Walter_Pall

Fred,

I have an apprentice since about three months. After this big convention with Kimura in Munich this young lad came to my house and asked to see my trees. He is a beginner. But he is so immensly interested that he spent US$ 300 for the ticket for three days. He actually set there for three days and watched Kimura and others and me doing the speaking and moderating.

He asked whether I take apprentices. I said, yes, but only if they really want to learn and only if they relly want to work. And only if they are ready to work without any payment. Simply because I cannot afford it.

Since then he spends every free minute here. He had three weeks of vacation which he spent here.

Now what keeps him going. Why is bonsai work such a joy to him and to me. Although it is often very hard work, always dirty, seemingly dull sometimes.

We have discussed this at length (I found that he is mainly here for me to have a listener). We came up with the conclusion that the wonderful thing is that one can have such a lot of success experineces within a short time span.

While we all know, as you describe it, it is a long process, there are sudden changes every day. Certainly in a big nursery. One picks this neglected ugly tree, cleans it of weeds, puts some fine soil on the surface, goes through the tree with some scissors about half an hour, maybe applies some wire and then - what a dramatic change! This little ugly duckling is a beautiful swan, or rather tree all of a sudden. What a joy! And you have made this happen yourslef with your own hands!

In spring we would repot trees, cutting them back severly. He was quite worried about the 'cruel' things I did to the trees. Now, only three months later they are on the work bench again. After about ten minutes working on the tree - what a dramatic change. It is hard to belive that this should be the very same ugly broom from this spring.

And on and on. This is what keeps us going. This llets us forget the long hours and the hard work. It also lets us forget the unevitable losses along the way. Not everything workes as we thought. But in general it did.

Then one day I take this rather precious pine tree and say to him ' you do it'. He cannot believe it. But after a full day he has done the whole cutting, wiring, putting into shape and then here is the finished tree. I give it a few slight touches and then I see teh glitz in his eyes.

This was only three months. Now imagine twenty years. What a tremendous source of joy and pleasure to see what has become of all these trees and what has become of an apprentice.

This is bonsai for me. The rest is just decoration.

best regards
Walter Pall