Newsletter

March 2018 Ross Clark, editor

Articles in this newsletter are the intellectual property of the authors. If information or ideas are excerpted, paraphrased or duplicated

in any way, proper credit must be given to the originator. Authors of articles published here also are expected to respect intellectual

property rights. The American Bonsai Society is not responsible or liable for opinions expressed by contributors to this newsletter.

Photos are by the editor unless otherwise indicated.

IN THIS ISSUE: Announcements and ABS business 2-3 The Smell of Bonsai: Noelanders (A. Smith) 4-5 Hinoki Cypress: From Seeds to Bonsai (P. Jones) 6-7 Bonsai Exhibits and Shows 8 Special Educational Opportunities 9

Please address all newsletter correspondence and submissions to ross.clark@eku.edu. Thanks! The deadline for submissions for the April 2018 issue of this newsletter is Tuesday, March 20, 2018. This newsletter is being sent to you as a benefit of your membership in the American Bonsai Society.

From the Editor Here’s the second issue of my tenure; I hope you find it to be helpful. Please feel free to suggest anything that you feel might improve future issues. You may note that this issue is not the same length as the first one. You can expect the size of issues to vary from one month to another; there is no set length for an issue of this newsletter. The average font size is a little larger than last month, in response to a suggestion from Karen Harkaway that aging eyes might appreciate it. Point taken! - and my own eyes agree. (However, keep in mind that it is very easy to enlarge any

part of the PowerPoint version of this document; just use the “View” func-tion of the toolbar. You may want to use this function to examine photos more closely.)

This issue includes a few more examples of what I believe this newsletter should encompass. We have ABS business items, an account of a visit to an international bonsai conven-tion, a contribution from an ABS member who relates an unu-sual experience with a species often used in bonsai, and a list of regional North American bonsai shows (or exhibits, if you prefer). For your enjoyment of bonsai! Ross

Alleghany Serviceberry (pronounced “sarvis” in Appalachian

culture) is a rarely-used native bonsai subject. North Carolina

Arboretum collection, March 2014.

Deadline to register for

Gateway to Bonsai 2018

At the Reduced rate is April 1st.

Deadline for tree entries—April 1st Deadline for hotel registrations at reduced rate—March 19th

Great instructors, Great food, Auctions, Raffles, Demonstrations, 1st Class exhibit, 21 vendors

$1000 for Best In Show What more could you ask for!!!

ABS Bonsai Resource Directory - Updating We are in the process of updating the ABS Bonsai Resource Directory for 2018, which lists Bonsai vendors/businesses, instructors/artists, and bonsai arboretums/gardens. Instructors and arboretums are listed for free, businesses listed for only $25. If you own a bonsai business or are a bonsai instructor and would like to be listed, contact Barbara at abssecretary@frontier.com or call 812-922-5451.

Announcements Call for Nominees for the ABS Board of Directors It is time for volunteers to join us in our work to serve the members of the American Bonsai Society. Any member in good standing is eligible to serve on the Board. The Board functions primarily to oversee our an-nual convention, journal, newsletter, website and use of funds. Most of our work is conducted via email, as we are spread throughout the continent and, although attendance at our annual meeting (held in conjunc-tion with our convention) is encouraged, it is not required. Election is for a three-year term commencing on July 1, 2018. If you or someone you know would be interested in joining our Board, please email me at kharka-way@gmail.com. We look forward to working with new people to help ABS continue to serve the bonsai community! Karen Harkaway, President American Bonsai Society

THE EDITOR IS SEEKING PHOTOS OF BONSAI or unusual trees in habitat for the newsletter. They will be used to fill odd spaces in the newsletter (such as the one below), to help illustrate articles, or just for eye candy. If you send photos, please add the name of the photographer if the photographer desires credit. In no case will a photograph be associated with the name of any bonsai owner. THANKS!

The Smell of Bonsai (A Noelanders Trophy Experience) By Andrew Smith Photos by the author.

