Está en la página 1de 44

Florida Bonsai

November
2003

BONSAI SOCIETIES
OF FLORIDA, INC.
VOL XXXIII NUMBER 4 ISSUE 136

Autumn

BSF2004 Convention
At the Radisson at the Port
Cape Canaveral, Florida

May 27-31, 2004


Featuring:
David DeGroot
Gary Marchal
Ben Oki, and
Floridas Mike Cartrett, Rob Kempinski, Mary
Madison, Ed Trout, Mike Rogers, Jim Smith, and
Jim Vanlandingham
Demonstrations
Workshops with many collected trees
Club night
Exquisite exhibit, indoor & outdoor
Great vendor
All at a GREAT location.
Contact Tammy Malin: BSF2004 Convention@yahoo.com
Or Visit or website http://www.bonsaisocietyofbrevard.org
Hosted by:
Bonsai Society of Brevard/Treasure Coast Bonsai Society.
i

August 2003

BONSAI SOCIETIES OF FLORIDA


PURPOSE

BSF shall provide, for the


various Societies, Clubs,
Study Groups, and bonsai
related organizations having
various names, a statewide organization to deal with common issues and needs, and to
support their programs.

MEMBERSHIP

Individuals acquire BSF membership as members of a local


Member Club.
Other memberships include:
Member-At-Large,
Member Organization At
Large,
Donor Membership, or
Special Life Membership.
For membership information
contact your local club, the BSF
web site, or:
Tammy Malin
Membership Chair
905 Heron Ave.
Fort Pierce, FL 34982-6980
Email for information:
bsfmembership@yahoo.com
Florida Bonsai

BOARD O F T R U S T E E S
OFFICERS:
President
George Henderson
1st Vice President George Hutson
2nd Vice President Gene Callahan
Treasurer
Ed Lippencott
Assistant Treasurer Dave Bechtold
Corres. Secretary Vladimir Foursa
Recording SecretaryCarol McKinney
Past President
Louise Leister
Trustees:
Dist. 1
Dist. 2
Dist. 3
Dist. 4
Dist. 5
Dist. 6

Lynn Fabian
Steve Chapman
Ray Malin
Stan Orsolek
Al Harnage
George Hutson

Committees:
Archive
Elyse Van Dyke
Education
Ray Malin
Membership
Tammy Malin
Publications
Editor: Dick Miller
Web Master: Tom Zane
Speakers
Rob Kempinski

TRUSTE E S M E E T I N G S
The Board of Trustees meets
twice a year. Once, at the annual
State Convention. Second, during
the winter at the convenience of
the BOT. All meetings are open
to the membership. Items to be
placed on the agenda must be sent
to the Corresponding Secretary 45
days prior to the meeting.
ii

FLORIDA BONSAI
444 MUIRFIELD DR.
ATLANTIS, FL 33462-1206
Editor:
Richard M. Miller
dmiller834@aol.com
President:
George Henderson
2308 NE 20th St.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
33305-2636
Email:
Bsfpresident03@aol.com
FLORIDA BONSAI is the
official publication of the
Bonsai Societies Of Florida.
It is published quarterly, in
Feb., May, Aug., and Nov., and
is provided to each member.
Be sure to visit our web site at:
http://www.bonsai-bsf.com
Web Master:
Tom Zane
tomz50925@aol.com

FLORIDA BONSAI IN COLOR


This black and white printed
version of the magazine is provided to members of the Bonsai
Societies of Florida.
It is also available to them in
full color by Email. Files vary
from 3 to 6 mega bites. The file
is a PDF. The software, by Adobe
Reader, is available on the BSF
web site on the Publications page.
Try the color version.

ADVERTISING
ALL ADVERTISING RATES
HAVE CHANGED.
Contact the Editor, noted above,
for rates and conditions.
DEADLINES FOR MATERIAL
& ADVERTISEMENTS:
Feb. issue . . . . . . . . Dec 15
May issue . . . . . . . . Mar 15
Aug issue . . . . . . . . Jun 15
Nov issue . . . . . . . . Sep 15

CREDITS
Cover photo by Rob Kempinski:
A Japanese Black Pine in the
collection of Masahiko Kimura
On page iv, the Japanese Black
Pine belongs to, and was photographed by Rob Kempinski

iii

Editors apologies:
I neglected to mention I have
been getting professional advice,
proof reading, and general recommendations from Alan Gouldthorp,
Mike Sullivan, and Tom Zane.
November 2003

Contents
i
ii
1
2
5
6
13
22
28
31
33
34

BSF2004 Convention
Bonsai Societies of Florida
Presidents Message
Editors Comments
The King of Bonsai
Interviews
Gallery
Water Your Bonsai When . . .
Morikami
Convention Overview
Annual Meeting
BSF Board Meeting

Calendar

N
D

ovember:

1-2 Bonsai Society of


Southwest Florida (Pg. 3)
25 Thanksgiving

ecember:

13 Bonsai Round-up
Morikami Museum.
Suthin Sukosolvisit
traveling the State.

anuary:

Florida Bonsai

Ben Oki traveling


the State.
iv

Presidents Message
As I sit down to
All of the above
write the Presidents
leads me to this
Message we have just
request. I hope that all
had another anniversary
of you will experiment
of 9/11. It is still a
with different species
sad and stressful day
of trees. Go into the
for most Americans and
woods collecting or if
a day that has forever
you see a landscape
changed all of our lives. Lets not
renovation in progress collect
ever forget the gravity of 9/11and some of the bushes and trees they
never let them win.
are removing. Try
I ask all of you to experimenting with
communicate with something you and other
This weekend I
the BSF Officers
took a trip to the other
people havent been
and
Board
and
let
coast of Florida. I
using. I know you will
us know how you have some failures but
drove along looking
think we can better you will also have some
at the ever changing
great and wonderful
serve you.
wonderful Florida Flora
successes.
(wishing I could collect
some). The species changes was
so dramatic as I moved through
the different agricultural zones and
micro climates which in Florida
change by this slightest difference
in elevation, proximity to the two
coasts or the local water table. I
was constantly reminded of how
lucky we are to pursue the hobby
and art of Bonsai in Florida. I did
some research a while back and
remember that we have over three
hundred species of trees in Florida.
Some lend themselves to our hobby
some dont but with such a diverse
state there is a large number of
trees available to bonsai artist in all
parts of the state.
1

Well, here we go into the most


wonderful time of year in FloridaFall. Its wonderful as the heat of
summer begins to pass. To some of
us it means big temperature changes,
to others its just of few degrees.
However, the passage, it still puts
our trees into various stages of
dormancy. First, its time to reduce
the nitrogen levels of your favorite
plant feed. Second, its time to clean
your trees pots, rewire and style.
Third, in some parts of the state
water requirements will be less.
Finally, we still have to be vigilant
for pests and diseases.
Continued on page 3
November 2003

The Editors Page:

you dont have to do this-but, it is


your problem.

READ THIS ISSUE carefully.


You may never get an issue with
better information. Put a tab on it
and mark it Japanese Black Pine
(JBP). You can get many articles
on JBP that are written for other
climates, but this is the only one
for South Florida.

The same thing goes for all


members. When you are late,
the cost of mailing this magazine
goes from $0.11 an issue to $0.83.
When we order the printing, we
need to know how many members
we have. Not knowing causes
enormous waste. Not including
making your favorite editor take
an extra trip to the post office and
standing in line for half an hour.

By shear luck, Alan Gouldthorps


watering article, was posted two
months before Robs and speaks to
the point of watering his JBPs.
Communications:
Included are the highlights of
the Annual Meeting and the Board
Meeting for 2003. I want to call
to your attention the comment on
miscommunication.
Because we mail and/or Email
to every club the same way at
the same time, it is impossible
for a club to not get the informationunlesswe have the wrong
address! After checking with the
trustees three times before the last
issue, a week after it was mailed
I got a listing from a club of new
officers. Florida Bonsai will never
have the correct addresses for that
clubever!
Your club really needs to report
new officers at the end of the year.
They will be sent communications
during the year. Please consider
this as soon as you can.
This is not an official demand, this
is an editorial warning. Obviously,
Florida Bonsai

Interviews:
I cannot say enough about how
much I admire these two men. In a
way two generations of BSF movers and shakers. It is impossible
to put a value on what they have
done. I think you will find their
experiences inspiring.
EPCOT.
Peter Wood is waiting for your
applications for the 2004 EPCOT
show. Take your August Florida
Bonsai and remove the center
fold-that is the form-with instructions. Your time is up-do it now.
Peter wants to have representative bonsai from all clubs. Plan to
truck pool delivery. Better than a
lottery, and you win a free ticket to
the Magic Kingdom. The selection
committee (Including Disney) still
has to select quality bonsai-this is
to show the best of Florida bonsai.
You can download this form
from http://www.bonsai-bsf.com.
Dick Miller, editor-in-training.
2

From page 1
I just got back from the joint
International Bonsai Symposium
and Bonsai Clubs International
gathering. I was very pleasantly
surprised to see the large number
of BSF members in attendance.
This was my first trip to Rochester
and let me tell you Bill Valavanis
does a bang up job. It was so well
organized and all the workshops
and demonstrations were real
learning experiences. The topic
of the event was Collected
Trees and all of the material was
absolutely wonderful. If you ever
have a chance to attend I highly
recommend it. Each year Bill
selects a different topic-so its never
the same. Its a really great Bonsai
weekend.

