Gradual Improvement

FredL

The path that I seem to have chosen to Bonsai Greatness (or, perhaps, as my many detractors would prefer to have it, Bonsai Mediocrity or even Bonsai Obscurity) is that of Gradual Improvement. I have a large number of trees, at least by my standards, and the great majority were collected as very mediocre specimens, seedlings or even seeds. Two years into my current reincarnation as a Bonsai Enthusiast (I hesitate to say "Practitioner", but unquestionably an Enthusiast) I can see remarkable improvement in many of my trees. At age one year, trees look like what they are: seedlings. At two years they are starting to show signs of improvement and at three years they are starting to look very different from three year old trees growing in the woods. They are beginning to look like Bonsai in the making. Trees that I've collected don't look like much during the first year, but going into the third year with me, it is surprizing how improved many of them look.

I am developing increasing faith in the notion of gradual improvement as opposed to Bonsai development as a sort of
"threshold function". Yes, there are points at which an apparent breakthru is made, such as initial styling, but, for the most part, development takes place gradually, over time, thru the application of continuous modest effort and continuous, modest improvement.

I have also developed increasing confidence in development of a sort of "Bonsai Forest" and believe that it is better to start with a large number of trees - certaainly at least 100, if possible, so that lots of things can be tried and lots of trees can be observed. Observation of small trees is crucial to success with Bonsai (though this is not the only factor, I believe it to be the single most important) and with lots of trees, observation that would take many years with only a few can be compressed into a few.

I've read some very interesting stuff lately that the new generation growing up observes the world and learns in different ways than the older generations immediately preceding it in the Western World. It learns primarily thru media like television the Internet and Video Games. Certainly, this is true with my two children that live with me. They don't learn as much through reading, a sentence at a time in a srictly linear fasion but by developing a Gestalt out of a flood of images and information. I believe approching learning bonsai through the gradual improvement of a Bonsai Forest is a little like that when contrasted with the concept of limiting oneself to a very few trees which are worked on intensively in a step by step process. If a person is in a postion where s(he) is constrained to this approach, well, OK, even a few trees are better tan no bonsai at all. But, if you have the room and time, I advocate the gradual improvement of a Bonsai Forest.

Anybody agree or (more likely) disagree?

Best regards, Fred

Advertisement

Attila

Fred,
I coundn't agree with you more. Except that I don't have a forest, I have a bonsai jungle. The good thing about it is that with so many trees there is always something going on. When I lived in apartments and had just a few trees I used to work them to death.

You have more choices, more problems, more species, so you learn more and faster. The drawback is that bonsai tends to encroach into your life, your living space, your neighbour's space, everywhere.

Greetings,
Attila

RWillieK

I agree - I have just about every window filled with tropicals, and a number of trees outside in the snow too!

But I'm always wanting to do something with them!

Robbie

Tony

"Bonsai (though this is not the only factor, I believe it to be the single most important) and with lots of trees, observation that would take many years with only a few can be compressed into a few."

Hi Fred, Yes I agree with that totally. The more trees you have and the more things you do to them the better you'll know what "possibly" can be done with them and what their response will be to certain stimulus. Books are good but they cover just a few of the species that you'll be wanting to try. That pretty much leaves you with trial and error to see what will work. That's not bad at all. It takes longer and you'll end up with 300 pots in your backyard but you'll know first hand about your trees and what can be done with them. Bonsai is a "learning experience" . Even though alot of these trees won't amount to anything in the long run you are gaining knowledge by keeping and growing them.

.........Or, if you have the money you can buy good trunks and nebari and only concern yourself with pinching.

If you are like me, you'll find your fun in the growing of bonsai not in owning them.

Tony