[IBC] First visit to bonsai group also becomes last.

Andrew G

Hi everyone.
How I wish I lived in area where there was more than one bonsai club, and
those that are in it actually know about bonsai.
Honestly, sitting here, reading post I can learn more than visiting the
local club.
I took my Sunday afternoon out to visit a local bonsai club I had been told
about a while back. Reluctant to travel to the nearby town, terrible place,
I tried it out.
First 10mins at the meeting they spent talking about last weeks meeting.
Then I had to introduce myself, let them know what I know about bonsai and
so on. I explained I'm a horticulturist by trade, have read and been into
bonsai for about the past 5yrs, learnt soley from the net and books.
I was quickly pulled up when I somehow mentioned it originated in CHina.
That led to a heated discussion amongst others as to whether its Chinese or
Japanese. By now I was wanting to leave.
Then I got to show my bonsai, 2 of them. First, my Port Jackson Fig. Some
really liked it, others disliked it, one even offered to buy it, as it was
passed around. I learnt nothing from it, and had I took each persons
suggestion as to what to do with it, well, lest say I would have been left
with a trunk in a different coloured pot. I couldn't understand the problem
with a fig in a dark blue pot.
NExt the buxus. Some liked it, again, some didn't. Fairs fair, everyone has
an opinion. But again, could not learn from anything they told me.
Rest of the meeting was some other peoples bonsai, still learnt nothing.
When I asked about tips on pruning and so on all I got was a couple of tips,
the rest suggested reading books, and gave reccomendations.
All in all the visit was a "not going back to that".
Seriously I have and will learn more from books and visiting here.
On a similar note, I bought a book on Friday, "Bonsai. It's art, science,
history and philosophy" by Deborah R Koreshoff.
Pretty good book. Perhaps a little detailed for the beginner, but still
looks good. Only just started reading it but has some good advice in it.
Funny thing that I do find with it is that Deborahs book mentions Moreton
Bay figs as bonsai. Her father wrote a book on bonsai, and the particular
one I have is for beginners. It mentions Moreton Bay figs very poor as
bonsai due to large gaps in internodes and very hard to reduce leaf size.
I had one for about 4yrs that I collected as a seedling. I could not reduce
to leaf size at all, then recently read about they aren't too good a
specimen, so I threw it out, well not literally. Now I read Deborah
mentioning them and kinda regret getting rid of it.
So just a small contradiction, so possibly others to come. Still, again, not
a bad book, I like it. Don't go for the little "sayings" mentioned
throughout it. Little corny I think.
Andrew
Mid North Coast
New south wales, Australia

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kevin bailey

Clubs vary hugely in their level. Some are in their ascendancy and
others in decline. It takes new, keen members to keep a club alive. If
the one you visited wasn't much good and there are no others near to
you, why not become a regular and change it from the inside?

Our club now has a keen group of core members who regularly meet up at
other times for workshops etc.

It will take more than a few visits to determine who is keen and
actually knows their stuff but once you have more contacts the learning
curve usually skyrockets.

My own ranking of the usefulness of the various experiences available is
that I have learned most through being a member of a club, then from
workshops, classes and demos with masters, next from books and
magazines, then from then from my own experiences, then from the IBC and
finally from the web.

Cheers

Kev Bailey
Vale Of Clwyd, North Wales

Subject: [IBC] First visit to bonsai group also becomes last.



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Marty Haber

Glad you enjoyed Deborah's book. She knows her stuff, having had a mother
and father who were both bonsai afficionados.
I hope you will follow Kevin's suggestion of working from the inside to
improve the quality of your local club. Being a professional
agriculturalist, you must have a great deal to offer.
Marty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew G" <notchevy327@HN.OZEMAIL.COM.AU>
To: <BONSAI@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM>
Sent: Sunday, August 15, 2004 5:12 AM
Subject: [IBC] First visit to bonsai group also becomes last.