Until next time, have a great


Holiday season, and a happy and
peaceful New Year as you work on
your trees.

ANNUAL EXHIBIT & TREE SALE

George

SPEAKERS SCHEDULES
Suthin SukosolvisitDecember
$250 per 3 to 4 hour session.
Prefers 2 sessions per day
Prefers hotel
Ben OkiJanuary
$250 per 3 to 4 hour session
Members homes OK
Pedro MoralesMarch
$200 per 3 to 4 hour session
Hotels only
Check with Rob for open days.
Private sessions available
Tell Rob the name of the
organization or individual for the
reservation. Indicate the point of
contact phone no., address, and
Email. Rob will schedule the visits.
Theres no guarantee of specific
dates due to the tight schedules.
Rob will divide the air fare by
the number of sessions and bill all
participants after the event.
Email Rob at:
RKEMPINSKI@cfl.rr.com

The Bonsai Society Of SW FL


Annual Bonsai Exhibit and Tree Sale
Sat. & Sun. Nov. 12, 2003
10 am to 4 PM

Demonstrations:
Sat. 10 am
2 PM
Sun. 10 am
2 PM

Ed Trout,
Ernie Fernandez
Merv Greenberg
Mike Cartrett

Garden Council Bldg.

2426 Cleveland Ave (US 41)


Fort Myers, FL
Chairman Judy Gore 239/334-0673
judyagore@aol.com

November 2003

The King of Bonsai

The Japanese Black Pine,


Pinus thunbergii, called the
king of bonsai, deserves to be
in everyones collection. A
refined speci-men with mature
bark and detailed ramification
reflects a regal feeling. It is
really the best pine tree to grow in
Florida for bonsai. Getting a large
specimen will normally take many
years of development or a large
bankroll. However, one can take
a nursery grown tree intended for
landscaping, and using Floridas
long growing season, significantly
reduce the time to get a good
bonsai.
At next years BSF Convention
in Cape Canaveral, I will lead
a workshop that will start large
nursery grown trees on the road
to bonsai-hood. This article can
Florida Bonsai

Robs Japanese Black Pine, Pinus thunbergii


Circa 1975, Sarted bonsai 1994 23 h/19 w/5 t

provide some background for the


workshop attendees or for those
By Rob Kempinski interested in growing Japanese Black
Pine bonsai.
There is a book in Japan called
52 Ways to Prune a Japanese Black
In Florida, we are at the southern
Pine. Well, we better change the
range of Japanese Black Pine heat
title to 53 Ways as the techniques tolerance, yet with proper care they
I will address here are not
will thrive. Because of our long
mentioned anywhere in that
Japanese book. The reason:
Japan does not have Floridas
virtually non-stop growing
season. Hence the techniques,
especially the timing of
activity, do not match the
techniques used in Japan to
develop Japanese Black Pine
trees.

growing season, we can get more out


of the Japanese Black Pine growing
cycle than someone up north. If you
think about it, our pines grow nearly
10 to 11 months a year here, barely
slowing down for winter. You can
think of Florida growing years like
dog years we get two for one. One
caution though; Melbourne, where I
live, is below the 46 degree thermo
cline. Melbourne has virtually
subtropical conditions with only a
few days near freezing and less than
30 days below 50 F a year. Florida
is a big state, so the techniques I
mention might not work as well in
4

the northern tier, while I feel they


would work even better down
south.

handling of the trunk will rub off the


bark and spoil the look of the tree.

Watering a Japanese Black Pine


Three aspects dominate Japanese entails a little more caution than
a typical tropical plant. The trees
Black Pine developmentgrowing
need water only when the top level
conditions, needle thinning and
of soil has dried. A simple way to
pruning.
check this is to leave a wood dowel
Growing Conditions - Between
(a broken chop stick works well)
Christmas and the end of January,
stuck in the soil. Prior to watering
my Japanese Black Pine trees
enter what will pass for a dormant remove the dowel and look at the tip
in the soil. When it is almost dry, it is
period. While the trees have
time to water the tree. Do not blindly
slowed down, it is repotting time.
water every time you water your
It is safe to do root work on them.
ficus or buttonwoods. This will kill
I highly recommend pure sifted
a Japanese Black Pine. In the winter
Akadama soil ( a clumpy type of
it is my experience their water intake
clay soil from Japan). The trees
grow unbelievably fine root pads in goes down significantly. I think
it is due to the lower temperature
this medium. The root hairs grow
and slight reduction in the trees
right into the soil particles. It is
metabolism. It is not unusual to
a bit expensive, but one bag can
water only every 3 or 4 days in the
take care of several bonsai. And
cooler months
after all, this is the king of bonsai
When using an inorganic soil mix,
so you should spoil it. If you dont
feeding becomes very important.
use Akadama, then use a very fast
Some pine enthusiasts advocate
draining soil like a mix of large
using organic fertilizer exclusively
particle sandblast sand, Turface,
on Japanese Black Pine. I have tried
Haydite, or lava rock and a little
this for a few years with good results.
pine bark. Japanese Black Pine
However, I have lately migrated to
like lots of water, but they dont
the same inorganic fertilizer I use
like wet feet. Therefore, when we
on my other trees for two reasons.
have lots of rain, like we did this
Inorganic, such as Miracle Grow
August, fast draining soils will
granular, offer more convenience
prevent root rot. When repotting,
and less smell. Second, the organic
take it easy, especially on the old
fertilizer can really clog up soil and
ones. Remove no more than a
when we get monsoon conditions
third of the roots at a time. Pay
lead to root problems.
particular attention to how you
handle the trunk as old flaky bark
The key to growing a Japanese
adds character to pines. Rough
Continued on page 7
5

November 2003

At the 2003 BSF Annual Convention, President Louise Leister


sellected two men for the Presidents Award, recognizing them for
many years of outstanding service to BSF and the community. The
following are interviews with these two remarkable men.
Tom Zane:

Chuck Eschenburg:

Ed: From my
seven years
in BSF, I have
learned to
equate Tom
Zane with
BSF, and vice
versa. To
me, you have
been the model member, the guy
who knows all, does all. My hero.
How did you ever get hooked into
bonsai?

Ed: I have
learned so
much about
the many
things you
have done
for bonsai, I
almost dont
know where
to start. So, when did you start
with your first bonsai?

TZ: In 1972, my first year in


Japan, my family and I were
stationed at Camp Zama near
Tokyo. During a courtesy call on
a Japanese official, with whom I

CE: 1969, and like everyone else,


it grew
and grew
until I
had to
simply
cut back.
Ironically, I
Doing bonsai in
didnt stop
the good old days.
until I retired,
when many take it up.
Ed: Knowing my case, that is when
I took it up-why?

worked, I saw my first bonsai. A


few days later he presented me
with my first bonsai, a five-needle
Continued on page 16
Florida Bonsai

CE: I found that, with my busy


schedule, working on my bonsai
was very therapeutic. Likewise,
when I closed my medical practice
we planned to travel-a lot. As you
know, travel and bonsai do not go
together.
Ed: For sure.
Continued on page 20

