australian australian spring bonsai - bonsai … · australian bonsai the magazine that unifies...

Australian Bonsai – The magazine that unifies people through Bonsai

AUSTRALIAN BONSAI

SEPTEMBER 2015 – ISSUE 8 AUSTRALIAN SPRING

EDITOR – IAN GLEW

Hi to all

Spring is upon us and we all should be readying for the hectic growing season ahead.

It is always difficult when writing the magazine to push my mind forward as in writing this I am still in the depths of winter – although at this stage in Noosa one might be thinking spring had come early as we have been having a spate of warmer than normal weather, my trees are actually budding in mid-winter.

I certainly hope everyone observed - World Naked Gardening Day – first Saturday in May. I am serious apparently it’s an annual event!!!

World Bonsai Day is building momentum each year and you can read about it in an article in this edition.

I was working on my trees on the weekend and thoughts of what I had written in this column last edition came flooding back – check your wiring were my words of wisdom and I certainly hope you took my advice. I sadly didn’t, “do as I say not as I do” is the phrase that I thought of when I inspected some wire that had dug in and marked the branch.

Spring and all those promises of keeping the trees under control during the growing season is what it’s about now – good luck with your trees.

Ian Glew

Australian Bonsai Editor

WELCOME TO THE SEPTEMBER 2015 (SPRING) EDITION OF AUSTRALIAN BONSAI.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Ian was bitten by the Bonsai bug some twenty plus years ago and has been an avid Bonsai enthusiast ever since.

Serving on many committees at local club, National and International level with a goal in mind to help share and nurture the Art of Bonsai.

He has published many newsletters at all levels and is a published author of Bonsai related articles.

A professional public speaker and trainer in professional life has proved an ideal grounding to build a successful international Bonsai demonstrating career, he is a registered demonstrator at both National and international levels.

Passionate and dedicated to sharing and hopefully ensuring the art of Bonsai continues to be passed on through generations.


Contents What a great surprise – Ian Glew ....................................................................................................... 3

Willow leaf fig progress ..................................................................................................................... 4

Bonsai Styles in Nature – Ian Glew ..................................................................................................... 5

Bonsai Market day – Sunshine Coast ................................................................................................. 6

Bonsai Hall of Fame inductees ........................................................................................................... 7

More display ideas – Rob Kempinski .................................................................................................. 7

Informal upright Style – Ian Glew....................................................................................................... 8

AABC Ltd Convention 2014 .............................................................................................................. 10

Subscribe To Australian Bonsai ........................................................................................................ 11

Bonsai Events around the World...................................................................................................... 11

AWARD WINNING TREE

AWARD WINNING TREE


I was out doing my annual clean-up of the yard and cutting back some wayward growth in the Bonsai stock area. Amazing how many trees had actually taken root into the ground from the pot. This really helps the growth of the tree and trunk thickness.

To my surprise I found this little juniper shoot coming up out of the ground and was really taken by it as I had no recollection of planting anything like a cutting and it was a source of amazement how the shoot had originated.

Immediately went and took a photo for the magazine and a potential article, thinking all the time how it could have possibly grown the way it has.

What a great surprise – Ian Glew

When I took the photo it dawned on me what had occurred and certainly a great little article started to take place. What had occurred is quiet amazing; a branch from the tree in a training pot a few feet away had somehow become buried in the soil and struck roots.

This occurred totally by accident but the more I think about what has happened it is a fantastic way of striking a cutting.

Naturally I will leave it until spring time and further growth will have occurred to actually sever it from the mother tree and hopefully plant it in a pot of its own and grow into a great Bonsai. The two arrows in the picture above show the shoot and the mother tree.

I am certainly going to give this method of taking cuttings more attention in the future s the more I think about it, it is a fail safe way of striking a cutting.

With the branch still attached to the mother tree and the branch in the ground striking roots , you would have to think nutrients and life giving food are coming from both areas i.e. mother tree and the roots.

I have done a sketch below to demonstrate what I hope will be a fantastic way of taking cuttings, just what I need another project tree.

In the sketch below the arrow shows the area of the branch coming from the mother tree that has been buried and the roots that will hopefully shoot.

As they say you have nothing to lose in trying this and with the life blood coming from two sources it sounds like a winner.

Will keep you posted on the outcome.


Willow leaf fig progress

I promised to keep you informed with the progress of the smaller (some say nuggetty) willow leaf fig that I defoliated and re-potted in the last issue. Progress has been good and the tree now has a full covering of foliage. This species is a vigorous grower and needs to be re-potted at least every two years. I think I mentioned this tree actually cracked an expensive pot due to me not following this advice.