I’d been told that Belgium in February was a rather dreary, wet and cold affair. I also heard they had the world’s best beer and love to eat chocolate. Judy and I did a couple of quick calculations. Belgium might be cold and dreary in February, but we knew for a fact that South Dakota was likely to be downright frigid. Not to mention that the local beer of choice is Bud Lite, and we’re known more for beef jerky and jackalopes than chocolate. I can take or leave the chocolate, though I do like M&Ms. But, sum total, it came out that in February Bel-gium would be warmer than South Dakota, with better beer. And, The Noelander’s Trophy Bonsai Exhibition is there! So we went. Bonsai, of course, is more than just trees. There are people involved, and many of those people are fanati-cally dedicated. Going to a show in the U.S. is almost like going to a family reunion –you see your friends and partners in crime that you never get to see any other time. However, this show was over 5,000 miles from any place I had ever been before, so I had no idea if I’d know anyone there. But standing on the train platform for the last leg of the trip to Genk, up walked Frank Mihalic from Wildwood Gardens Bonsai, in Chardon Ohio. And a minute later another bonsai friend, Alex Ellis, came up on the same platform! That was a nice surprise. The Mihalics have been involved in bonsai in the U.S. right from the start and Frank grew up with it. I met him at the very first show I ever attended, over 20 years ago. He was at the Noelander’s Trophy selling his well-known bonsai jewelry and the cast miniatures he makes. He said it was his biggest show of the year. Once we arrived, since we were with Frank, we walked to the exhibit hall where they were setting up for the show. It was already dark outside, but it was a familiar scene –bonsai growers and vendors unloading their treasures and setting up their tables late into the night. I was head-spinning tired, but as soon as I walked into the vendor area I took a deep breath and smelled a very familiar smell –the smell of bonsai! And sud-denly I felt refreshed. Bonsai have a very particular smell and I can now testify that bonsai in Belgium smell just like bonsai in the U.S., or Japan, or anywhere. I don’t know exactly what causes that specific scent, whether it’s the fertilizer, or the soil, or the evergreen trees, but I smell it as soon as I walk into a bonsai show, and in my own green-house, and at other bonsai people’s greenhouses too. I suppose it doesn’t smell much differently than a typ-ical greenhouse smells, but it is a little bit different. And I always associate it with bonsai. I’d wear it as co-logne if it were available, though it’s not; and if I did Judy would probably just tell me I needed a shower. But it’s not unpleasant. It’s refreshing, to me at least. The bonsai sales area dwarfed any that I’d been to be-fore. It was in three huge rooms and the next day, when it was crowded with people, it took me hours to find Judy in there, even though I know exactly what she looks like. And our cell phones were working in slo-mo; so by the time I got a text telling me where she was, she was al-ready long gone.

Smell of bonsai, continued

Literally thousands of superb trees, pots, tools and anything else bonsai-related you could think of were on

display. They had some amazing and massive yamadori for sale, and we spent some time trying to guess what some of them were, like cork oaks, which you don’t see often in the U.S. And there were a lot of very finely

finished bonsai for sale too. There were a lot of great deciduous bonsai, like old Ume, Japanese flowering apricots, that were just coming into bloom. And those are one of my favorites. The bonsai exhibit was, as expected, awesome and beautiful with many great trees. (No photography was permitted in the exhibit area.) There were a lot more well developed deciduous species on display than you typically see at a show in the states. There were some fantastic hawthorns, beeches, olives and weeping birch, as well as other species. Surprisingly, I didn’t see a single Japanese black pine on display. My favorite was an old Norway spruce with a hollow base that was just cool. Apparently it was many people’s favorite too, and it won several prizes. So, I was wowed by the exhibit, but after walking through it several times what struck me was I wasn ’t really that wowed. I don’t mean that the trees weren’t everything they should have been, or were less than spec-tacular. But just that in the last few years here at home bonsai has made amazing leaps forward and you can see some pretty spectacular trees right here in the good ol’ U.S. of A. too. The trees at the last National Exhi-bition are a good example of that. And that’s great. My impression also was that there are more young people attending bonsai shows in the States than maybe in Europe. That’s kind of a recent development, but it’s a good one since it will keep bonsai growing into the future. Neither Judy nor I had been to Europe before, so we were very curious as to what it would be like. My off the cuff impression was that it is an awful lot like America, but everything is spelled wrong. All the buildings were made of brick, and many were very old. The people seemed friendly. Just about everyone spoke English, but with what I’d call an English accent –although, actually, over there we were the ones with the accent. Judy found out that her great-grandmother came from a town in the Netherlands, not very far from Genk. We did-n’t have time to go there, but if we go back, we will.

