April 2010 - Bonsai Society of Dallas

Bonsai Society of Dallas
Monthly newsletter
April 2010
Message from the President
IN THIS ISSUE:
 Message from the President
 April Program – BYOT
Workshop & Bonsai 101
 May Program Preview–
Flowing Bonsai Demo &
Juniper Workshop
 Special Art Offer
 April Bonsai Tips
 Calendar of Events
 March Recap
BSD BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chuck Talley, President,
Co-Program Chair
[email protected]
Bill Weber, Vice President,
Program Chair
I am a little itchy this month for several reasons. First, I am waiting for my trees
to start their vigorous spring growth; second, I am anxious about an exciting
program and convention line up; and finally, I got poison ivy digging a couple of
Sweetgum (Liquidambar) trees in east Texas last weekend. Sweetgum grows like
a weed in east Texas (and apparently so does poison ivy). I saw a John Naka
video recently touting “Oriental Sweetgum” and it inspired me to give it a try. I
will know more in about five years.
As for the upcoming program, let me highlight that this month‟s meeting will be
one focused on you and your trees. It is more of a group work session rather than
a formal program. We will be sharing proper pruning techniques with guidance
and leadership from some of our more experienced club members. Bring in as
many trees as you like, along with your tools, wire, or just lots of questions
like.....Which branch do I cut, where, and why? This is a great chance to learn by
doing with guidance from others and at the same time learn by observing a
variety of different material from other club members. I‟m sure we will also have
a few maples that are ready for pruning and leaf pinching just like John Miller
talked about last month – thanks John for sharing all your insight on maples. At
11:00 a.m. we will have our second installment of Bonsai 101 for guests and
members alike who are relatively new to the hobby. Diane Lowe and John
Borusheski are going to talk about ways to “Grow your Collection” and I look
forward to another good presentation. As a reminder, we are now in the large
room at North Haven Gardens at the back of their greenhouse.
[email protected]
Diane Lowe, Treasurer
[email protected]
James Bonney, Secretary
[email protected]
Jerry Riley, Member Relations
[email protected]
John Miller, President Emeritus
[email protected]
Sylvia Smith, President Emeritus
[email protected]
Has your address changed?
Comments? E-mail the editor at
[email protected]
Would you like to get this newsletter
via e-mail? Become a member.
It is not too early to look ahead to our May program. We are excited to be
bringing in our first guest artist of the year. Jim Gremel of Deer Meadow Bonsai
in California will be visiting us. Check out his web site at www.jimgremel.com
to see some of his interesting work. He will provide a lecture and demonstration
in the morning discussing flowering bonsai, followed by an afternoon workshop
where we can work with junipers. Please save the date for these two sessions and
RSVP for the workshop if you plan to attend – space will be limited.
Just a little over a month later, you will have the opportunity to see other
wonderful artists who will be in Ft. Worth for the LSBF 2010 Convention. The
dates are June 11th – 13th. Be sure to submit your registration as soon as possible,
especially before May 11th for a discount! There will be an exhibit area set up at
the convention and we want to feature trees from our club for display. If you
have a tree(s) that you would like to display, please submit photos to James
Bonney ([email protected]) via email by May 15th. We don‟t yet know how
much space will be allocated to the Bonsai Society of Dallas, so the board will
review the submissions and notify you of our selection to represent the club.
Even if your tree is not chosen we would like to add your photo(s) to our club
web site in the “Club Gallery” section.
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 2
Speaking of our web site, please check out the great work our club member and
site designer Andy Rutledge has done at www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com.
Thanks Andy for your continued support of the club with such a professional
design that represents us to the world. We would like to post good quality
photos of your trees, reflecting the skilled artistry of our membership. Your
trees may also become part of our December program “Virtual Garden Tour”
where we will learn more about our members and see their places and
collections.
There is a lot to look forward to. Let me end by sharing some helpful collection
tips Sylvia Smith, President Emeritus shared with us in the past:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Never acquire more trees than you can handle
Choose quality over quantity
Know everything there is to know about the species of bonsai you own
Work to improve your collection year after year
Always keep an open mind – you are never too experienced to learn more
See you at our next meeting,
Chuck
rd
Saturday, April 3 , 9–12 Noon
Club Meeting: BYOT pruning
workshop & Bonsai 101: Building
Your Collection
North Haven Gardens
st
Saturday, May 1 , 9–12 Noon
Club Meeting: Flowering tree demo
& afternoon juniper workshop with
Jim Gremel (see pg. 3 for details)
th
Saturday, June 5 , 9–12 Noon
Club Meeting: The Three Stooges
BYOT Advice & Show-n-Tell
th
Thur. – Sat., June 11-13
LSBF/FWBS State Convention
Fort Worth, Texas
www.fwbonsai.com
April Program
April 3rd at North Haven Gardens
Bring Your Own Tree Workshop – 9AM to 11AM
Working on bonsai trees is quite relaxing, and the solitude often associated with
working on our beautiful creations can be very Zen-like, but sometimes
wouldn‟t you like to work amongst friends? Or ask for an opinion? Quite often,
a creative eye that is not your own, can see a tree in a different light than you‟ve
grown accustomed to. And the conversations often can lead to better designs
and stronger relationships. Not to mention you get a glimpse of others‟ trees
with different varieties and styles that you may not have in your own collection.