From page 5
Red Maples next to my yard as my
guide. When their leaves are falling
Black Pine bonsai is to encourage
off, it time to remove last years pine
growth on some branches and
needles. With a healthy tree, I will
back budding on others. On
do needle thinning again in August.
tropical trees a hard pruning and
The theory being the tree still has
defoliation accomplish this. On
almost 4 months to grow that year.
pine trees, the approach differs
with needle thinning and pruning at This is equal to the total growing
season in more temperate areas.
the right time. But before you get
I also remove damaged needles
to that, the first point to consider
(broken while wiring, by insect
is where the tree is in its design
chewing or by fungus) throughout
cycle. Seedlings, or recently
pruned nursery stock have different the year.
development approaches than a
By the way, most people think
finished bonsai.
of pine trees as
For instance, needle
evergreen, but they
reduction should
are still deciduous.
not be practiced
They lose needles
while striving to
each year, they just
grow branches.
dont lose them all
Also, as with all
at one time like softtrees, only work on
leafed trees. Needle
healthy specimens.
thinning merely
Ignoring this
helps nature drop
Japanese Black Pine, Pinus thunbergii
advice in our
Circa 1985,
Started bonsai 2000 the old needles so
zone could be
18 h/14 w/2 t Handmade pot (by Rob) they dont become a
fatal to a weak
detractor to the tree.
Japanese Black Pine.
Removing needles to get the
Needle Thinning: In my garden,
inside branches to grow represents
by Christmas, the Japanese Black
one aspect of energy balancing.
Pines have finished with the last
Many authors mention this in
batch of needles. So they need
mysterious ritualistic sounding
to be removed; to make room for
techniques but it is really simple.
more needles, to get sun on the
If a needle gets shadowed by
branches, to let interior shoots
another needle, it wont do its job of
grow, and to encourage back
photosynthesis. It will eventually
budding, to get air circulation
fail and whither. Similarly interior
inside the tree to prevent fungal
buds will not develop. A Japanese
attacks. I prefer the Christmas
Black Pine, as many other trees,
break for needle thinning. I use the strives for maximum sunlight so
7

November 2003

it will divert its nutrients to the


branches getting the most sun.
Hence the top of the tree will grow
more than the bottom. And, outside
branches will grow more than the
inside. The goal in bonsai is to
control this growth and to help the
tree balance its vigor between the
exterior and the interior of the tree
and between the upper branches and
the lower branches of the tree.

apply, especially in Florida with


our long growing season.

In doing needle thinning, think


of the rule of opposites. Strong
branches have less needles after
pruning. Weak branches have more
needles. Leave at least 2 pairs of
needles on all the vigorous branches.
On weak branches you can leave
as many as 5 to 7 pairs of needles.
The older needles are the ones that
are on the woody stems of the tree.
However, if you have been diligent
in prior years needle thinning, then
the old needles will be the ones
closer to the nexus of the branch.
Often, new buds pop at the site of a
plucked needle. Exactly how many
needles to leave depends on what
you want to accomplish with each
branch. Hard fast rules really dont

vigorous shoots may need to be


pruned, especially at the apex
and periphery of the tree. Needle
thinning may not be enough. The
goal is to balance the vigor among
the shoots. After pruning, it may
be necessary to remove some
current needles from the very
vigorous shoots.

Pruning BranchesWhen
pruning branches you will be
mostly cutting shoots, sometimes
called candles. Occasionally, if
restyling a tree you may need to
cut a woody branch. Carefully
consider this as it takes significant
effort to regrow a branch on
a Japanese Black Pine. For
Needles make food for the tree.
balancing energy, keep in mind
The more needles on any given
the state of the tree. For recently
branch the stronger and faster that
styled nursery stock, you may
branch will grow. By reducing
need a vigorous shoot to grow a
the number of needles on strong
tapering apex or to cover a chop
branches, you slow down that
scar. For sacrifice branches, let
branchs ability to produce food and them grow with only a slight
hence slow its growth. This gives the needle thinning and slight pruning.
weaker branches a chance to gain
Depending on the developmental
strength as they grow.
state of the tree, some of the very

Florida Bonsai

When pruning, general bonsai


rules apply. Always prune to a
bifurcated node. That is have only
two branches emanate from a
node. The reason is that Japanese
Black Pine branches will swell
more quickly if there are 3 or 4
sub-branches emanating from a
node. Avoid bar branches as they
cause ugly localized swelling.
8

On nursery stock though, it may


be difficult to totally eliminate a
bar branch as young pines tend to
grow branches at nodes. If you
absolutely cant eliminate a bar
branch dont. Use wire to move
the mass of the foliage to either
different levels or to hide the bar
joint.
Never prune a branch so that
no green remains. As with most
pines, these will hardly
ever bud from a branch
with no needles. (Notice
I said hardly ever
I have seen it happen,
but it is rare and not
something to depend on.)
Always cover a woody
cut with some sealer.
Dark brown cut paste
works well.
Candle pruning
encompasses an area
of extreme variation
in technique. For
simplicity, trim candles when they
are just starting to show needles.
Trim them as far back as you can
consistent with the development
needs of the tree. That is, for
example, on a branch needing
length, you can leave the trimmed
candle several inches long. For a
finished tree, trim the candles to
about 14 inch. On a healthy tree, I
prune twice a year- when repotting
in January and during the second
cycle in August. A few weeks
after pruning, new buds will pop
9

at the cut sites. Go in with tweezers


and remove all but two of the buds
to permit bifurcation from the start.
If a branch is weak, you can leave
one or two extra buds for a few
months but never more than a year.
Always wire after needle thinning
and pruning. Invariably you will
break some needles while rewiring,
so dont totally finish the needle
plucking until after you have wired.

This Regal JBP - Mr.Daizo Iwasakis


Garden, Eiheme, Japan (2003)

Otherwise, you could end up with


no needles (not good).
There is one extra pruning
technique aimed at needle length
reduction. Only strive to reduce
needle length on established and
healthy trees. Also keep in mind
that needle length reduction is
temporary. The wonderful trees
you see in the magazines or at the
major shows have had their training
regimens planned to have the short
November 2003

needles for the shows. In Japan,


the major artists show their pines
about every 10 years as making
shorter needles does stress a tree.
Needle length reduction will also
slow down development. The key to
short needles is to time the pruning
so that the needles have less time
to fully grow in the remainder of
the season and to cause the tree to
expend its resources growing those

Mr. Kimuras Black Pine


Omia, Japan (2003)

shorter needles. This is a problem


in Florida as our trees hardly stop
growing. The twice a season needle
thinning and pruning technique will
reduce the needle length somewhat.
But, for extremely short needles, let
the candles fully extend and then cut
them hard. In Florida, it works best
if you skip the January pruning, let
the candles extend and then prune
hard in August. It seems counter
intuitive, but cut the weak candles
first and then about two weeks later
cut the strong candles. This gives the
Florida Bonsai

weak candles more time to make


the new shorter needles. You will
have very short needles for the
rest of the year. However, by next
January, get back to the regular
pruning regimen or the tree could
lose shape.
Only work on making short
needles every other year, and
longer if the tree is old or overly
stressed from the last cycle. Much
more could
be said about
making short
needles, such as
reducing water
and feed, or
allowing the tree
to get pot bound
but those are
techniques that
individuals have
to learn based
on their own
soil, watering,
weather and other
circumstances.
Grafting; when developing
Japanese Black Pine trees from
nursery stock, especially bigger
trunk ones, it is often necessary
to replace a thick branch with a
thinner one or add a new branch
for the design. Since they hardly
ever bud on the old wood, grafting
remains the only option. Grafting
can be learned with some practice.
Thread grafts are not that reliable
for the Black Pine. If you thread
graft, it is best to drill a hole
10

slightly larger than a candle (the


scion) and slide the candle through
the hole when the needles have not
yet appeared. Then
wait 2 to 4 years
for the cambium
to swell and fully
mesh into one
another.

best cosmetically is the veneer


graft where a detached scion gets
inserted into a slit in the host site.
It takes
lots of
practice and
after-care
to work.
Always
use caution
The most
when
reliable graft is
wiring
the approach
Small candles appear in Sept.,
grafted
graft where a
onemonth after the Aug. pruning
branches.
living branch still
The mechanical union does not
connected to its parent is partially
have the same strength as a normal
thinned and fastened to the host
branch. At the workshop next year,
tree. This will produce a graft in
we will try grafting where it seems
about 2 years.
appropriate for the design of the
The most difficult graft but
big pines we will work on.

