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3-Oct-2005
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#1 |
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Bonsai Master, in my mind
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Back Home in Northern California
Country: USA
Posts: 1,917
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"New Here", Questions, etc.
G'day all...
In response to a number of posts, the subjects of New Here, Questions, Will's old post, "Straight", and others...(I know this has been posted before, how ever, I think it's worthwhile we encounter new beginners almost daily)...I respectlully submit the following... To the new beginner's out there... You ask many questions and will likely receive many answers...read the responses. There is sooo much to learn, and some structure to the learning would really be better than the shot-gun approach. My suggestion is that you slow down...waaaaay down. Then, take a deep breath, and start over again! Maybe the following will help... One thing that you should learn at the earliest possible is patience. The more you learn about bonsai, the more you will realize the importance of being paitient. You cannot be taught patience by someone else...but you must learn to be patient. There are four things (plus NEXT, below) that a beginner should do, right at the start: · Read...read...read...then read some more. · Join a local club. · Take a beginners' class. · Learn the importance of being patient. Read... Read... Read... Go to your local library and read every book on bonsai that you can put your hands on. In the US, the book most often recommended for beginners is BONSAI, published by Sunset...an excellent first book for beginners. Be sure to get the 2003 edition. Among my favorite authors are: Herb Gustafson, Deborah R. Koreshoff, Colin Lewis, David DeGroot, and John Naka...and, there are more. The more you read, the better prepared you will be to ask questions here, or at your local club...in Step 2. Then always remember what Will Heath said: Not every bonsai book is gospel; some are even just plain wrong. Join a Local Club Here is where you can get the best advice available, since the local club members are the ones who are raising bonsai in YOUR geographical area. The local club can help you avoid the pitfalls that you may encounter when you get advice from, maybe, half way around the world. Many things in bonsai are pretty much universal, but you need to know what it takes to keep a bonsai healthy in your location...be it Tucson, San Francisco, Sidney, London, or Toronto. There are many more benefits to being a member of a local club. You can find local clubs worldwide at www.bonsai-bci.com/. Take a Beginners Class This is where you formally begin learning the basics, like selecting a nursery plant, which plant to start with, identifying the front, branch trimming, wiring, and on and on. You will begin to learn what works best for your area, what tools you need, and how to use them, etc. A good beginners class will get you off to a good start. Learn the Importance of Being Patient One thing that you should learn at the earliest possible is patience. The more you learn about bonsai, the more you will realize the importance of being paitient. You cannot be taught patience by someone else...but you must learn to be patient. Next The bonsaiTALK Forum has a lot to offer. Check it out. .....end..... A following post will talk to some of my thoughts related to Questions, etc. Having said all this, welcome the wonderful obsession, I mean world, of bonsai! Enjoy. Pat
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BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain. THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life. Pat Patterson...Bonsai in the Greater Bay Area, Northern California
Last edited by PatArizona : 3-Oct-2005 at 06:00 AM. Reason: Spacing |
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Sponsor Message
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"New Here", Questions, etc. |
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Forum Sponsor
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3-Oct-2005
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#2 |
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Bonsai Master, in my mind
Join Date: Feb-2005
Location: Back Home in Northern California
Country: USA
Posts: 1,917
|
Some thoughts in regard to my original post:
We encounter "new here" posters almost daily, and I feel that we cannot expect that every "new here" knows all about everything that the bonsaiTalk forum offers. If they did, they wouldn't be here asking questions. True, the answer that you find through your own research is a lot more likely to stick with you than an answer posted in response to your question. But, think about it...this "new here" asking a stupid (or many times asked) question may be in "panic mode", feeling that her tree will die if she doesn't get her question answered in the next 30 seconds. "Stupid question??". I'm of the school that believes that the only "stupid question" (or dumb question, if you prefer) is the one that you do not ask. Now, when the same person asks the same question repeatedly...that's a completely different can of worms. It bothers me, too, when somebody asks enough questions to fully cover a two hour class session. One more comment...I feel that we (myself included) do not remind beginners often enough about the importance of patience...as it relates to bonsai. The above comments are my own...nobody elses. "Nuf said... You all have a good day... Pat
__________________
BONSAI isn't about surviving in a storm, rather, how to dance in the rain. THE ONLY WAY: Always remember, and don't ever forget, that whatever you read here is not cast in concrete... the intent of any advice is to help. In no way should you feel that I’m saying that my way is the only way…heaven forbid! I've seen far too much of the "my way or the highway" attitude in bonsai as well as in other areas of life. Pat Patterson...Bonsai in the Greater Bay Area, Northern California
Last edited by PatArizona : 3-Oct-2005 at 06:30 AM. |
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