March 2015 - Houston Bonsai Society

The Bonsai News of Houston
A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc.
Volume 44 Number 3
March 2015
IN THIS ISSUE
Upcoming Events
Grafting with Alex Leong
Showcase of the Month
Chinese New Year narcissus
Narcissus flowers are enjoyed around the Lunar New Year celebration in many shapes.
March Bonsai Care
John Miller
The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be on Wednesday March 4th at the
Cherie Flores Gardens Pavilion in Hermann Park, off of Hermann Park Drive, Houston,
TX 77030. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM.
Wednesday, March 4th, HBS monthly meeting: Cleft Grafting with Alex Leong at the
NEW Cherie Flores Gardens Pavilion in Hermann Park, on the site of the old Houston
Garden Center. For Show & Tell with Ray, bring bonsai in bloom.
President’s
Letter
Trident Maple Club Dig
At MBP Bonsai Nursery
in Pflugerville
The Chinese Narcissus
Traveled a Long Way
Upcoming Events
Saturday, March 7th, Azalea Workshop with Michael McCluskey, the Azalea master
in the Houston area, at Timeless Trees, 9am –1pm. $35, BYO tree. He will share the
wisdom gained over the years with the many kinds of azaleas.
Saturday, March 14th, Saturday Study Group at MAAS Nursery, 5511 Todville Road,
Seabrook, TX 77586 from 9am – 12 Noon. Free, refreshments provided.
Saturday, March 14th, Shohin Juniper Transformation with Jason Schley at
Timeless Trees, 9am – 3pm. $175 include Jason’s guidance on compacting, wiring and
making a terrific Shohin, a Procumbens Nana Juniper, pot, soil, wire and lunch. Just
bring your tools.
Tuesday, March 17th, Peter Tea’s lecture/demo - 7pm at Alan Walker’s bonsai studio
at 916 Kirby, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
March 27-28, LCBS Annual Exhibit with the SWLA Garden Conference & Expo, 9-5
at Burton Coliseum. Details at www.gardenfest.com.
Saturday, April 18th, SSOT 2015 meeting: Creating Squashed Trunk style Shohin
(gnarled and ancient looking) hands-on workshop with Terry Ward at Persimmon Hill
Bonsai, 12001 Red Hawk Cove in Austin. Contact Terry or Sheila at 512-280-5575 or
[email protected].
March Bonsai Care
The end of ‘13 and start of ‘14 illustrate why you cannot just do bonsai tasks on a
‘schedule’. You need to vary them according to nature. In 13 the temp here was well
above average all summer, with 100’s into September and 90’s into October. After that,
the only two temps above 80 were on October 23 and November 17. Then it was a cold
winter. In a way that was good because the plants stayed dormant. But you need to be
extra vigilant because some species tend to respond to the lengthening daylight and
others to temperature to break dormancy. Last spring my trees were confused. The order
of growth was mixed up, some oaks were out before some elms.
Chinese New Year
Narcissus Flowers
Bonsai will start growing in late February or March in this area depending on your
wintering techniques and on the species. After growth starts, some species can take a
couple degrees of frost but unless you know what your particular tree can take you
should keep it from freezing. Also, newly growing roots are more tender. In this area you
should keep the new foliage out of the strong winds, however they should have some
breeze to help harden the new foliage and to help keep insects and fungal diseases at
bay.
You may continue repotting deciduous species until you see a tiny bit of green swelling
or leaf bud at the tips. Be sure to keep the newly repotted trees out of the wind and late
morning or afternoon sun. Broadleaf evergreen species can be repotted later. Yaupons
do better if you wait until it warms a bit more. Even though it gets quite warm now, we
can expect a freeze in March, so you may have to protect trees that have started growth
and those that have been repotted this winter. Don’t repot tropicals until the night temps
stay above 60.
There are two different approaches to branch and tree care. The first is the development
stage of the tree where you are growing and developing branches, doing root work and
generally developing the style of the tree. During this time you will cut and wire and then
let it grow for a good period of time developing taper and interesting bends and twists.
Timing of these functions is not as critical.
The other approach comes after the development stage and results in the refinement of
the bonsai. This gives it the twiginess, Small leaves and patina of age which takes it from
a commercial bonsai to a piece of art. It is quite time consuming especially in the flush
growth period after dormancy breaks. If not done carefully, the new growth will thicken
the twigs and cause long internodes which will ruin the all the previous work and may
even send you back to the development stage.