ORIENTAL ORIENTATION
GROWING:

BONSAI, PRE-BONSAI
JAPANESE MAPLES
RARE & UNUSUAL
DWARF CONIFERS

SOURCE:

GRANITE LANTERNS &


STATUARY, IMPORTED
TOOLS, SUPPLIES
POTTERY & BOOKS

1451 PLEASANT HILL ROAD


HARRISBURG, PA 17112
717-545-4555 PHONE OR FAX

http://www.natureswaybonsai.com
11

Japanese Black Pines might


seem too fussy, especially
compared to tropical bonsai. But
there is a feeling of satisfaction
when you can see one develop and
mature into a fine specimen. Well
developed Japanese Black Pine
bonsai might out-perform your
mutual funds and really appreciate
in value.
Rob Kempinski, a mechanical engineer
working at the Kennedy Space Center,
won the ABS 2002 New Talent
competition. He also had a Buttonwood
selected for the BCI 2003 Ben Oki Award
of Merit. One of his Japanese Black Pines,
of which he discusses in this article, was
selected as a Top 100 Bonsai by the
Japanese Bonsai Society in 2002. He
manages the BSF Visiting Artist program.
When not doing all this he spends time
with his wife Terry and daughter Jennifer.

November 2003

Satsuki Azalea
The following ten bonsai are
samples of Robs collection. Truely
demonstrating his capabilities.

With an orange
Florida Bonsai

Rhododendron indicum
Started bonsai 2000
Age unknown
5 h/6 w/3 t over rock

Tokonome pot

Imported from Japan. Makes beautiful


white flowers with a touch of pink. Extremely small leaves. Tightly clasping a
Japanese volcanic rock.

ACTUAL SIZE
12

Ficus
Ficus benjimina
45 h/41 w/12 t Tokonome pot
Collected Urban yamadori
from a hedge.
Shown on display at EPCOT.

Chinese Juniper or
Shimpaku juniper
Juniperus chinesis sargenti kishi
Circa 1995
Started bonsai 1995
8 h/6 w/1 t
Japanese pot.
Kishi Juniper grafted to San Jose juniper
root stock by Mas Iishi, styled by Rob.

Tsunami
Buttonwood
Conocarpus erectus
Circa 1930
Started bonsai1998
26 h/24 w/6 t High quality Japanese Pot
Named Tsunami for the curving driftwood that looks like a breaking wave
(actually a double breaking wave.)
Selected as runner up in the
2003 BCI Ben Oki Design Award.

13

November 2003

Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea glabra
Cutting 1998
Started bonsai 1998
24 h/38 w/3.5 t
Chinese pot
Was a gift from my friend
Luis Fountainils, in Miami,
who rooted a large
branch cutting.

Willowleaf Ficus
Ficus salicifolia
Circa 1998
Started bonsai 1997
8 h/6 w/1.75 t
Cutting from Jim Smith. Had two trunks
emanting like a v. Chopped one to make
a Formal Upright Shohin. Has practically
perfect branching for a upright style.

Korean Hackberry
Celtis koraiensis
(Imported), Started bonsai 1999
6 h/6 w/2 t Hand made Japanese pot
Air layered and chopped to be made
into a shohin tree.

Florida Bonsai

14

Florida Elm
Ulmus americana var. floridana
Collected 1971
Started bonsai 2000
28 h/22 w/4 t
When collecting in 2000 my buddies
thought I was lost - in reality I was taking
my time digging this beauty from a farm
near Lake Okeechobee.

Tallow tree
Chinese Tallowtree
Sapium sebiferum
Circa 1980 Started bonsai 1998
42 h/33 w/8 t
Chinese pot
Uncommon as a bonsai, this
species is considered invasive. It
can undergo severe leaf reduction
and makes a little fall color. Prolific
small roots like knotted ropes.

White Lightning
Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum
Circa 1978
Started bonsai 1999
29 h/20 w/5 t Korean ceramic pot
White Lightening got its name from the white
shari and the circumstances of its collection.
After spending a day in the swamp digging
bald cypress, my brother and I emerged
looking very grubby. After one look at us the
vendor at a roadside van closed the van and
moved on. We figured he thought we were
running moonshine or escaping from prison or
something. The root spread is over 10 inches.
I collected it solely for the nice quickly flaring
roots. The tree had no taper. With the large
shari I carved artificial taper. After 5 years the
tree has the illusion of an old gnarly tree.

15

November 2003

From page 6
pine. The Service Club offered a 10
part course on beginning bonsai. I
took it, and fell in love with bonsai.
For the next two plus years several
of us from the class traveled to the
instructors home and nursery for
lessons.
Ed: How can I not say itThe
Zanes of Zama. So how many have
you got now?
TZ: About 60. I learned my lesson
early, none of that 4 man kind.
Mine are in the miniature, shohin or
mame, category.

Ed: Wow, Ill bet Sena was 6 foot


tall before you dragged her around
the world like that. Then what?
TZ: Instructor, Daytona Beach
Community College, 1977 1993.
I taught various criminal justice
subjects, academic as well as
practical. Last several years was
the lead instructor for the conduct
of high liability instruction which
included, emergency vehicle
operation and unarmed defense
and firearms training.
Ed: I imagine you didnt stop therewhat came next?

Ed: Stats?

TZ: Volunteer: Since my second


TZ: Born in Daytona Beach, FL, 26 retirement, in 1993, I have a
variety of volunteer activities, one
Nov 1933. Met Sena in 1953 at the
University of Florida where we were of the most rewarding of which
both students. Married in 1957, and is at the local Halifax Historical
have three children,
Museum where
one son, two
I work a couple
On a butterflys path
daughters, and 10
of days a week
He seeds and collects pollen
grandchildren.
New creations mature
doing research,
Ed: A real native
managing access
Floridian. What did you do in your
early life?
TZ: US Army, Military Police
Corps, 19551977. Served at:
Fort Gordon, GA several times,
Fort Devens, MA,
Fort Bliss, TX,
Providence, RI,
3 years in southern Germany,
2 years in the Panama Canal Zone,
and
3 years in Japan.
Retired as a Lieutenant Colonel.
Florida Bonsai

to the archives and creating


PowerPoint computer educational
programs.
Ed: Any future plans?
TZ: Ease up a little on
16

volunteering, stay healthy, enjoy


my family, my bonsai and reading
books in my extensive home
library.
Ed: Any other hobbies?
TZ: Reading. Photography. Stamp
collecting which has been refined
and is now mostly limited to
identifying and collecting forgeries
of Japanese postage stamps.
Several years ago this led me into
co-authoring a CD-ROM (now
in its 2nd edition) identifying and
cataloging forged Japanese postage
stamps.
Ed: So between all that, what elseyou wrote a bonsai training course
didnt you?
TZ: In the late 1970s I started
teaching bonsai classes.
Being a college instructor,
I had lesson plans for
each segment. I searched
the field of publications
for one that could be
used as a syllabus for the
students. Finding none,
I wrote my own. It has
gone through various
revisions.
I quickly learned that
there were a lot of people in the
1980s who wanted to teach bonsai
and while they might know the
subject, did not know the teaching
process. So I wrote and published
the Instructors Manual for
Introduction to Bonsai A
Course Syllabus.
17

I also wrote an Intermediate


Syllabus, which is out of print,
but, is now on the BSF website for
downloading. For years I did all
the writing, setup, design, printing,
collating, binding, advertising, and
shipping. That part of it ceased to
be fun so I offered the copyrights
on the material to both the BCI and
ABS. BCI declined the offer and
ABS accepted. Since then ABS has
been doing all the work and getting
all the profits.
I subsequently created for ABS
the first bonsai correspondence
course in the Western World,
Introduction to Bonsai A
Correspondence Course, and
donated that copyright to ABS.
Each of the publications is still
available from
ABS.
Ed: That didnt
seem to be
enough, so
you become
webmaster for
BSF?
TZ: Jack
Douthitt began
the BCI website
and after several years he wanted
to shed the job. I had never done
anything like it but was convinced
to try it and for several years I was
the webmaster for the BCI website.
Last year I convinced another
person to pick up its editorship.
Continued on page 19
November 2003

Tropical Bonsai, Inc.


We Sell everything:
Pre-Bonsai to

E
x
h
i
b
i
t

Welcome to Our
Tropical Bonsai Page

C
l
a
s
s

At Tropical, we sell everything, wholesale and retail.


We are the only source of
materials within an hour or
more drive in all directions
from our Coral Springs
nursery.