So, in the middle of the South Dakota winter we made a trip and saw some great and inspiring bonsai. It was -3F. degrees here this morning, but now I can’t wait for spring. And we did try the Belgian beer, and chocolate too. They were fantastic.

Hinoki Cypress: From Seeds to Bonsai by Peter Jones

Since joining the Northern Virginia Bonsai Club in 1972, I have wanted a Chamaecyparis obtusa (Hinoki Cy-press) bonsai. Most such plants are grown for landscaping and are quite costly. After seeing so many different Hinokis in the Gotelli (dwarf conifer) Collection at the National Arboretum, I decided to educate myself on these plants and others that grow in the Gotelli Collection.

Back in the 70’s I had found a few small rooted cuttings of Chamaecyparis obtusa for sale, which I purchased and planted. As they grew, I used several for landscaping our front yard. Eventually, they began producing seeds about every third year, so I decided to collect the seeds and plant them.

The picture below shows what can be accom-plished with a little effort. This is the tree at the Roy Nagatoshi workshop in April 2017, before training. After years of observing several plants from this seed batch, I selected this Hinoki to style, with Roy’s help.

The tree (below) has been responding well to the care I am providing. Next spring it will be planted in the red bonsai container on the left. It is quite satisfying to know that I grew this Hinoki Cypress from seed and now will train it as a bon-sai. That makes this small bonsai that much more enjoyable.

In the picture to the left, one can see how seed cones develop on

Chamaecyparis obtusa. This Hinoki is

one of two I started from seed 22 years ago. Because of their growth characteristics, I planted them in our front yard. Training a plant that one has grown from seeds is most re-warding and gratifying. Every time I walk past these two trees I enjoy them. Seeds were from cones col-lected in October.

Hinoki Cypress from seed, continued

I have also learned from experience that one does not get a high germination rate from Hinoki seeds. On the other hand, the reward of variation in the plants produced by seed is most fascinating. Seedlings are quite variable; no two plants will be alike.

Years ago, I started developing a dwarf conifer/evergreen garden for Arlington County at the Walter Reed Community Center (WRCC). My thinking was and still is that, as trees develop, if they didn’t fit in well with the other plants, our club could use them in raffles or as a demonstration trees.

While checking over my plants in the conifer garden, one Hinoki Cypress I had raised from seed caught my eye, so I made a point of checking on it to see how it was developing. Since it had developed almost in a bonsai shape I decided to pot it so I could take it home to watch it as it continued to grow and develop.

In April of this year I plan to take the Hinoki pictured at right (which I had started from seed 15 years ago) to the Nagatoshi workshop. It was one of the Hinokis originally planted in the conifer garden on the grounds of the Wal-ter Reed Community Center (WRCC). I already have a Sara Rayner bonsai pot for this tree. I wish to thank Chuck Croft for bringing Roy Nagatoshi to visit us on Friday, October 6, 2017, which allowed me to show him this Hinoki Cypress. Roy and I go way back to the mid 80’s and I highly appreci-ate his opinion on plants I am growing for bonsai training. Both Chuck and Roy liked this tree. I think it will make a lovely bonsai.