Now you should get your tweezers and shears ready for the real job ahead. In order to
develop the ramification and fine twigs you want you must be pruning the new growth as
it develops. Waiting until the shoots are 3 or 4 inches or longer results in coarse twigs
with long internodes. These will have to be cut off and new ones developed.
Junipers in development stage should be trimmed with shears. Styled juniper may be
done with the fingers. As the new growth develops, grasp the twigs with one hand
spreading the foliage in a fan shape. Then with the other hand, grasp the tips between
the fleshy part of your thumb and finger and pull it off. Using fingernails or scissors will
result in brown tips on the cut foliage.
As the weather warms up, the insects will surely make their appearance. Use the foliar
spray (1 tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses, and apple cider vinegar
per gallon of water) weekly to control aphid, mites, caterpillars etc. Commercial sprays
may be used but follow directions closely. Be sure to spray with a fine mist sprayer to
cover thoroughly.
Be careful when using a new insecticide or cure. The best advice is to try it first on some
lesser plants to see how it behaves in your yard. Hydrogen peroxide is suggested as a
control for fungal problems. The peroxide degenerates into water and oxygen fairly
rapidly, so it is no threat to the environment.
Personally, I have used 1% peroxide on elms and yaupons later
on in the season spraying once a week. It got rid of the black
spot with no damage. However, when I sprayed tender new
spring foliage with it, I caused considerable leaf burn. Therefore
anytime I use peroxide, it will be on mature foliage and at a
0.5% solution.
Fertilizing is necessary once the trees start to grow. Too many
trees exhibited do not have a good dark green foliage. Since we
are using soilless mixes for the most part, a different technique
is required than used for most potted plants. Water soluble
chemical fertilizers should be used at half strength and more
often than given, since they will wash out with the next watering.
The same is more or less true with liquid organic fertilizers. The
best technique is to use solid organic fertilizers. Fertilizer cakes
on the surface are the best. They break down slowly and a small
amount is carried into the root zone each time you water.
Pelletized organic material can be spread on the surface also,
but they tend to crumble and create an undesirable surface. Be
sure that the fertilizer you use has a balanced formula and not
high in nitrogen. Be especially careful with chemicals or manure
based organic fertilizer on newly potted plants.
John Miller
John Miller, who writes a monthly column for the Bonsai Society of
Dallas and Fort Worth Bonsai Society, has agreed to share his column
with us. We need to make adjustments for our warmer and damper
climate, with earlier springs, longer summers, late fall and erratic
winters.
A carved narcissus bulb in its full glory (Photo: T. Dan)
President’s Message
First HBS Club Dig at MBP Nursery
11. We all toured the grounds, window shopping.
Another popular item that participants
purchased was bonsai pots. Several nice pots
made the trip back to Houston.
12. Loaded up our trees and other purchases in the
trailer and left MBP about 1PM.
13. We all had a great BBQ lunch in Pflugerville
before heading back to Houston.
14. Got back to Houston before 5PM.
We all had a great time on the trip. Good conversations
while we were on the road. The more experienced
members really tried to help new members pick trees
and get them out of the ground successfully.
Here is the happy bunch who came to the Club Dig: Chris,
Barbara, Nandita, Brian, Eldon, Vern, Ken and Clyde.
As the designated driver who rented the van and the
trailer, then drive both ways, Brian Gurolla took the
liberty to lead the pack. How did he remember this new
and exciting experience? Here is what he jotted down
to share with those who missed the trip. He sounded
like a true scout.
1.
2.
Van and trailer rented on Friday.
Group met at 6 AM on Saturday morning at got
on the road. 6 riders in the van plus 4 more HBS
club members made the trip on their own. Total
of 10 people from Houston.
3. Stopped for breakfast and coffee at Chick-fil-A
on Hwy. 290.
4. Arrived at MBP Bonsai at approx. 9:15 AM and
unloaded all digging tools.
5. Met Candy and Mike Hansen, the owners, and
they led us to the digging fields.
6. Everyone took some time selecting the trees
they wanted. Mike Hansen measured the bases
to calculate the cost of the tree. $25 per inch at
the soil level.
7. We all helped each other with the digging,
sharing tools. The cordless Saws-Alls that a few
members brought really came in handy when
cutting large roots and branches.
8. All trees were bare rooted. Roots and tops were
cut back hard. All soil was washed from the
roots with a water hose.