Save time and money,


use our web site for shopping and
buying materials:

HTTP://WWW.TROPICALBONSAIINC.COM
We are open to the public Saturday from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm,
and by appointment. We love having clubs or groups for special
events-call to set a date. Give us a call or Email: tropical@aol.com.
9401 Northwest 42nd. Street, Coral Springs, FL 33065
(954) 752-8229 Fax (954) 227-2647

Florida Bonsai

18

From page 17
Several years ago I began the BSF
website and continue to be its
editor.
ED: You gave up a couple
positions in BSF that you probably
held longer than any one in its
history.
Please dont
give up the
webmaster.
Likewise,
BSF has
benefited
by your
Convention
Guide for
years.
TZ: Yes, when I became 2nd VP
back around 1990, responsible
for conventions, I knew I did not
know enough to do the job without
a guide. I put together BSF Convention Procedural Guide and
maintained for many years.
Ed: Thanks goodness you did, I
lived off it in 99. Not to let any
moss grow under you, you were
involved with the By-Laws and
the Guidelines and Procedures
Manual too.
TZ: I worked on various revisions
of the By-Laws, and wrote the
BSF Guidelines and Procedures
Manual.
Ed: You served all over BSF.
TZ: In 1977, after retiring from
the military and returning to my
19

home town of Daytona Beach, I


joined the nearest club, the Central
Florida Bonsai Club in Orlando.
A year later I started the Kawa
Bonsai Society in Daytona Beach.
Ed: What offices have you held?
TZ: Kawa: Founding President
and, then Secretary
and News Letter
Editor for past 20
years.
BSF: Member, 20
plus years ago began
serving on the Board
and,
1st and 2nd Vice
President, and
President in 1994-95
Many other offices, some offices
more than once.
Education Chair for many years.
Membership Chair for over 8
years.
Archives Chair for BSF
BCI: Member, Board of Directors,
for two years.
BCI: Manager of the audio-visual
rental program for 15 years.
ABS: Member, Board of Directors,
for two years.
Ed: I have to say, Board meetings
will not be the same without your
total knowledge of BSF. You are
the man who knows. Live long and
prosper.
November 2003

From page 6
Ed: You had a medical practice for
many years.
CE: Yes, I started a pediatrics
practice in Delray Beach in 1961. I
had a partner for most of that time,
but worked alone for the last couple
years. I closed shop in 1998 and
we began to travel.
Ed: We who?
CE: My bride of 48 years, Carole,
who I met while in Med School
in Denver Colorado. We met
while attending the University of
Colorado. I was studying to be a
doctor and she a nurse. We are a
couple of Colorado immigrants who
led the move to Florida way back
then.
Ed: Family?
CE: We have two daughters.
Margot Sadler lives with her two
children in Palm City. Mimi
Eschenburg lives with one of our
grandchildren in Newport News, VA.

about having a State organization.


Ed Potter simply announces a
meeting of Florida attendees to see
about the possibility of a statewide
organization to host a national
convention. This was greeted
by much
enthusiasm,
and off
we went.
It was the
impetus
to start
the South Palm Club. Many other
areas soon followed suit. The
folks in the panhandle and Tampa
were the sparkplugs along with
the Dade and Broward. It was an
exciting time with really wonderful
friendships formed
By 1973, we had an organizational
meeting, and in Oct. had our first
convention in Tampa.

Ed: Lets see you were:


1973 President South Palm club
1974 Chairman of Special
Ed: You were breaking ground in
Events Miami Convention
Florida bonsai when travel wasnt
1976 Many years on the
as easy as it is today.
Editorial Board of FB
CE: Yes, but we had a lot of fun.
1977/78 Convention committee.
The only way to learn more was to
1978/79 BSF 2nd Vice President
meet with others and work together.
1980/81 BSF 1st Vice President
1982/83 BSF Pres.
Ed: That was
Young
star
burns
brightly
1982/83 BCI Sec.
around 1972?
Seeds a path--and moves on
A couple jobs in
CE: Ed Potter New creations mature
between.
and I were
Ed: Then there was the Morikami . . .
sitting at a table at a convention
in Atlanta, when we got to talking
CE: That was a real labor of love.
Florida Bonsai

20

BSF made a decision to make a


statement with a bonsai collection
the world could see at this new
Japanese Museum and Garden.
Ed: There are many old articles
about you and the Morikami
exhibit. You got the exhibit started
and built while creating the private
element the Morikami, Inc., not to
mention fixing children.

Likewise, we created the Hatsume


Fair, which is still celebrated today.
Ed: Having written the Morikami
articles for 6 years, I got to read the
many years of articles you did.
CE: You have my sympathy, it is one
more chore.
Ed: Your biggest joy
CE: Helping others, traveling, and
helping to start the Morikami.
Ed: Biggest frustration?

Old Friends
CE: No one person did that exhibit.
A lot of people spent many
many hours and sweat building it
with there bare hands. From Jim
Smith in Vero
to Joe Samuels
in Homestead,
including the
members in
between, they put
in a lot of effort.
Oh, its hot!
Likewise, the
donations of bonsai. It was a great
time, and BSF really did a great
job.
As far as the Museum, that was
tough. The County turned it down
three times, and it was hard to get
a commitment. Then we had to
engage the community, and people
with money. To enhance our
credibility we linked up with the
Japanese city of Miazu as a sister
city. That was the home town of
George Morikami.
21

CE: Medical malpractice litigation


and disillusionment.
Ed: You had a lot to do with the Haiku
in the Florida Bonsai.
CE: Yes, I love that art form. It has
brought me great joy. I learned a
lot from Vaughn Banting of New
Orleans, he has written a couple

Hiaku class
books on it and we trade poems
frequently. You should try it.
ED: I will. Thanks for our time and
sharing this with us.
After living in Delray Beach for
42 years, Chuck has a new addresscloser to his grandchildren:
8332 S.E. Angelina Court
Hobe Sound, FL 33455
772/546-4537
November 2003

Water your bonsai when . . .

by Alan Gouldthorp

Watering; when is dry dry


Watering; when is dry wet
Watering; when and why
Do you know whenyet?
A few months ago I hosted the
annual picnic for my club. It was a
great time with tons of food, great
people, and an auction that helped
raise money for the club. I also
got to show my collection to many
people who hadnt seen it before.

the actual conditions of the plant?


This thinking prompted me to
write this article. Its based on my
knowledge of soil structure and
dynamics plus my own personal
experience and philosophy on
watering. Some of this may be
very basic and mundane to some
of you; I realize Im not breaking
any new ground here. Hopefully
it will give some of you some
information you can use.
Soil has three components,
the physical, the chemical, and
biological. While the pH, fertility,
and organisms in the soil certainly
effect growth I want to focus on
the physical properties of the soil
in this article.

During the party a number of


people commented on how dry
my bonsai were. I found that
interesting because I looked around
and didnt see one dry plant. Yes,
the surface of the soil was dry on
The physical component of the
almost all my trees mainly because
soil is concerned with the stuff
I had neglected to water them that
that the soil is made of. It is further
day in the hustle and bustle of
broken down into inorganic matter
getting ready for the party. Were
and organic matter. The inorganic
the trees dry though? Absolutely
portion of the soil is classified as
not. After everyone had left I
clay, silt or sand according to grain
started probing into the soil on a
size. Clay is the finest of the soil
number of trees
particles.
and, sure enough, Soil Classification/Grain size:
there was plenty
Clay .... less than .002 mm
of moisture just
Silt ...... between .002 and .05 mm
below the surface
Sand .... between .05 and 2.0 mm
of every tree that
Sand, coarse, very coarse, larger than 2.0 to 6.0 mm
I tested.
Particles larger than 6.0 mm are
termed
gravel.
This got me to thinking; just
how dry is dry (or how wet is
The inorganic component deals
wet)? Is it dangerous to keep our
with the minerals that make up
bonsai on the dry side or is it
the soil. This is the rocky, gravely
better to just water regardless of
portion of the soil. These particles
Florida Bonsai

22

are usually, though not always,


inert with no effect on the chemical
nature of the soil.

Of these same soil properties


watering is also the most important
for plant health. While its true,
for instance, that an acid loving
The source of the organic portion plant will not do well in high pH
of the soil is usually plant matter,
soil. The amount of water, either
mainly leaves that fall to the
too much or too little, is the single
surface and are incorporated into
biggest cause of death to our
the soil over time.
bonsai.
Soil that is very
Of all the properties of
high in organic
Water is said to
soil, the interplay between air
matter is labeled
exist
in the soil
space and water is by far the
rich while soil
in
three
different
most dynamic.
low in organic
forms. First, after a
matter is poor.
very heavy rain or irrigation almost
all the air space is filled with water.
Theres one more component of
Most of this water drains away and
the soil that I have not mentioned
is not available to the plant. This
and that is what is NOT there,
is termed gravitational water since
mainly the space between the soil
the force of gravity removes it.
particles. At any one time this
Even though the plant cannot use
space is filled with one of two
this water it is very beneficial in
things, either air or water.
that as it drains away it pulls fresh
air into the soil spaces providing
Of all the properties of soil the
the oxygen to the roots that they
interplay between airspace and
need for good health.
water is by far the most dynamic.
The other parts of any given
soil sample are fairly constant.
Organic matter is added very
slowly over time, pH is usually
steady and although an infestation
of pests may show up suddenly
the number and type of organisms
in the soil is also usually quite
stable. The amount of water in
the soil, however, is changing
CONSTANTLY. It is never the
same from one hour to the next and
on a microscopic level can even
be said to change from second to
second.
23

Once the gravitational water has


drained away there is still some
water left around each soil particle.
This is called capillary water. This
is the water that is actually taken
up by the plant and utilized for
growth. Capillary water forms
from the unique property of water
to form hydrogen bonds. This
hydrogen bonding is responsible
for the meniscus on a glass of
water filled to the brim. In the soil
it acts to insure that almost every
soil particle will have a thin film of
November 2003

water surrounding it.