First phot shows how it has progressed and was certainly in need of some refinement and clean up. The photo on the right shows what some TLC can produce – vast improvement and will hold good for the growing season ahead in spring and summer.

In both photos above it is evident that the branches are reaching up, with any fig it is always a battle to keep the branches down as they are vigorous growers. I was surprised to see figs still on the tree and couldn’t resist taking a photo to show off the fruit. There is a number of methods to bring down the branches – wiring naturally would control the upward growth of the branch but very heavy wire is required and there is always the possibility of wire marks especially with the growth spurts in figs.

A method I have used very successfully is using guy wires to pull down the branches. Instead of just wrapping the wire around the branch, I use the mesh used to cover the drainage holes in pots to protect the branch from marking (middle picture below). The final photo below shows the finished product for now. I can’t remember the demonstrator who asked an audience, what single factor will ensure a first class Bonsai – answer – work on the tree continually. I am making this tree my priority for the next 12 months and hopefully we will see the improvement.


Last issue I featured a raft style that we discovered on a walk around Parramatta lakes in NSW and have found a few more incredible photographs of Bonsai Trees in nature.

Root over rock – this fantastic specimen is in a Queensland town called Buderim, truly a magnificent example of Root Over Rock.

I have also been requested on a number of occasions to show nature. Recently had a trip to New Zealand and being a fan of Tolkien and the Hobbit movies went to Hobberton. It was windy and this magnificent tree certainly gave the feeling of wind through the branched (left photo). The photograph to the right was taken on Norfolk Island and no wind on the day, the dramatic windswept feel to this tree is from many years of gale force winds battering the tree into submission.

This final group of photographs show the power of figs in nature; these magnificent examples are in New Farm Park just outside the Brisbane CBD. These photos were taken some time back and if you went to see the trees today the park bench is barely visible. The aerial roots are magnificent and kept in great condition with play areas for the kids within.

Bonsai Styles in Nature – Ian Glew


I see a great deal of Bonsai related articles in many various publications, magazines and Facebook and see all types of events and functions.

Recently a local Bonsai Sunshine Coast identity - Peter Woosley from the Sunshine Coast decided to think outside the square and have a Bonsai Market Day on World Bonsai Day.

World Bonsai day is on the second Saturday in May each year and is slowly building momentum.

This market day was the first in Queensland to my knowledge. Many clubs naturally have a vendor’s area at their annual show or a trade table at their club nights but to set up and run a full blown market was certainly a great initiative.

I didn’t do a count of vendors but there would have been 20 plus Bonsai enthusiast with tables full of bargains and fabulous Bonsai to masterpieces to be or created trees.

I am sure there was a few nerves about as all the tables were set up and the wares went on display – will anyone turn up would have been in the back of many people’s minds.

It was like a starting gun going off as the opening time arrived and many, many Bonsai enthusiasts came in through the gates – Brisbane, Gold Coast, Toowoomba are just a few of the clubs that made the trip and I for one deem it a great success. Thanks must go to Peter who not only had the idea but courage to make it happen.

Well done and hopefully this is the first of many market days to come.

I can’t think of any better way to describe the day than Peters own summation of the day.

“Well it's been and gone now and I thank you all for your support of the event. Without people like you, these events will simply never grow legs. With commitment I believe the market day has a bright future.

The highlight of the day for me was the incredible camaraderie; I didn’t experience any egos or bad attitudes, just positivity and friendship. I think that is very rare in this day and age of stressful lives and I thank you all very much for that. “

Bonsai Market day – Sunshine Coast

BONSAI MARKET DAY – SETTING UP


I read with interest an article on Bill Valavanis blog about the Bonsai Hall of Fame in America.

It was established to recognise outstanding efforts by Americans in the World of Bonsai.

The first inductee in 2014 was John Naka who is an Icon of Bonsai throughout the world.

He visited Australia many years ago and wrote some amazing books which are still published today.

Yuji Yoshimura is 2015 inductee, another Iconic legendary member of the world Bonsai family and author The Japanese Art of Miniature trees and landscapes.

For more details on the Hall of Fame and these two Icons of the Bonsai world log onto Bill Valavanis blog - http://valavanisbonsaiblog.com/2015/06/21/national-bonsai-hall-of-fame/

Bonsai Hall of Fame inductees

You may remember in the last issue I showed Rob Kempinski’s display idea – Bonsai in a suitcase.