9. Some people potted their trees at the MBP
studio, others took theirs home wrapped in wet
sphagnum moss to pot latter.
10. MBP offers bonsai supplies for sale as well as
other trees and they have a personal collection
of bonsai.
Brian’s way to compress time: Start with a big tree.
Potting my tree on Sunday with Boon’s Mix
1. Built a wooden training box to hold the tree.
Lots of drainage area.
2. Made additional rough cuts to the roots and
top. Sealed branch cuts with cut paste
3. Aluminum anchoring wires are run through the
bottom of the box.
4. Put drainage layer of large pumice on bottom of
box.
5. Tree is planted in a mixture of 1/3 pumice, 1/3
lava and 1/3 akadama. About ¼” particle size.
Also known as Boon’s mix. Provides balance of
moisture and excellent drainage.
6. Put a mound of Boon’s mix in center of the box.
Place tree and twist gently to settle the tree in
the mix.
7. Tree is then tied into the box with the anchoring
wire on all four sides.
8. After tree is anchored, add more soil to cover
the roots. Use chop sticks to fill in any voids.
9.
Water the soil until water runs clear, no more
dust is visible. Do this again 30 minutes to one
hour later.
Grow box and coarse non-organic mix promotes rapid
root growth. Let the tree grow for the first year. This
will help the tree to gain strength and grow more roots.
After one month, fertilize regularly.
myself, I would have come home with one or two fingers
missing, or even worse. Since these nice gentlemen did
all the sawing, my tap roots were no major impediment
at all, to me of course.
The weather was a complete surprise. Earlier in the
week, the weathermen predicted thunderstorms in the
area. So I came all prepared to dig in the rain or at least
mud. It turned out perfect, absolutely dry but cold
enough not to sweat our brains out. No sign of rain or
even mist whatsoever. Thanks to Brian driving both
ways, the rest of us were able to visit and/or snooze. And
many thanks to the club for providing the van and trailer,
for us to bring all our trees back. Some of us – Clyde,
Chris and Nandita - dug at least two trees, others
brought back many beautiful pots from the MBP Bonsai
shop. What an excellent selection to choose from!
We all had a really great time.
The newly dug Trident is in its home.
Vern Maddox added:
Clyde Holt and I worked together to dig a couple of trees
for Clyde. Then we helped a few other folks because we
had one of the battery-powered reciprocating saws. The
dig was a lot of fun but also a lot of hard work. It would
have been way much more work if we didn’t come with
the saw.
Brian did a great job of safely getting us there and back.
We all enjoyed the trip and the conversations.
Lesson learned: NEVER go on a dig without a saw, extra
batteries, extra blades and probably a battery charger.
Barbara Adams who had never been on such club dig
before but heard plenty from those who did, was
prepared for the worst. She was in for a nice surprise:
The group: Me, Nandita, Vern Maddox, Clyde Holt, Brian
Gurrola and Chris Rinaudo – rode together in the van.
Eldon and Ken met us at the dig site. Thanks to Clyde and
Chris for bringing their battery powered saws, we all
were able to dig the trees in record time. They were nice
enough to share the use of their saws with all of us. That
doesn’t mean we did the sawing! Had I used the saw
As we all heard that there are 3 groups of people on
this earth. First those who wonder what happened,
second, those who watch what happened and last,
those who make things happen. I belong to the first
category for this dig was on my big celebration day of
the Lunar New Year. The designated cook can’t be MIA.
Eldon wondered what will happen, so he drove all the
way to MBP to watch what happened. He went home
without making anything happen. Long drive!
I drove to the Trident Dig this past weekend, thinking I
just want to look at some Bonsai Pots, but had no
intention of digging a tree.
MBP Bonsai has been around for many years, so I guess
these trees have been in the ground for 10-15+ years,
maybe longer. I saw probably 60+ trees in various sizes
anywhere from 1” to 10+” bases on them. Most of them
had been cut back over the years to create character and
movement.
When we arrived, there were already a dozen people out
there digging. Everyone was helping each other, digging,
shoveling, cutting and pulling out of the ground,
especially sharing a handful of battery operated saws.
Those cordless saws certainly come in handy on a dig!
The biggest tree was dug by Brian. It was about 5 1/2
inches across… at $25 per inch!!!
All in all, I think everyone had a good time and some very
good starting material they know they can keep alive.