Gravity water

Capillary water

Bone dry

If no additional water enters the


soil the capillary water will be used
up to the point where the plant
cannot pull any more water out of
the soil. Even though the soil may
be what we term bone dry some
water usually exists. It is so tightly
bound to the soil particles to
be of no use to the plant. This
is called hygroscopic water. A
plant growing in soil this dry
will surely be wilting.

be displayed and potted into a


decorative bonsai container.

Training in the ground is great


because the unrestricted root
growth means thick trunks in a
shorter period of time. Collecting
wild specimens is akin to ground
training; its just that Mother
Nature planted it instead of you.
If you read articles on collected
trees almost every single one of
them will tell you to remove all
the native soil before potting it up.
Very simply native soil is way
too fine. In pot conditions
the water will not drain fast
enough, very little fresh air
will be getting to the roots and
Soil Cross Section invariably rot will set in and we
all know what happens next.
One more factor influences

the dynamics of water and


air in the soil and that is the
plants roots. As roots grow
into the soil they begin to take
up air space. This then diminishes
not only the amount of water
that can penetrate the soil but the
available fresh air that can get to
the roots as well.

So what does all this have to do


with bonsai? I think its important
here to remember that bonsai are
usually grown in at least two or
possibly three phases. There are
the training phases and the finished
phase. Training may be in a pot
or the plant may be grown in the
ground for a period of time. At
some point the plant is ready to
Florida Bonsai

Some plants are trained in


pots without being planted in the
ground. Plants trained in pots are
almost never put into sifted bonsai
soil; its just too expensive. They
are usually grown in what I call
landscape soil that is a mix of peat,
bark and sand, usually a ratio of
about 60-30-10. This will work
fine for a while but over time the
peat (and for that matter the bark,
too) will break down, the soil will
loose its structure and, once again,
it will begin to hold too much
water to the detriment of the plant.
I dont know how many trees I
have killed by leaving them in
training pots too long without any
repotting.
24

So now we get to the soil used


in finished bonsai. Regardless of
what components you use they
MUST be sifted to remove the fine
particles. If not these fine particles
will clog air space, reduce water
movement, etc., etc.

of different variables that will


effect how quickly a plant dries
(I almost typed dies!). Anyway,
sun exposure, size of the plant/
pot, length of time in the pot, the
species of plant, amount of rain
and wind all have an effect.

I buy a commercial bonsai mix.


Many folks in my club make
their own with basically the same
ingredients, one part very to
extremely coarse sand, one part
calcined clay, and one part pine
bark. This mix drains very well
but it also has the capacity to hold
a tremendous amount of capillary
water. Calcined clay (most of us
use the trade name Turface) has
been heated and then pulverized.
This forms a particle that is very
angular but also very porous.
Theres plenty of air space between
particles but each particle acts like
a miniature sponge. Pine bark has
very similar properties. In fact the
product that most of us use who
make his or her own has the slogan
The water keeper right on the
bag.

Obviously plants in full sun


will need water more often than
those in shade. The sun not only
dries the water in the soil but the
plant will be utilizing the available
water faster due to increased
photosynthesis. One of the single
largest consumers of water is
transpiration. The leaves give off
excess water to the air which cools
them and transports minerals.
This far exceeds the needs of
photosynthesis.

Some folks like to use different


ingredients, Haydite is one that
comes to mind, but the result is
the same. Bonsai need a very well
drained soil that also holds a good
amount of capillary water.
So if weve got the right soil
just how often do we need to
water? Well that depends. Besides
soil theres still any number
25

Small plants need water more


often than large ones and plants
that are well rooted usually need
more water than those that have
been recently repotted. I make it
a point to really check my small
mame and shohin regularly.
Different species of plants also
require different amounts of water.
Succulents like dwarf jade or ficus
can store water in their tissues and
can take drier soil conditions than
species like elms and junipers.
Then theres the water loving
plants that naturally live in moist
conditions. Bald cypress, Ti Ti,
hornbeam and red maple need very
regular watering to do well.
Continued on page 27
November 2003

JOY IN BONSAI
Looks like KAWA had a great
event. Nice crowd with a great
exhibit, and good demonstrations.
Do
you think
these two
guys look like
they had fun?
Could you
have more joy
than with Guy
and Mike?
At the 2003
Convention
will get that chance.
All in all, a good name for the event!

(JOB & Jupiter Bonsai events were advertised in our last issue.)

BONSAI IN JUPITER
On the same day, unfortunately,
Jupiter Bonsai had a 3 ring demo
of phoenix grafting, Kanuki, as
Ron Martin called it. Relating to a
Japanese legend
about legendary
animals having
the power to
deceive.
Here are the
results of the
three major
Ron Martin put a
dead stumps
juniper behind an
with trees
old dead bonsai.
blended from
behind. Didnt get pictures of Ron
Florida Bonsai

or Allan, and
didnt get a
picture of the
finished tree
I worked on.
But, we did
Allan Carver put a ti ti on an
have
old grape tree root.
fun,
even
if you cannot tell.
Dick Miller
put a triple
trunk juniper
behind an
enormous
pine root.

26

From page 25

ill effects to my trees. I do not use


soil surface dryness as an indicator
Obviously rain can keep you
because I realize that although the
from watering yourself but rain
surface may be dry theres plenty
can be tricky. Sometimes what
of capillary water remaining in the
may seem like a nice rain that is
perfectly adequate for the lawn and lower portions of the pot. I also
believe that the air space in the soil
shrubs may not be sufficient for
your bonsai plants. Unless it really is just as important for good health
comes thundering down I check my as water. If the roots cannot breath
because of too much water the
trees even after it rains.
plants will surely suffer. Watering
Last but not least is wind. All
less often assures that the roots get a
other things being equal I think
good dose of fresh air regularly.
wind is one of the hardest factors
I will tell you that I CHECK for
to deal with. Exposed to wind even
water
every day. What I look for are
a plant that has been newly potted
signs
of
dryness in my plants. I have
and placed in some shade can dry
out too fast. Wind can also be very what I call indicator plants. These
are ones (fukien tea, for example)
tricky even on a cloudy day. My
experience has been that wind on a that because of their nature or their
cloudy day can pull more water out small size, or because they have not
of my trees than full sun on a calm been repotted in a while, dry out
just a little more quickly. If these
day. If its been windy all day its
trees show signs of dryness then its
almost a foregone conclusion that
a good bet that all my trees need at
all my trees will need water.
least some water.
Youll notice that Ive mentioned
So the bottom line how often
that I check my trees. That is
do
I water? When the tree needs it!
because I water by hand. My whole
collection every time I water. It
usually takes about thirty to fortyfive minutes. I really believe in
hand watering rather than timed
irrigation. Timed irrigation is
certainly more convenient but I get
a better handle on the state of each
tree if I water each individually.
Even in the middle of summer
with no rain Ive waited over two
days between watering with no
27

Alan, a landscaper for the past twenty years,


owned a wholesale woody ornamental
plant nursery for eight years, hosted The
Garden Spot radio talk show for over two
years, taught adult education in Florida
Landscaping for ten years, wrote the article
Space Coast Gardening which appeared
in the Florida Today newspaper for ten years,
practiced bonsai for twenty years, a founding
member and first president of The Bonsai
Society of Brevard in 1987, and presently is
Convention General Chair for BSF2004.
November 2003

From
The
Morikami
The exhibit continues
to flourish. Sorry about
the stands. They are ordered, but,
the contractor has not been back,
and they dont seem to know exactly
when he will start. I suspect, since
it is county government, it will be
soon after October-their fiscal year.
The contractor will be there, he has a
contract to reconstruct the water falls
next to the
Yamato Kan.
It takes a lot
of equipment
to place a
4 foot high
rock!
Beginners bonsai classes begin in
October and run through April.
We have
the bonsai
to put out,
just waiting
for new
stands. We
have a new Bottle Brush that was
donated in honor of Ron Kessler.
Bob Horvath donated his Catlin Elm
penjing landscape. Larry Kunken
donated a magnificent Fukien Tea.