> Hi everyone.
> How I wish I lived in area where there was more than one bonsai club, and
> those that are in it actually know about bonsai.
> Honestly, sitting here, reading post I can learn more than visiting the
> local club.
> I took my Sunday afternoon out to visit a local bonsai club I had been
told
> about a while back. Reluctant to travel to the nearby town, terrible
place,
> I tried it out.
> First 10mins at the meeting they spent talking about last weeks meeting.
> Then I had to introduce myself, let them know what I know about bonsai and
> so on. I explained I'm a horticulturist by trade, have read and been into
> bonsai for about the past 5yrs, learnt soley from the net and books.
> I was quickly pulled up when I somehow mentioned it originated in CHina.
> That led to a heated discussion amongst others as to whether its Chinese
or
> Japanese. By now I was wanting to leave.
> Then I got to show my bonsai, 2 of them. First, my Port Jackson Fig. Some
> really liked it, others disliked it, one even offered to buy it, as it was
> passed around. I learnt nothing from it, and had I took each persons
> suggestion as to what to do with it, well, lest say I would have been left
> with a trunk in a different coloured pot. I couldn't understand the
problem
> with a fig in a dark blue pot.
> NExt the buxus. Some liked it, again, some didn't. Fairs fair, everyone
has
> an opinion. But again, could not learn from anything they told me.
> Rest of the meeting was some other peoples bonsai, still learnt nothing.
> When I asked about tips on pruning and so on all I got was a couple of
tips,
> the rest suggested reading books, and gave reccomendations.
> All in all the visit was a "not going back to that".
> Seriously I have and will learn more from books and visiting here.
> On a similar note, I bought a book on Friday, "Bonsai. It's art, science,
> history and philosophy" by Deborah R Koreshoff.
> Pretty good book. Perhaps a little detailed for the beginner, but still
> looks good. Only just started reading it but has some good advice in it.
> Funny thing that I do find with it is that Deborahs book mentions Moreton
> Bay figs as bonsai. Her father wrote a book on bonsai, and the particular
> one I have is for beginners. It mentions Moreton Bay figs very poor as
> bonsai due to large gaps in internodes and very hard to reduce leaf size.
> I had one for about 4yrs that I collected as a seedling. I could not
reduce
> to leaf size at all, then recently read about they aren't too good a
> specimen, so I threw it out, well not literally. Now I read Deborah
> mentioning them and kinda regret getting rid of it.
> So just a small contradiction, so possibly others to come. Still, again,
not
> a bad book, I like it. Don't go for the little "sayings" mentioned
> throughout it. Little corny I think.
> Andrew
> Mid North Coast
> New south wales, Australia
>
>
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****
> ++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
>
************************************************** **************************
****
> >>-->> The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ <<--<<
> +++++ Questions? Help? e-mail BONSAI-REQUEST@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM +++++
>

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Billy M. Rhodes

In a message dated 8/15/2004 5:27:09 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
notchevy327@HN.OZEMAIL.COM.AU writes:

> How I wish I lived in area where there was more than one bonsai club, and
> those that are in it actually know about bonsai.
> Honestly, sitting here, reading post I can learn more than visiting the
> local club.
>
Although local clubs do vary in quality, affiliation is a powerful
thing. It can open doors such as tours that are not otherwise available.
It also depends upon how you learn. I find that the IBC is great and
books/magazines also help, but seeing and touching hands on is better.
Give the local club a few more chances. Hopefully they do more that
critique each others trees.
As far as conflicting horticultural advise is concerned, it is not
limited to Bonsai. I never say never (or very seldom anyway) because as soon as
you do, you will find someone who has done it.
Regardless of all the learning, formal or otherwise, horticulture and
bonsai come down to you and how you do it.
BTW, blue pots are popular with Malsai growers, but traditionally a
glazed, colored pot is only used to display a flowering Bonsai when in flower
and the pot color should compliment the flower color.
Billy on the Florida Space Coast

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Jim Lewis

Andrew G wrote:

> Still, again, not
>a bad book, I like it. Don't go for the little "sayings" mentioned
>throughout it. Little corny I think.
>Andrew
>Mid North Coast
> New south wales, Australia
>
>
>
>

It is, in fact, one of the 4-5 best books (IMHO, of course), but when I
have a design or "how-to" question, I go to her before even Naka.

Jim Lewis - jklewis@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL - Nature encourages
no looseness, pardons no errors. Ralph Waldo Emerson

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alicia-dr-hankins

hi,
i would say you learned more than you realize...
**>> Seriously I have and will learn more from books and visiting here.
**
you may learn that you are lucky, knowledgeable and
gifted to learn from text...most people aren't able to...
you may have also learned that (we) you can't hold
the same expectations on the bonsai club as you hold
on the international community via the internet...
they are different entities and need to have their own
guidelines to judge them by...
after all...your little town club won't have the diversity and
experience that the internet can bring you...we can chat
across countries with no boundaries...
---------
....you learned a lot about what you DON'T like...
a negative role model is just as powerful as
a positive one...so...take to heart what you experienced
then visit again searching for what you can GIVE to THEM,
then, maybe, you can see what they can GIVE to YOU...
smiles,
alicia
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andrew G" <notchevy327@HN.OZEMAIL.COM.AU>



> Hi everyone.
> How I wish I lived in area where there was more than one bonsai club, and
> those that are in it actually know about bonsai.
> Honestly, sitting here, reading post I can learn more than visiting the
> local club.
>. I learnt nothing from it, and had I took each persons
> suggestion as to what to do with it, well, lest say I would have been left
> with a trunk in a different coloured pot. >
But again, could not learn from anything they told me.
> Rest of the meeting was some other peoples bonsai, still learnt nothing.
> When I asked about tips on pruning and so on all I got was a couple of
tips,

>> Seriously I have and will learn more from books and visiting here.
>> Andrew
> Mid North Coast
> New south wales, Australia
>
>

************************************************** ******************************
++++Sponsored, in part, by Evergreen Gardenworks++++
************************************************** ******************************
>>-->> The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://www.internetbonsaiclub.org/ <<--<<
+++++ Questions? Help? e-mail BONSAI-REQUEST@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM +++++