And Stories, Aaron's Blog |
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by John EdwardsFrom the Prez.
Mar 21st: The 2006 show is concluded and will be remembered as a testament to the dedication, cooperation and creativity of our membership. Over one hundred trees were on display. Many thanks go out to all those who helped plan and assemble one of our strongest shows in memory.
It is important to note that this show does not simply happen. It takes the efforts of many members and many months of planning to make it happen... read more »
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by Eric SchraderIt was a great show…
Mar 20th: I have to say that I enjoyed myself greatly while in attendance at the show, both during setup and while the exhibit was open. This was the first year that I was able to spend a lot of time there because my work had previously prevented it. I did five demonstrations on the stage in the exhibit...and the most often asked question was: "do you have to prune the roots?" followed closely by "do they have to be kept outside... read more »
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