Florida Bonsai

Our Escambrion
that was delivered
one year ago
September,
is really
growing fast.
We repotted it
and cut off all
the beautiful
branches. Unfortunately, the most
beautiful branches were
at the top and a few very
poorly located up the trunk.
This is a challenge-no one
knows anything about it. It
sprouts like a Raintree or
Ebony, and
grows rapidlythank goodness.
There will be a
Discover Bonsai
day December 13,
all day Saturday.
Ed Trout will be the featured
master. We will have vendors,
possibly a workshop or two and
a clinic for amateurs who have
bonsai and need help. This is the
follow-up to the retreat we tried
last January.
We will have Ben Oki doing a
program in January.

28

Edw. M. Meehan & Sons


We specialize in
QUALITY BONSAI SUPPLIES
Tools, Bonsai Tool Kits
Bonsai Wire & Jin Tools
Potting Tools
Potting Supplies
Go to our web site, below, and watch
for our Tool of the Month.

Start small,
buy a few good
tools, then build a full set with high Great Gifts
quality tools, as your skill develops.
Tool pins for him or her. ($10ea.)
We have four grades of tools, for all Get one free with $60 purchase.
your needs.
Start with Meehan, we have it all.
We can provide for all skill levels,
interests, alwayswith quality.
L

QUALITY BONSAI TOOLS,

Fou n de rs

Visit us at your next convention.

SUPPLIES & ACCESSORIES

We are the authorized


dealer for Joshua Roth,
the best in bonsai tools, .
Order by Email, Fax, or
Phone - 800.747.7134
Shipping At cost
MC/VC accepted

Visit our website at http://www.bonsaiking.com


Write or call for Catalog 1 - 800 - 747-7134
Write, emeehan@piasanet.com, or call for Catalog 1 - 800 - 747-7134
666 Leslie Avenue, Wood River, IL 62095
29

November 2003

A Better
Workstand
Can Mean A
Better Bonsai
These workstands will forever
change the way you work on your
bonsai.
They provide a stable and
adjustable work platform to
Workstands for Bonsai.
increase your bonsai enjoyment.
Created by a bonsai enthusiast for
Three models to choose from:
bonsai enthusiasts.
The Deluxe workstand
Efficient, comfortable, and adjustable,
The affordable LC Workstand
they not only provide a practical
Deluxe Model Shown
The traditional Table top
work area, but are artful display stands*
Workstand.
in their own right.
In Florida call 561/746-5074, or
Whatever model you choose, you will
Call 717/871-7900 for assistance.
get a dependable device that will give
MECHANICAL
COORDINATORS
LLC
you years of bonsai enjoyment.
Email:
info@mechanicalcoordinators.com
Click
Ask about our wire caddy, shown above.
here
http://www.mechanicalcoordinators.com
*Not intended for outdoor use as stands.

BO

A
S
N

T
R
A
I-M

Bringing the
Super-Market Concept
to Quality Bonsai

Bonsai products under roof. All size trees and pots, with supplies to
keep your bonsai healthy. (Ever seen an Air Layer Kit?)
A growing inventory from our large Warehouse to YOU!
Convenient from four States! Open 9-5, Closed Sun.
Our web-mart is your link to bonsai.
Anyone can quickly buy anything. Save time and money.
See the variety of materials displayed at:
http://bonsai-mart.com
Plan a visit weather is no problem.
Mail to: Allen Roach, Bonsai-Mart
721 N. T Street, Pensacola, Florida 32505
Florida Bonsai

Email: bonsaialr@pcola.gulf.net
or, call 1-850-432-8238
30

THE BONSAI SOCIETIES OF FLORIDA


Confession of a Conventioneer, Radisson my search was over. This
place is awesome!
or:
How the Chairman Sees It.
The Radisson is perfect for a
by Alan Gouldthrop

I love conventions!
You get to meet other bonsai
enthusiasts from across the state.
You get to view an exhibit of trees
from the local host clubs that you
probably have never seen before.
You get to watch demonstrations
and take workshops from
masters from across the country.
Convention vendor areas give
you the chance to purchase new
treasures with more choices than
you could ever find anywhere else.
You also get to vie for raffle items
and take home your winnings at a
fraction of the cost of to buy them.
Last, but not least, you get to stay
in some pretty impressive hotels.
Next years BSF 2004 convention
is no exception.
Next years convention will be
at the Radisson
Resort at the
Port in Cape
Canaveral, Fl.
As convention
chairperson
I traveled to
a number of
different hotels
to check out
their suitability
as a convention
venue. Once I arrived at the
31

bonsai convention. Its got the


space, its got the amenities, its
got the luxury, and its got the
value that were all looking for in a
convention site.
Have youve ever felt cramped
at a convention walking through
the vendor area, watching a
demo or taking a workshop? You
wont this time! The area of the
convention center and breakout
rooms totals over 18,000 square
feet. The vendor area will be
over 5000 sq.ft. Thats enough
for over 100 vendor tables. At
this point in time over 80 are
already sold. (If youd like to be a
vendor you can get information on
buying tables by contacting Billy
Rhodes at (321) 267-3488 or at
GOPHERHILL@Aol.com).
The demonstration room that
doubles as the dining
room can comfortably
seat over 200. Thats
with a stage set up for
the masters to work.
The workshop rooms
are also very spacious
with enough room for
about 50 people each.
With ten workshop
participants that leaves
plenty of space for
observers. Also all three workshop
November 2003

BSF2004 32nd ANNUAL CONVENTION


rooms are in very close proximity
so observers will be able to enjoy
the progress in all the workshops
that are going on simultaneously
by simply walking a few feet. The
exhibit room is over 1400 sq. ft.
The preliminary exhibit design has
space for about 60 trees.
When it comes to amenities the
Radisson is top notch. They have
a fantastic restaurant and catering
facility. I have personally eaten
there and
the meals
will all be
gourmet
delights.
They
have an
awesome
(and
huge) swimming pool with
cascading waterfalls and a Jacuzzi.
They also offer an exercise room,
lighted competition tennis court,
a pool side Tiki bar and the
Flamingos Lounge to whet you
whistle, valet laundry, on site Avis
car rental, the list goes on and on.
The Radisson is also very close
to other area attractions. Theyre
only a few minutes from world
famous Cocoa Beach. Youll also
be only a short distance from
the Port Canaveral Cruise Line
Terminals, Kennedy Space Center,
Spaceport USA and about an
hours drive from Disney World,
Universal Studies and Sea World.
Florida Bonsai

Theres even complimentary


transportation
to the beach
and Cruise
Terminals.
Then theres
the rooms. Theres 212 single and
72 one and two-bedroom whirlpool
suites. When I first contacted the
hotel I took a tour of the place and
when I walked into the rooms the
first word out of my mouth was
WOW. They are nice! In their
brochure the Radisson describes
the rooms as luxury class
and that is right on the money.
Speaking of money, get this; the
room rates are only $4.00 more
than the Stouffer Orlando charged
way back at the 1992 convention.
Thats right, only a $4.00 increase
in eleven years!
As convention chairperson, I
would like to personally invite you
to next years BSF convention at
the Radisson Resort at the Port.
I am confident that the luxury,
amenities, spaciousness, and value
that the Radisson offers will make
for an unforgettable convention
experience. See you there!
PS. To check out the Radisson
online go to:
Http://radissonresortattheport.com

32

speak about what is involved in


BONSAI SOCIETY OF FLORIDA hosting a convention.
Louise announced that Ray
The Annual Meeting was held at
the Ramada Inn Hotel, Fort Myers, Malin is the new chairman of the
Education Committee.
Florida, on May 23, 2003.
ANNUAL MEETING