Almost all those who dug Trident Maples in our part of
the country before have had great results growing
them. Tridents are one of the few maples that do very
well in the Houston climate.
After checking out the bare rooted material, I wished I
had dug one myself!
melodious birdsongs, announcing the return of my most exciting
season of
Eldon
I did not hear from Chris, Nandita and Clyde personally
but judging from their smiles and the gorgeous
Tridents they proudly displayed in the photos, they had
the time of their life digging. Way to go guys! You sure
know how to live life to the fullest.
Thanks Brian for making things, lots of good things,
happen for the club, especially the photos of the trip.
Hope you will enjoy your great looking Trident Maple
for many years to come. It wouldn’t be surprise to see
that Big Foot win a top prize in a few years.
Shawn Nguyen
The
Chinese Narcissus
Traveled a Long Way.
the year: The Lunar New Year. In 2015, the Chinese horoscope
animal governing the year is the Goat or the Sheep (depending
where you are from – there was not a single sheep in my native
land). The Chinese astrologers believe that every year’s events
are affected by cosmic influences in a cyclical 12-year pattern,
somehow linked to the Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun. I was born
in the year of this Goat, 5 cycles ago, but regardless of what the
horoscope says, I’ve decided it will be a great year.
Like all my Asian friends in my Narcissus Carving club, which I
started about 6 years ago in Houston, narcissus flowers have
traveled a long way to be here in my life today. I remember
visiting an artist with my parents on New Year Day, at the age of
9. On his wall hung a Chinese style silk painting with blooming
narcissus with yellow chrysanthemum and pink peach flowers.
High on his ancestors’ altar, I caught a glimpse of a shallow
crystal bowl filled with pebbles, water and the daintiest
blossoms. Dangling above curly green leaves, the cheerful white
flowers adorned with golden crowns in groups of 5 or so,
appeared so delicate and elegant, like fairies from the Heavens.
When the sandalwood incense finally burned out, a gentle
breeze ushered a divine fragrance across the room. That day
marked the beginning of my love affair with narcissus.
When I stepped out to my garden this hazy spring morning,
Azaleas, Quinces, Chrysanthemum, Fringe and Narcissus are in
full bloom. All of them, for the exception of the narcissus flowers,
are bonsai in bonsai pots. Silhouetted against the brick wall,
clumps of white and yellow narcissus blossoms come to life
when touched by the rare sunrays peeking through grey clouds.
The flower heads, seemingly too heavy for the thin stems,
trembled in the frosty air. I stood there for a long time, immersed
in the most enchanting fragrance to watch the delightful
beauties dance in the pale light, swaying to the tune of
The dream of holding my own narcissus with blooms was
unexpectedly fulfilled, almost ten years later. At my complete
surprise, my paternal grandmother, whom I thought was very
stern and distant, decided to pass on her well- guarded secret,
the art of carving narcissus. Out of over twenty grandchildren,
she chose the right one (me!) but definitely at the wrong time.
Before the Spring break to prepare and celebrate the New Year,
I had back to back exams to crunch and crash for. No time to
indulge in a hobby of leisure for elders with a lot of patience and
time! Three weeks before New Year Day, grandma appeared at
our door with 5 ugly brown narcissus bulbs and a strange
looking knife.
A gracious swan design (Photo from Chinese website)
Narcissus bulbs imported from China were extremely rare in
South Viet Nam in war time, for any sign of bourgeoisie was
strongly discouraged. For this very reason, this art form also
disappeared from China, Taiwan, Korea and most Asian
countries for decades. As my grandmother showed me how to
carve the bulb, meticulously peeling layer after layer, she spoke
of the glorious days in the North, before the family immigrated to
the South in 1954, when she always stole the first prize for her
narcissus displays at New Year’s Eve contests.
Every carver’s wish is to have the perfect arrangement on
display at the moment when the old year fades into the new.
How does perfect look like? You may wonder. The basic criteria
are deep green, wavy and curly leaves, long white roots, with
some blooming flowers, but also plenty of buds to promise
further enjoyment for another week or two. I discovered later
how my grandmother managed to win the first prize every year:
She carved around 100 bulbs every year. Born in the midst of
the wealthy elite, she had the privilege very few did in her days
to squander a small fortune on such extravagance, She also
had plenty of time, hers and that of a dozen of servants at her
beck and call. Like bonsai centuries ago, only the royals and the
elite class such luxuries were reserved for royals and the elite
class only.