In the Facebook article Rob mentioned he had some new ideas to try out – Rob is never short of new ideas and came up with innovative means of display to the right.

It may look like any other display but the picture on the scroll is an IPad mounted face-out to the viewer which is playing a continually changing scene.

The IPad is ingeniously mounted at the back of the scroll with the face obviously pointing to the viewer.

With a number of various pictures, music played from the device the viewer has vast number of different scenes to enjoy the total Bonsai experience.

Outstanding tree and Fabulous display.

Rob toured Australia last year and I have been pestering him for another Aussie tour.

More display ideas – Rob Kempinski

BILL VALAVANIS

ROB’S DISPLAY

NOTE - THE IPAD IN THE SCROLL


Informal upright is the style you will see most of at any Bonsai display and I am sure all the readers of this magazine will find a number of trees in their collection will conform to the rules and regulations.

Just because there are many examples of the style does not make it less appealing or less attractive basically it is that most trees grow to this basic shape.

This magnificent award winning tree to the right, gives an idea of the basic outline of the Informal Upright.

Firstly you notice the bends in the trunk, very different to the Formal upright where you select trees with no bend in the trunk.

These bends give movement and grace to the tree.

The second photo to the right again shows the beautiful and graceful bends in the trunk, taper in the trunk is obvious I both trees.

The magnificent root structure in the second tree is most certainly a feature.

The crown in both trees is placed slightly away from the imaginary vertical line that runs straight up from the base; I have tried to demonstrate this line in the third image to the right.

Branch placement in all trees, shortening as they rise to the crown and form that asymmetrical triangle that is so important in Bonsai, again demonstrated in the final photograph. Even today I need to study the tree to sometimes see this triangle but it should be present in all Bonsai.

I saw these trees as part of a magnificent display in Guangzhou China back in 2006 and although I am sure we would all love these trees in our collection the likelihood of this occurring or us mere mortals of the Bonsai world possessing anything like these trees is pure fantasy.

Both trees demonstrate the style and class of aa truly beautiful Informal Upright, just because the style is seen a great deal it in no way makes it and less attractive or capable of holding its own in a

Informal upright Style – Ian Glew


The basic rules of an Informal Upright is as follows

Apex within 10 degrees of the vertical – crown should be positioned within that area.

Trunk can twist and turn – to me this is what really makes this style, the twisting in the trunk.

Taper in the trunk – taper is required in many styles and really goes a long way to give the perception of age to any tree.

The first diagram to the right demonstrates these rules without the foliage and branches that can disguise sometimes the rigid confirmation to the rules of Bonsai.

The second diagram the placement of branches in this style and although it shows that the branches should be placed on the outside of the curve it can be difficult to achieve – if there is no branch there – there is no branch!

The first branch - is always the longest and dictates direction.

Second branch - on the opposite side to first and shorter.

Third branch – ideally placed between first and second and at the back but can be at the same height as first or second.

Although not shown in the diagram this group of three moves up the trunk of the tree, with the fourth branch on the same side as the first but shorter and so on up the trunk ideally in groups of three.

Stopping with the formation of the crown at the top of the tree. The blue line demonstrates the asymmetrical triangle that will be formed by this type of branch placement and is so vital with any Bonsai.

The final diagram shows the branch placement as if you were above the tree looking down – plan view is what a draftsperson would call it.

It is important not to have one branch directly above the other as life-giving sun cannot reach the lower branch, all branches must be staggered around the trunk.

Simple isn’t it, and that is the Informal Upright explained. Remember the famous quote “Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist – Pablo Picasso “


AABC Ltd Convention 2014 Another great annual convention was held in South Australia this year and Andrew Ward shares some insights

The AABC Convention in Adelaide, 15 - 18 May 2015 was attended by 182 delegates. Delegates included Dorothy Koreshoff, Patron of The SA Bonsai Society. 'Bonsai - A Growing Art' also formed part of the 50th Birthday Celebrations of The SA Bonsai Society. We had 81 guests attend the Welcome Reception on Friday evening, 132 guests at the Celebration Dinner on Saturday evening ... the theme of the weekend became apparent - to have a good time, smile and learn about refining bonsai. One stand out comment was that 'Australians are good at growing bonsai; we need to become better at creating more refined bonsai'.

A cross section of media helped promoted the event with Facebook saturation, two Saturday morning articles in The Adelaide Advertiser, and a 20 minute interview on ABC Saturday Gardening Radio with SA Bonsai Society President, Andrew Ward. We hosted 217 visitors from the general public who took the time to visit the bonsai exhibition and trade area.