Tammy Malin reported that BSF


has 739 members, compared
with 831 for 2002; this is an
89% renewal rate. She said that
communication with members
is made difficult by the large
number of incorrect addresses.
George Henderson, 1st Vice
She encouraged all of the clubs to
President summarized the Trustees check the information sent to BSF
reports. All clubs are doing very
and correct where necessary.
well with the exception of one
Louise announced the new officers
club that has asked the Board for
assistance in gaining membership. for 2003-2004.
President
George Henderson
BSF has instituted new awards for
st
1
VP
George Hutson
its members.
nd
2 VP
Gene Callahan
Dick said that he is taking the
Treasurer
Ed Lippincott
magazine in a new direction. He is
Asst. Treas. Dave Bechtold
hoping to add a gallery of pictures
Record. Sec. Carol McKinney
of bonsai, a styling or sustaining
Corresp. Sec. Vlad Foursa
article in every issue, and offer
Trustees
an online version available in
District 1
Lynn Fabian
color. He is selling ads to offset
District 2
Steve Chapman
the magazine cost. He requests
District 3
Ray Malin
pictures and articles as well as
District 4
Stanley Orsolek
suggestions and criticism.
District 5
Al Harnage
District 6
George Hutson
Dick also 2nd Vice President
responsible for BSF Conventions
Louise announced the inception
said, the next convention is being
of a new BSF Award. These are
co-hosted by Brevard and Treasure volunteers, whose names were
Coast Bonsai and will be held in
submitted by their club officers,
Port Canaveral on May 27 31,
and who have worked hard on
2004. No club has offered to host
behalf of their club.
the 2005 Convention. The new 2nd
Since this was the first year for
Vice President, Gene Callahan, is
this award, not all club officers
willing to come to your club and
Treasurer Ed Lippincott reported
that we have $24,029.80 in money
market accounts, CDs, and
checking accounts, and $6000.00
will be reimbursed to BSF from the
2003 and 2004 Conventions.

33

November 2003

received or responded to the


request for nominations. It
is expected that there will be
recipients from all districts next
year.
This years winners of the
Volunteer Award are:
David Baruch
Mary Madison
Robert Benaim
Ken McIntyre
Randy Brooks
Carol McKinney
Mike Cartrett
Charles Michaelson
Chichigawa Study Group
Mary Miller
Myrna Diaz
Bud Shafer
Toby Diaz
Mike Sullivan
Frank Harris
Ed Trout
Lee Vanderpool
A BSF member reminded the
group about the World Bonsai
Convention in 2005 in Washington
D.C. It will be held on Memorial
Day weekend and could be a
potential conflict with the BSF
Convention. Louise responded
that BSF would support the World
Convention and would hold its
convention at a time not to conflict.

BOARD MEETING
BONSAI SOCIETY OF FLORIDA
The Board meeting was held at the
Ramada Inn, Fort Meyers, Florida,
on May 22 and 26, 2003.
The treasurers report was as noted
in the Annual Meeting.
Officers Reports:

1st VP, George Hutson


introduced the new trustees:
Lynn FabianDistrict 1,
Steve ChapmanDistrict 2,
Ray MalinDistrict 3,
Stan OrsolekDistrict 4,
Al HarnageDistrict 5,
George HutsonDistrict 6.
Ray Malin announced that
2 families and 4 individuals
registered for the 2004 Convention
as well as 69 vendors.
Lynn Smith reported that Dave
Cuddington is in the hospital.
Appointment of Committee Chairs:
George Henderson enumerated the
Committee Chairs:
Elyse Van DykeArchives,
Ray MalinEducation,
Tammy MalinMembership,
Dick MillerPublications and
Morikami,
Rob KempinskiSpeakers Bureau.
Unfinished Business:

The meeting adjourned at 1:45 pm.

Florida Bonsai

Louise Leister said that the Board


needs a form for the various
award nominations. She received
a hodge-podge of emails, which
34

(Board Mtg) Unfinished Business:


were difficult to decipher. She
also expressed her belief that the
recipient of the Presidents Choice
Award should not have to be
approved by the Board.

Convention. Could they host,


co-host, or assist another club.
Someone from BSF could talk to
them about assignments.

Because the Trustee Award is such


an important award, the recipients
should be at the banquet to receive
their awards.

Stan Orsolek suggested that the


Board could communicate more
personally with the members, and
not exclusively with club presidents,
via email. Tammy Malin responded
that of the 699 members of BSF,
less than 100 have email addresses
registered with us. Tammy said
that the new membership form

Any BSF member can submit a


name.
George Henderson suggested a
volunteer of the year award, but
he favors not limiting the number
of regular
volunteer
awards.
The officers
of two clubs
said that they
did not receive
their ballots for
the new BSF
Board, further
confirming the
communication
problem
discussed at the May 22 board
meeting.

George Henderson wants to improve


the image of BSF.

Louise is working with Rob


Kempinski on the video and
publicity committees.

will ask for email address as well


as in what capacity could the
member volunteer or advise. It was
suggested that hobbies be added
to the form.

Dick Miller says that the


Convention Resource Board will
be a source of factual information
from previous Conventions.
The Trustees should ask clubs
what they can contribute to a

Dick Miller expressed concern


about the State law to eradicate
non-native trees. He is afraid that
it might be construed to include
bonsai.
Continued on page 37

35

November 2003

DRAGON TREE BONSAI

(772) 463-6633

3663 S.W. Honey Ter.


Palm City, FL 34990

bonsaimonk

com

Bonsai by the Monastery

Orders/Catalog: 1.800.778.POTS
9 - 5 Monday - Friday

Greenhouse Store
Monday - Saturday
Phone: 770.918.9661
FAX: 770.760.0989
2625 Hwy. 212 SW Box H
Conyers, GA 30094

Tokoname Pots
Korean Mica Pots
Books, Videos, Accessories
Japanese Pottery, Tools, Wire
Visit our new website
http://www.bonsaimonk.com

Largest selection of Bonsai Pottery in the USA!


Florida Bonsai

36

From page 35
(Board Meeting) New Business:
Dick Miller reiterated the
communication problem and
suggested a solution might be a
common fixed date of membership
renewal for the clubs.
Tammy Malin pointed out that
Club officers are required to be
BSF members. When a husband
and wife are each club officers,
the clubs should pay BSF for
membership for each person.
Elyse Van Dyke will inventory the
documents that she has and put
copies on disk.
Rob Kempinski submitted the
budget of the visiting artists from
last year.
The potential list for next year
includes: Walter Pall, Ben Oki,
Guy Guidry, Herb Gustafson,
Suthin, Pedro Morales, Boon
Manakivipart, Lindsay Shiba, Roy
Nagatoshi, Marc Noelanders.
Louise Leister announced that the
Epcot coordinator will become a
permanent Committee and should
be invited to board meetings.
Louise encouraged a special
dedication of the BSF stand at
Morikami with the logo tree
displayed on the stand.
Dick announced that Central
Florida is the latest club who has
purchased stands at Morikami.
The price of stands will go up
from $500 to $5000 in July. Our
37

$500 stands compete with their


fundraising efforts. They allowed us
to sell the stands for 2 years at $500
to member clubs but our time is now
up. (SWFBS subsequently donated
one with their convention profits.)
George Henderson established the
next board meeting to be Saturday,
January 31, 2004 in Ocala.

George reminded that the 2005


Convention cannot be on Memorial
Day weekend due to the World
Convention in Washington D.C.

Rob Kempinski said that we might


just beef-up the Miami Clubs
annual show and not hold a complete
convention.
Ray Smith informed the Board that
attendance at the 2003 Convention
might have been down because
so many people attended the
Convention last year. BSF might
consider holding a Convention every
other year and doing something else
during alternate years.
George Henderson said that BSF
members have been asking for a
less expensive convention, with
less expensive hotel with meals
included. That is exactly what this
Convention offered, but there was
still low attendance, only 105-110
full registrations.
BSF needs the convention money

every year in order to operate and


support the magazine.
The meeting adjourned.
November 2003

Large/small
Bonsai
Nursery
Stock
Pre-bonsai
Stands
Tools
Pots
Soil
Wire
These 3 photos show
the results of our Sep.
3 ring phoenix demo.

Wholesale to the trade.


Retail, Demos, and Workshops, for
Bonsai Clubs, by appointment only.
Call for information. 561/746-5074
Visit our web site:
http://jupiterbonsai.com
If you received the Email color issue, you can
click the web site for direct access.
Florida Bonsai

J
U
P
I
T
E
R

B
O
N
S
A
I
38

Take A Walk Through

BONSAI
With

Jim Smith

Study a Great
Collection

Learn From
the Master
In person or on
Video tape
To order,
Call 860-464-0312

The Dura-Stone Co.

Everything for The Bonsai

VHS $24
DVD $30

Enthusiast.

Bonsai to the trade.


Tours and Demos

Have
it
Your
way

by Reservations only.
Call: 772/562-5291
See our web site:
http://jimsmithbonsai.com
Click Here

http://jimsmithbonsai.com

ENJOY

También podría gustarte