Different from what I expected

FredL

When I thought about starting this thread, I couldn't decide whether to title it "Harder" or "Easier" than I expected. Because, in summing up the last 3 years since I returned to Bonsai, it's been both.

First, it has been much easier to sustain my interest in Bonsai than I expected. Without a club in the area and my notoriously short attention span, it would not have surprised me to have totally lost interest by now. But I find myself even more fascinated now than I was when I started back a little more than 3 years ago. BonsaiTalk has been a big help, as well as "Bonsai Today", but it's been the trees themselves that have done the most to hold my attention. Seeing them grow and develop over time has been really fascinating. Myself, I think that trees as art is certainly a legitimate source of interest with bonsai. But, in addition, I find a tree growing in a pot of most any description an endless source of interest as well.

Second, it has been easier to maintain the health and vigor of my trees over time than I expected. Watering, soil composition, feeding, light, winter care while not exactly no-brainers, are hardly the monumental issues it is easy to make them into. My experience indicates that any reasonably observant person can easily master these issues to the degree necessary to enable most collected or purchased trees to recover from (re)potting and thrive.

Third, it looks to me that trees in pots "want" to develop into bonsai. Mine (whatever my crappy pictures seem to indicate) are clearly developing in the right direction and, with my 10 year horizon, will clearly develop into satisfying bonsai. I am very pleased at the progress my trees are making and next Spring the emphasis will become development of alot of pretty interesting material rather than establishment of seedlings and collection of material.

HOWEVER, some things are definitely harder than I expected. One is the development of good nebari. Good roots take alot of attention to develop properly and tend to develop all wrong for bonsai when left to themselves. I can't say that I really am very good at developing decent nebari. Sometimes it just seems to miraculously happen, other times it doesn't. I guess it's just going to take more experience for me to figure out what it takes.

In general, it takes longer to develop good material from scratch than I thought it would. Until I got into my 10 year time frame, the time I expected to get trees into bonsai pots just kept receeding and receeding. Now, I'm looking forward to some pleasant surprises instead of annual disappointments.

Last, I've come to find that there is a MUCH bigger gap between really good bonsai, much less masterpieces, and average bonsai than I realized. I have found, however, that much of the enjoyment of Bonsai comes from the trees themselves and that for me the value of Bonsai as art, potentially, great art, is icing on the cake rather than the crucial component of finding enjoyment in living with bonsai. Much like the enjoyment I get from my dogs. Perhaps the time will come when I demand more from my trees, but that's my feeling now.

So, all in all, I would agree with both the statement, "Bonsai is a lot harder than I realized" and the staement, "Bonsai is a lot easier than I realized".

Best regards, Fred

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Ian_Homer

Fred,

Nice post. I am glad you are finding great joy in your hobby of Bonsai.

I too agree with your observation of the percieved widening gap between
"average" trees and near "masters". They are out there, and I am sure many of the forum members have some. A look through the galleries gives me something to strive for with my own trees. I myself, know to several people who have "great" trees but never put them into shows or post pictures on forums.

This is a great shame, since particularly with regard to security, I believe the growth of internet Bonsai sites such as this - SHOULD bring more of these quality trees out into the public domain, without fear of anyone knowing there exact location !!!

As time goes on, Bonsai becomes more popular, raw material is harder to collect (certainly here in the UK), and any "tree of stature" will either remain with its current owner or be sold at a high price !

There comes a time when you have to decide "wait" and develop your own (many years) or stop buying trees at a certain level and accept that to obtain some of the best you have to part with some "serious cash".

When that happens - I think we then realise we have become committed to the hobby !!!

Best regards,
Ian.

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