bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - What is Bonsai Ability Level?

I am number 2 on the Jay scale. I had been meaning to buy a bonsai for some time, not understanding what it was. In late June I bought a juniper from a Taiwanese craft shop in a Mall here in Dallas. I took it home and began to look up Bonsai on the internet (yeah, I know horse before the cart...). As I read, I became more interested, and I had been looking for a hobby that wasn't over demanding of my time. This seemed to fit the bill. I have since bought videos, books, some tools and 3 bougainvilleas, 2 japanese red maples from nursery, and received a donation of two Texas live oak seedlings and a hackberry seedling. I also bought a cheap folding table as a work bench.

I consider my present material, juniper included, nothing more than practice material at this time. Don't get me wrong, I want them all to be great bonsai, but I made a few clasic mistakes already, and I am sure there are more on the way, so if I lose them in the process of learning, I will consider myself better for the knowledge I have gained from them. I haven't yet committed myself to a visit to the local bonsai club, becuase I still don't know if I have 100% commitment over the long haul, but if I am still in it by the first of next year, that will be my next step.

I need to commit myself to doing something with the juniper. When I bought it, it was a cute mallsai (not the ones with glued on rocks, but still not a true bonsai), now it has begun to grow wild. I have trimmed and pruned it some, but don't have a clue for the style. I think I want to repot it in the fall and let it grow some more.

I have the bougies and the maples each in 5 gallon pots . I have wired one of the maples, and am attempting an air layer on the other. I have one of the bougies wired, and have not figured out yet what to do with the other two. Other than that, I am reading, and learning. Just ordered John Naka's Bonsai Techniques I, today from the IBC. I find it hard to believe they are offering this book for $25 U.S. when everyone else sells it at triple because it is out of print, but hey at just $25.00 I can afford to be curious.

6-Aug-2002	#4
Ralph BonsaiTalk Master B.S.er Join Date: Jun-2002 Location: Richardson, Texas Country: God Bless America USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 1,285	I am number 2 on the Jay scale. I had been meaning to buy a bonsai for some time, not understanding what it was. In late June I bought a juniper from a Taiwanese craft shop in a Mall here in Dallas. I took it home and began to look up Bonsai on the internet (yeah, I know horse before the cart...). As I read, I became more interested, and I had been looking for a hobby that wasn't over demanding of my time. This seemed to fit the bill. I have since bought videos, books, some tools and 3 bougainvilleas, 2 japanese red maples from nursery, and received a donation of two Texas live oak seedlings and a hackberry seedling. I also bought a cheap folding table as a work bench. I consider my present material, juniper included, nothing more than practice material at this time. Don't get me wrong, I want them all to be great bonsai, but I made a few clasic mistakes already, and I am sure there are more on the way, so if I lose them in the process of learning, I will consider myself better for the knowledge I have gained from them. I haven't yet committed myself to a visit to the local bonsai club, becuase I still don't know if I have 100% commitment over the long haul, but if I am still in it by the first of next year, that will be my next step. I need to commit myself to doing something with the juniper. When I bought it, it was a cute mallsai (not the ones with glued on rocks, but still not a true bonsai), now it has begun to grow wild. I have trimmed and pruned it some, but don't have a clue for the style. I think I want to repot it in the fall and let it grow some more. I have the bougies and the maples each in 5 gallon pots . I have wired one of the maples, and am attempting an air layer on the other. I have one of the bougies wired, and have not figured out yet what to do with the other two. Other than that, I am reading, and learning. Just ordered John Naka's Bonsai Techniques I, today from the IBC. I find it hard to believe they are offering this book for $25 U.S. when everyone else sells it at triple because it is out of print, but hey at just $25.00 I can afford to be curious.