PSBA News Clippings Puget Sound Bonsai Association October, 2014 P.O. Box 15437, Seattle, WA 98115-0437 Volume 41 Number 7 Dan Robinson Known as the Father of American Bonsai Check out the club on the Web at www.psba.us. Current and past newsletters are available on that site. There are lots of exciting changes on the web site. The editor welcomes articles for inclusion in future newsletters. Send them to: morgia@centurytel.net. October 27 at CUH at 7 PM Dan Robinson Demonstrates on a pine and will talk about and show the azalea that he worked on last spring at CUH. Plan to attend the November meeting always the 4th Monday of the month. It will be our annual business meeting as well as a demo that you won t want to miss. See page s 2-3 for pictures from this year s PNBCA convention. See Ken Wassum s article on Now is the Time for fall work on your trees. You will find it on page 4. Dan Robinson gave American bonsai a face and a voice some time ago. He has defined the relationship between bonsai and the natural world. In 1978 at a BCI Convention, Dan transformed a large upright 1. Ponderosa Dan is tree working into a cascade. on a giant, It was Dan s first national presentation. It was bold weeping and prophetic. red pine. A He crack has in already the walls of traditional bonsai was opened and for many carved people the American dead wood. bonsai His was formed then and there. Frank Okimura, who watched demonstration Dan work and will who focus represented on wiring one of the most important Japanese bonsai collections and designing in the country, around called the trunk, Dan the all 7 Picasso of Bonsai. inches of it. The tree is 32 inches tall. While the carving on the trunk is the The National Forest Service purchased one of Dan s collected pines and gave it to focal point, designing and wiring America in 1978. It was presented during the 100 th Anniversary of the Forest the foliage makes it a bonsai, not just Service as the National Bonsai Tree. Dan travels the world helping others develop a beautiful tree in a pot. It will be their own vision of bonsai. Dan is credited with the development of a root dramatic and perhaps you will have enhancing technique now used by collectors around the world. He introduced a different view of the art of bonsai power tools into the bonsai creation arena. His article entitled The Aging Process by the end of the meeting. clarified design implicit during ascending stages in trees. His treatise Focal Point Bonsai Design, challenged the perpetuation of the 2. one-two-three-triangle You will have a chance design to concept and has been published in Italian, English and see French an bonsai amazing publications. azalea bonsai created by Dan at a Dan is the founder of Elandan Gardens, a six acre waterfront bonsai garden near PSBA meeting last spring. Bremerton, Washington. Created in 1994, it serves as inspiration for many bonsai This tree should move you enthusiasts. The garden hosts about 300 of Robinson s bonsai trees, in a wild and from the comfort of your naturalistic backdrop befitting the amazing trees collected and created by Dan. own home to the Center for The exquisite book Gnarly Branches, Ancient Trees was Urban written Horticulture by Will Hiltz at 7pm in 2010. It is a biographical and intimate presentation of October Robinson s 21 st. knowledge It is your and experience using wild trees. It stresses Dan s purpose chance in working to see with how bonsai a bonsai the way he does. Dan is exciting to be around because he develops sees things over differently. several His foundation is in nature and it is that connection that months. draws people to him. You do not want to miss the next meeting at the Center for Urban Horticulture. Here s why: Continued on Page 2
Page 2 Continued from page 1. 1. Dan is working on a giant, weeping red pine. He has already carved the dead wood. His demonstration will focus on wiring and designing around the trunk, all 7 inches of it. The tree is 32 inches tall. While the carving on the trunk is the focal point, designing and wiring the foliage makes it a bonsai, not just a beautiful tree in a pot. It will be dramatic and perhaps you will have a different view of the art of bonsai by the end of the meeting. 2. You will have a chance to see an amazing azalea bonsai created by Dan at a PSBA meeting last spring. This tree should move you from the comfort of your own home to the Center for Urban Horticulture at 7pm October27th. It is your chance to see how a bonsai develops over several months. Come to CUH that night. You won t be disappointed. PICTURES FROM the 25th PNBCA CONVENTION Victoria, B.C. October 3-5 Colin Lewis was one of several featured artists:
Page 3 MORE FROM THE CONVENTION Workshops for participants as well as observers: Jim Belcher works on a collected mountain hemlock before and in process. Tak Yamamura local BC artist works on a group planting which was auctioned Saturday evening:
Page 4 NOW IS THE TIME. By Ken Wassum Fall brings many opportunities to set up trees for a healthy next season. What these opportunities are can be ascertained by the type of tree and its stage of development. That said, there is at least a one thing that can be done to all trees, regardless of their species or level of refinement. That one thing is cleaning up the surface of the soil. After a summer of sun, fertilizer and weed maintenance, the soil can become compact, which negatively impacts drainage and aeration. Endless upcoming months of rain, makes both very important for healthy roots, and as every person with bonsai knows, healthy roots make for a healthy tree. To clean up the soil I use bent-nose tweezers. Starting at the base of the tree and gently scraping out to the edge of the pot I remove about ½ of soil. If the pot is a deep one I remove up to about 1. Taking this opportunity to clean up the sides of the pot, I then refill with clean soil mixture, and tamp it gently. You will see improvement immediately when you water. The water will flow into the pot much more quickly, pulling life-giving oxygen in behind it. Leaf drop is the time to remove old needles on pines. Doing so allows light and air to reach the interior parts of the tree. This helps to encourage interior buds, the development of which is an important part of pine bonsai development. To remove old needles on healthy Japanese Black Pines I pull them with a pair of tweezers. I remove all of last year s needles from strong parts of the tree. Where the tree is weak I usually leave old needles. If the whole tree is weak, then I do not remove any needles. Old brown needles on white pines and on other two needle pines can be removed as well, but they should not be pulled. If the needles fall free with a light brush of the tweezers, then great. If they do not, they should be cut close to the base with sharp scissors. Pulling needles on pines other than JBP can result in twig and branch die-back. Once leaves have turned brown and lost their color they can also be gently removed from the branches of deciduous trees. As with pines, doing so allows light into the interior to enhance interior bud development while also removing places for pests to hide and do their worst. Doing these simple tasks will help to set your trees up for winter and they will be ready for spring. Have fun!
Puget Sound Bonsai Association Phone: 253-851-9636 psba.us The PSBA News Clippings Is published nine times each year by the Puget Sound Bonsai Association: P.O. Box 15437, Seattle, WA 98115-0437. The newsletter is published in order to share general information about bonsai techniques, events, and other items of interest to members.. If you are not receiving e-mail copies, please contact Sally Montejano (sfumikom@gmail.com) October 27 November 24 PSBA s usual meeting at CUH 7 pm PSBA s Annual Business Meeting 7 pm Editor: Morgia Belcher 253.851.9636 or morgia@centurytel.net Assistant Editor: wanted someone to do this job! Production Editor: Jana Loyd Mailing Labels: Sally Montejano (sfumikom@gmail.com) November 24 PSBA s November Demo follows the business meeting Questions about the publication should be directed to the editor. Permission to reprint articles is granted to other bonsai clubs for use in their publications, except where expressly prohibited or noted herein. News Clippings P.O. Box 15437 Seattle, WA 98115-0437