The beauty of growing your own bonsai plant materials is that you have more control over root develop-ment and you can provide some direction as the trunk grows. If only I had learned this lesson some 30 years ago. Finding good unique plant materials for bonsai training has not been easy, however, I have found enough named variety true dwarf conifer and evergreens to keep me busy for years. I hope that more younger people become interested in raising bonsai from seed. Who knows?— new and superior cultivars might be discovered this way.

A nice group of Japanese beeches (Fagus crenata)

originally designed by Steven Severinghaus; now

in the U.S. National Collection.

All day it has rained

Quietly through towering hemlocks—

Soaking us in silence -rc

BONSAI EXHIBITS AND SHOWS We could split hairs and say that a bonsai exhibit is different from a bonsai show, but why do it? “Exhibit” has a more high-falutin ring to it, but do we want people to think that bonsai is something rarified that only old rich folks do? I think not. We would like for everyone to be doing it. Or at the very least, appreciating it. So, I will often use the term “show” to refer to exhibits of all levels and stripes, so that no matter how good the trees are, the public is verbally led to feel that bonsai is an approachable pursuit. Which it is! Some shows are practically conducted in secret, not very visible to the public eye. But I think we want high visibility for this wonderful art, don’t we? Say our neighbors are visiting City X and are looking for something to do. Wouldn’t we want to tell them about a bonsai activity they could attend? As they say in the Northland, you betcha. So, I’m going to

try in this newsletter to maintain a list of significant shows throughout North America. That way, if someone wants to

know what’s going on where and when, they can look here. What is a significant show? Well, in this age, it would need to have a web presence we could list in this newsletter, so people could go there and discover the details. If your show isn’t on this list and you think it should be, send me the web link and I’ll do the rest.

I will maintain events on the following list until the show dates pass. THANKS for helping me with this! –ed.

LIST OF BONSAI EXHIBITS AND SHOWS This is a rolling list. Events are listed by date. Additional events will be posted here as details become availa-ble. If details change, please notify the editor. Be sure to double-check the details before going to a show. For more information, click on the BLUE links. Atlanta Bonsai Society Annual Spring Show, Mar. 17-18, Atlanta Botanical Garden. Phoenix Bonsai Society Show, April 7-8, Valley Garden Center, 1809 N 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies’ Spring Festival, April 13-15, Radisson Hotel, Cromwell, CT American Bonsai Society Convention, April 19-22, Collinsville, IL Nature’s Way Nursery, Spring Bonsai Festival, May 10-12. Harrisburg, PA Michigan All-State Bonsai Show, May 12-13, Meijer Gardens, Grand Rapids Alabama Bonsai Society, May 19-20, Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Midwest Bonsai Society Spring Exhibit, May 12-13, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL Brussel’s Bonsai Rendezvous Convention, May 25-27, Olive Branch, MS Midwest Bonsai Society 41st Bonsai Exhibition, Aug 17-19, Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, IL U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition, Sept. 8-9, Rochester, NY Northwest Bonsai Rendezvous, Sept. 14-16, Portland, OR Golden State Bonsai Federation Convention, Oct. 24-28, McClellan Conference Center, Sacramento The Golden State Bonsai Federation also maintains a list of many bonsai societies in the West. You can follow their activities and find information about their shows by clicking here, and following the links under “Clubs”. Winter Silhouette Bonsai Show, Dec. 1-2, North Carolina Research Campus, Kannapolis, NC

New Addition to the ABS Book Service:

The Why, What and How of Bonsai Soil by Dr. Brian Heltsley, Ithaca, New York Price $13.95 Bonsai growing media must encourage and support a highly ramified network of fine roots in a very small vol-ume. This booklet takes a novel approach to achieving that goal, by-passing the usual squabbling over “best” recipes. It explains how to quantitatively characterize any soil mix with simple measurements that anyone can perform. Ingredient selection can be consciously tuned for water retention, air flow, density, and cost. Easy to follow instructions empower hobbyists and professionals alike to develop and refine soils that meet their indi-vidual needs.

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