After a 3-hour long practice on the only narcissus bulb I was
given, I learned how carving away part of the bulb or food
supply dwarfed growth and compact the leaves, just the
opposite of its counterpart, the Paper white (Narcissus
papyraceus) often left to grow freely in pots, in fields or in flower
beds. The green leaves are trained to curl by injury. A sliver of
the leaf is removed on the side where curling or coiling is
desired. Wide leaves may be altered on alternating sides to
encourage waves. Together, wavy and coiling leaves form a ball
of green fettuccine to set a stage reserved for the stars of the
show: The flowers.
Does carving the narcissus bulbs in any way resemble the
dwarfing of bonsai trees? Absolutely! Bonsai uses techniques
such as pruning, root reduction, defoliation, and grafting to
produce small trees that mimic the shape and style of mature,
full-size tree. When we carve the bulbs, we eliminate the lobes
that don’t contribute to the overall arrangement. We may
remove certain bulbs, relocate them and reattach them with
toothpicks. We also reduce the root ball by cleaning out the
dead roots to start fresh with new white one. Since the reserved
energy needs to be channeled to make stronger flowers, a lot of
the leaves may be removed.
A well rounded traditional display (Bulb/Photo: Shawn Nguyen)
The Vietnamese liken these most enchanting flowers Thuỷ Tiên
(water fairies). The Chinese honored them as Seui Sin Faa
(water immortal flowers). In English, they are revered as
Chinese Sacred Lilies. My sons call them ugly onions but
when these onions bloomed, they squealed (in delight of
course), then buried their nose in the blooms. Like mom, they
couldn’t get enough of that intoxicating and probably toxic scent.
The magical dance of water fairies and green eels (Narcissus by LH
Ha, photo by Hung Nguyen, surreal painting by Shawn Nguyen)
Like many first generation immigrants to this land, my busy life
keeps me from feeling homesick. But when the Northern winds
blow in the chilly air and bring on dark blustery days, it takes
extraordinary effort to fight the year end’s blahs. That’s when I
reach for memories of the New Year celebrations of my youth.
In Asia, no other holiday can rival this annual event. In fact the
majority of the common people work all year long and hold off
The best Narcissi are cultivated in the cold mountains of China.
It was believed that thousands of years ago, these beauties
came to China by both land and sea, via the Silk Road across
Central Asia, or via ancient Persia sea-trading routes between
the Middle East and China. The ancestral subspecies chinensis
first grew in around the Mediterranean Basin and western Asia.
Carving away half of the bulbs on one side exposes the latent
growth normally buried deep under many layers, allowing the
otherwise straight leaves to curl up. Together with upside down
soaking in a deep bucket for a couple of days, then right side
up, them upside down, the confused leaves and flowers form
very artistic C and U turns, and collectively form images
resembling green eels in a hypnotic dance. Narcissi also have
equally mesmerizing fragrance believed by some to be narcotic.
After all, although they look very similar to edible onions, these
bulbs are quite toxic.
This bulb was carved to mirror the flowers (Photo: Cam Sa)
on all spending, just to afford new clothes, festive foods and a
branch of peach or Mai flower for the celebration. I often find
solace in familiar customs and rituals, in the preparation of oldfashioned foods, in planning of festivities for the family and filling
the house up with flowers. Besides the Mai or Peach blossoms,
the yellow mums and kumquat trees most associated with the
New Year celebrations, the narcissus flowers are probably most
symbolic of purity, simplicity and poetic beauty. In China,
narcissi are given as a New Year’s gift to symbolize renewed
vigor.
Like bonsai, the leaves and flowers need sunlight to harden to
hold their curls but the ivory parts and roots need to be
protected with cotton or paper so they don’t turn brown. Once
the new white roots begin to push out from the cleaned root
base, the bulbs assume their final composure in shallow bowls.
With just enough water to wet the gravel or glass marbles, the
roots have to grow fast and far to quench their thirst.
Since they flower early as end-of-the-year holidays arrive, the
narcissi became an essential symbol of revival on the New
Year’s altar. A tradition developed around the carving and
propagation of narcissus as well as their display.
Narcissi have been long rooted in layers of history, not just my
history or the history of my mother land, but also those of the
Eastern cultures. The Narcissus tazetta subsp. Chinensis bulbs
that I purchase every year at JRN II nursery are imported from
China as dormant bulbs. They are often 5-year old bulbs,
cultivated in the South of China. I even found sources on the
web selling 8-10-year bulbs, directly from the growers, but I
couldn’t read a single word of Chinese to order.
