National Arboretum in Washington DC

rockm

John,

Too bad about the construction. Usually the enire place is open in the winter. Trees are all inside the walls of the pavillions, tightly packed, but viewable. This is apparently the second winter this limited access stuff has happened.

Don't know exactly what the construction is, but there has been an ongoing rennovation to accommodate the disabled.

Glad you came across a cabbie who would wait.

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John Dixon

Rockm,

Thanks for the info. It was very helpful when the time came. It was snowing pretty good when the hotel hailed the cab for me. The first three were idiots and didn't even know what it was, or where (pretty bad when you're told the address and you drive a cab), but number four was a blessing. I was at the Embassy Suites on 22nd Ave. and it was an entertaining ride over there.

It's obvious that the display at the museum is effected by the construction, time of year, and of course, a snowy day. I won't concern myself with what it lacked, but just be content with what it had. Sort of nice to be the ONLY one there. I felt like the "King"!!!

Take care,

John

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John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

rockm

John,

Cabbies in D.C. can be of the "don't know where it is" frame of mind when it's somewhere they don't want to go Cross town from the hotels in NorthWest DC is somewhere they don't want to go. They can't get many return fares from over near the Arb., which is probably why the fourth cabbie waited for you. He was certainly gracious to wait. He certainly didn't have to do it.

John Dixon

Oh yeah, I certainly was suspicious of that, but the first three (snap judgement) were not the brightest lights on the Christmas tree!!! One had to think about where New York Avenue was. I mean, really.

My cabby went above and beyond. After I set the price he even took me around the whole Arboretum and pointed out sites. A free tour guide with every cab ride....what a bargain.

John

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John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

rockm

Well, I guess there is a contingent of the truly geographically ignorant. They usually charge the biggest fares.

The "fixed Fare" thing you worked out was a good idea.

pootsie

Thanks for sharing the pix, John. It's very nteresting to see how a priceless national treasure is protected in the winter.

Can't wait to be there in May!

pootsie

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p.s. My cat is a bonsaiTALK Master.
Columbus Bonsai Society

heymikey(deceased)

heyJohn; I am interested in the pine tree placed within the wooden box, were the other trees treated similarly? Could you determine what was used as filler material inside the boxes? Regards, heyMikey!!

John Dixon

heymikey,

The only trees I observed with this treatment were still in the outside display area. They were all pines (3) and of very large size. I have to feel that this is partly for convenience, rather than needing to be treated differently. The white pine is the survivor from the Hiroshima atomic bomb that was a gift to the US from Japan. It is over 350 years old. I'm attaching a photo of the information "card" on the display.

Because of the snow I can't tell you what material was used. It appeared that the wood framing is built around the bonsai in its pot and has some sort of heating device. It first looked like a drip watering device, but a little closer observation showed it was plugged into an electrical outlet. I assume it is a very minimal BTU device that just keeps the roots from freezing. I would not be surprised if the material is just some kind of soil mixture, but short of putting my hands where they should not be, I can only guess.
A picture of the white pine is available on the Arboretum's website. Go to gardens/displays then bonsai and choose the thumbnail images. It is near the end, and has a short synopsis of its pedigree.

Take care,

John

Attached Images

White pine info.jpg (28.0 KB, 18 views)

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John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.

John Dixon

I forgot to mention, that white pine has a trunk diameter of over a foot!!! It is like a short telephone pole with foliage except it's beautiful. Okay, not the best analogy, but you get my point.

John

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John Dixon

Si vis pacem parabellum

Stay off the trails of others, that's where the booby-traps are.