The small exhibition had a sense of space, having been set up by International Bonsai Artist, and headliner, Koji Hiramatsu. The exhibition also included a tokomoma, which had been used as part of a pre-convention workshop presented to 26 club leaders on how to set up a club exhibition. Another 73 delegates participated in The Adelaide Hills Garden Tour, which visited home of ABC Gardening Australia Presenter, Sophie Thompson, and also the home of famous Australian artist, Sir Hans Heysen.

Three awards were presented over the weekend for bonsai, The BCI Director's Award and also The Ryuga Dragon Award were presented to Chris Drinkwater for his acclaimed Eriocephalus africanus. This bonsai is now on loan to The NBPCA in Canberra.

The Ian and Sheila Glew, Australian Bonsai Award, was presented to Janet Sabey, for another highly acclaimed Bonsai Olive, also now on loan to The NBPCA in Canberra.

More photos on the back page – Tasmania next year and more details on www.aabcltd.org

IAN AND SHEILA GLEW ’S AWARD WINNING TREE

CHRIS DRINKWATERS AWARD WINNING TREE


The magazine will be published four times a year matching the commencement of the seasons in Australia, summer, autumn, winter and spring.

Articles, what’s on, artist’s profiles, Convention and local show wraps – anything that is interesting and is newsworthy will form the basis of what may become Australian Bonsai.

This is certainly humble beginnings and a far cry from many magazines that are on the market and I hope that I will be announcing a revised model, possibly similar to the AABC Ltd edition, in the not too distant future but unless we start this goal will never be reached

Please complete the details and indicate which format you require.

Select your preferred payment method.

Name ___________________________________

Email ___________________________________

Telephone _______________________________

Address _________________________________

Suburb____________________ State__________

Post Code___________ Country______________

Circle what payment and type of magazine below

• Electronic PDF emailed - $12.00.

• Hard copy black and white reproduction of the newsletter posted to you - $20.80

• Hard copy colour reproduction of the newsletter posted to you - $58.30

All payments in Australian $ only

Bank Deposits

Suncorp 484-799 20130-0440 – Account name ISMG - don’t forget to in include your name in the deposit and email me the above information.

Email address [email protected]

Postal address to: - ISMG – Ian Glew

PO Box 1167, Noosaville BC, Noosaville, Qld 4566 Australia If you are paying by cheque please make it payable to ISMG

PayPal – [email protected] – Ian Glew

28th – 30th August THE TOPS WEEKEND - Illawarra Bonsai Society (Sydney) will be having a bonsai workshop weekend on the 28th - 30th August For more information contact - Julie Smith Email: [email protected] Web: www.illawarrabonsaisociety.org

12th and 13th September

11th October, 2015 Redlands Bonsai Society Annual Show Donald Simpson Centre 172 Bloomfield Street, Cleveland

10th – 11th October 2015 Bonsai Europa 10-11 October, Castle Armory Burytown Center, Manchester UK Visit bonsaieuropa.com for details. 23rd – 25th October 2015 NZ National Bonsai Convention 23 - 25 October, Woolston Community Club Hargood Street, Woolston, Christchurch Visit bonsaiconvention.net.nz for details. 24th – 25th October 2015

Sunshine Coast Bonsai Society – Annual show Buderim Community Hall Sat 9am – 4pm . Sun 9am – 2pm.

7th – 8th November 2015

Bonsai exhibition and sale, Footscray community arts center, 45 Moreland St, Footscray.

Adults $5, children under 15 free . [email protected]

6th – 8th November 2015

Newcastle Bonsai Society Annual exhibition

Charleston Bowling Club

5 Lincoln Street, Charleston.

Contact David 0418 226 068

13th – 22nd November 2015

Wagga Wagga Bonsai Society The Wagga Wagga Bonsai society combined with the Potters association is having an exhibition from13 – 22 November 2015 –open 10am – 4 pm (closed Monday).

Bonsai Events around the World. Subscribe To Australian Bonsai


AUSTRALIAN BONSAI

Australian Bonsai – The magazine that unifies people through Bonsai.

AUSTRALIAN BONSAI CONTACT DETAILS

If you are mailing something to me

please address it to

Ian Glew – ISMG PO Box 1167 Noosaville BC, Queensland,

Australia 4566 Mobile +61 (0)412 507 478 fax +61(0)7 5442 4344

Email – [email protected]

MORE TREES FROM THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN – AABC CONVENTION

australian australian spring bonsai - bonsai … · australian bonsai the magazine that unifies...

Documents