Half of the bulbs were carefully removed to expose the latent buds
and flower stalks so they can begin curling. (Photo: T. Dan)
If the purposes of bonsai are primarily for the artists’
contemplation, so are narcissus flowers. The two obvious
differences are time and age. Bonsai are planned for long-term,
but narcissi only need to look good for a few weeks. There is not
a whole lot of differences in narcissi growing medium, water.
Although rain water is best because it’s natural and does not
contain chlorine, I have experimented with added aspirin, willow
branches and even SuperThrive. The results are inconclusive
due to little sunlight in the winter and their very short life span.
All my efforts in salvaging the bulbs for future years have failed
miserably. Without sufficient dormancy in freezing temperatures,
they don’t produce flowers again, just tangled bundles of limp
green spaghetti.
In Asia, they also have been known to inspire so many romantic
fairy tales and the most passionate poetry. For my dear group
of narcissus carvers, we begin the planning for our event of the
year starting in December. We have to secure sources from
This year, one young man experimented with a suspended
upside down bulb in a closed glass jar, hoping that the plant will
thrive in an enclosed ecology. So far no news on how our
Tarantula narcissus fares but I did enjoy watching this
innovative young man at work.
A perfectly planned flower basket (Photo from a Chinese website)
which to ensure at least a few hundred bulbs, big, fat, firm,
heavy ones with a dozen lobes. The hostess sends out the
proposed menu so we avoid preparing conflicting dishes.
Carved narcissus bulbs require meticulous tending. The clear
gel secreted from the wounds needs to be washed frequently to
prevent bacterial build up and infection. There are several
variable factors to watch to compensate for. If the wind turns too
cold or too strong, bring the bulbs inside by a sunny window, or
under a grow light. Since winter days are cold with little sun, my
fairy babies often get to sunbathe indoors under a full spectrum
sun lamp. Frequent daily water changes and moves from sun to
shade, indoors or out are a must. Blooming can be rushed or
slowed down, or even stopped when needed. If New Year’s Eve
is still 5 days away but the buds are ready to burst open, move
the bowl out in the cold or in the refrigerator. Over the years, I
get to know my water fairies intimately, just the same way some
of us know our bonsai, to give the best of care.
We begin our ritual approximately 3 weeks before the Lunar
New Year. In the beginning, all participants were all ladies, but
just in the past 2 years, two odd men broke their mold and
joined us. This very relaxing exercise turned out to be a clever
way to carve out time in our busy schedule to enjoy traditional
New Year treats and catch up on the latest gossip. Those lucky
enough to take early retirement carve enough bulbs to have
fresh flowers in every room of the house, all month long.
Narcissus became the rage of my group then spreads like wild
fire to sororities and various photographers’ clubs in the city.
They in turn send photos to all their friends around the US and
other parts of the world via the Internet. Sharing our joy has
become a delight with Smart phones, blogs and email.
Right behind the art of bonsai which has now reached a global
vogue all over the world, narcissus art form has enjoyed a
renaissance, not only in the free nations with large Asian
populations, but also in many once closed up countries of Asia.
The few masters who have been regarded more as craftsmen
than artists, have now surpassed the thousands of bonsai books
in hundreds of languages with their live demonstrations on Youtube. They walk the novices through the process, step by step,
in details, mostly as easy as monkey see, monkey do! No more
Chinese secret! No need to learn their language. So if you fancy
creating some narcissus works, don’t forget to immortalize these
ephemeral beauties for a lifetime with digital photos and to
share in blogs and videos.
Although most designs are dictated by the original bulbs or preplanned to meet certain popular aesthetic standards, many
spontaneous surprises turn out to be works of creative genius. I
have seen as diverse styles and shapes as there are bonsai in
the world. I confess that not all are images that deserve to be
cherished for eternity, but they all smell so heavenly. Quite
different from the pungent scent of Paperwhite! Sorry sis!
A New Year gift to you! (Narcissus flowers by LH Ha, photo
by Hung Nguyen, surreal painting by Shawn Nguyen)
It’s true, Narcissus beauty is fleeting, but their reward of
fabulous sight and scent will linger on our mind for a lifetime.
May these beautiful fairies brighten up your new year and fill
your heart with joy.
Shawn Nguyen
Check out timeless-trees.com and get on the mailing list for
weekly classes, workshops and Tropical Bonsai School
offered by very knowledgeable artists and masters. Huge
selection of tropicals, conifers, evergreen and deciduous prebonsai and bonsai as well as pots, tools, supplies and soils.
Calendar of Events
2014
MAR 4
HBS Monthly Meeting: Cleft Grafting with Alex
Leong at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion at
Hermann Park. Refreshments at 7pm, meeting starts
at 7:30pm.
MAR 7
Azalea Workshop with Michael McCluskey, the
Azalea master in the Houston area at Timeless Trees,
9am– 1pm. $35, BYO tree.
MAR 14 HBS Saturday Study Group at Maas Nursery, 5511
Todville Road, Seabrook, TX 77586, 9 am -12 Noon.
Free, refreshments provided.
Welcome Quality Feed & Garden in downtown Houston. Ken
Cousino is ready to help HBS with all bonsai supplies.
MAR 14, Shohin Juniper Transformation with Jason Schley
at Timeless Trees, 9am – 3pm. $175 include Jason’s
guidance on compacting, wiring and making a terrific
Shohin, a Procumbens Nana Juniper, pot, soil, wire
and lunch. Just bring your tools.
MAR 17 Peter Tea’s lecture/demo - 7pm at Alan Walker’s
bonsai studio at 916 Kirby, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
MAR 27-28 LCBS Annual Exhibit with the SWLA Garden
Conference & Expo, 9-5 at Burton Coliseum.
Details at.gardenfest.com
Come stock up on bonsai soils, pesticides, fungicides and
fertilizers. Don’t forget to ask for a 10% HBS discount.
APR 18 SSOT 2015 meeting: Creating ‘Squashed Trunk‘
style Shohin (gnarled and ancient looking) hands-on
workshop with Terry Ward at Persimmon Hill Bonsai,
12001 Red Hawk Cove in Austin. Contact Terry or
Sheila at [email protected] or 512-280-5575.
MAY 21-24 Rendez-vous 2015 at Brussel’s Bonsai featuring
Bjorn Bjorholm, Rodney Clemmons, Colin Lewis,
Pedro Morales, Marc Noelanders and Kathy Shaner.
Details at brusselsbonsai.com/annualrendezvous.cfm.
JUN 5-8 ASPAC 13 and ABFF 2015 Grand Vietnamese
Bonsai Exhibition at the Rin Rin Park in Xuan Thoi
Dong commune, Hoc Mon district, Ho Chi Minh City.
Details at abff2015-vietnam.com or [email protected].
Houston Bonsai Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 540727, Houston, Texas 77254-0727
www.houstonbonsai.com
HBS Board Members
President
1st Vice President
in charge of Education
2nd Vice President
Secretary
in charge of Membership
Publicity
Treasurer
Hurley Johnson
Scott Barboza
[email protected]
[email protected]
Dean Laumen
Barbara Adams
[email protected]
[email protected]
Eldon Branham
Anthony Cutola
[email protected]
[email protected]
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - O
Member at Large - E
Member at Large - E
Nandita D’Souza
Vern Maddox
Wayne Malone
Clyde Holt
Brian Gurrola
Ron Ahles
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Past President
LSBF Delegate
LSBF Alternate
BCI Ambassador
TTSBE Representative
Alan Raymond
Peter Parker
Terry Dubois
Donald Green
Alan Raymond
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Refreshments
Website/email
Newsletter editor
C.J. Everson
Gary Teeter
Shawn Nguyen
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
Delegates
The Bonsai News of Houston is a monthly publication of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. Copyright © 2011. The contents of this publication may
not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the editor or a member of the Board of Directors. Exceptions exist, however, for certain
not-for-profit and non-profit bonsai organizations or associated bonsai and bonsai nursery newsletters, including without limitation the American Bonsai
Society. HBS participates fully with reciprocation of contents and material between other LSBF member organizations and others. Authors who submit
articles for this newsletter thereby give permission to such organizations to reprint, unless they expressly state otherwise.
Space for advertising in The Bonsai News of Houston can be requested by contacting the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board. The rates
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Rates are subject to change without notice. 3½" x 2" classified ads are run free of charge for one month once per 12-month period for non-commercial
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For special requests or questions related to The Bonsai News of Houston, contact the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board.