Join us Saturday, April 3rd at 9 AM for a bring-your-own-tree workshop. The
workshop will be a casual format with no official presentation. Instead, tables
will be arranged into groups: conifers, deciduous, tropicals, and others
(depending on the turnout). We hope to have at least one leader available per
table. So, bring those trees and bring your tools. What you decide to do at the
workshop is up to YOU!
Bonsai 101: Growing Your Collection – 11AM to Noon
At 11 AM, we‟ve got the 2nd session of Bonsai 101. The topic is How to Grow
Your Collection. John Borusheski and Diane Lowe will be reviewing the
options of buying, developing, and digging...or a combination of all. As a
reminder, the series is designed to attract new folks to our hobby and also help
some of our members continue to learn. Please invite friends to join. It will
begin after our regular meeting and last about an hour.
Link of the Month
Guy Guidry is a world-recognized
bonsai artist and has been honored by
having several of his bonsai trees on
permanent display in National
Museums around the U.S.A. Guy has
pioneered many techniques involved
in growing and designing better
bonsai, and is well-known for his
techniques for creating taper in large
Louisiana Bald Cypress. Guy enjoys
traveling the U.S. and abroad,
teaching and sharing his knowledge
of the art. This June, he will be one of
the featured artists at the Cowtown
Bonsai convention in Fort Worth.
Bonsai Northshore is his nursery in
Louisiana, and many beautiful trees
can be seen at his website.
www.bonsainorthshore.com
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 3
May Program Preview –
Styling Demo & Workshop
SPECIAL TEXAS BONSAI
ART OPPORTUNITY
Mark Your Calendars for May 1st
By Mark A. Bynum, Chairman
2010 “Cowtown Bonsai” Convention
How does one go from being an aerospace engineer to a
bonsai artist? Just ask Jim Gremel. He has been studying
and developing bonsai since the mid „70s and about 10
years into it, he gave up his job and followed his passion.
Along the way he also studied pottery and developed
quite a following. Ultimately his love of bonsai won out
and he is now focused full time on his business, Deer
Meadow Bonsai located in Northern California.
Jim has studied with some greats. He studied and became
friends with the late Mas Imazumi over a 20 year period.
Mas was a well-known Bay Area bonsai teacher for
many decades. Jim has also studied extensively with
Dennis Makishima, Kathy Shaner, and Boon
Manakitivipart. His most recent collaborations continue
to be with Boon and also Marco Invernizzi when he visits
the United States from his native Italy.
Once Jim made the decision to follow his passion for
bonsai, he moved to an area with lots of open land to be
able to grow all kinds of species. When Jim visits our
club meeting on May 1st, he will provide a lecture and
demo on flowering bonsai. Following that, and after a bit
of lunch, we will reconvene for a workshop developing
an interesting twisted, gnarled shohin or small juniper
bonsai that might look like something collected from
nature. You will leave with a bonsai that has a lot of
character that will develop even more over time.
Seating for the workshop is limited so please RSVP as
soon as possible to Diane Lowe at [email protected].
The cost for the workshop is $45 and includes the juniper
and the necessary copper wire. 
Because of the Texas native plant emphasis for the June
11-13, 2010 “Cowtown Bonsai” Convention, sponsored
by the Lone Star Bonsai Federation and the Fort Worth
Bonsai Society, and the possible future bonsai magazine
article, the idea of having Texas native figurines as
companions for the exhibit trees was just a natural.
Resident Texas and LSBF sculptor, Donna Dobberfuhl*,
of the San Antonio Bonsai Society, Austin Bonsai
Society, Texas Shohin Society, and board member of The
Texas State Bonsai Exhibit, was called upon to advise on
the feasibility of this concept. Not only did she give
experienced advice, she came up with 4 pieces of her
own original art for your enjoyment:





Designed in Texas,
Made in Texas,
Offered exclusively in Texas
For Texans,
To benefit The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit
*visit Sculptural Designs Atelier at
www.sculpturaldesigns.com to learn more about sculptor
Donna Dobberfuhl.
Here are the Details:
Donna has made available 4 original animal figurines
that are natives of Texas: Cougar, Bison, Whooping
Crane, and Longhorn (sizes and pictures are at the end of
this article). The pieces are intended to be used as
companions for medium to large Texas native bonsai
trees, but are very suitable for stand alone art pieces.
They come in bronze or resin and you may purchase one
or an entire set.
The bronze pieces will be numbered, signed, copyrighted
2010, and be a limited edition. Order by March 31 to
possibly receive them at the Convention (no promises).
$50 from each piece will go to TTSBE.
The less expensive resin pieces will be numbered, signed,
and copyrighted 2010. Order by May 12 to receive them
at the June Convention. $20 from each piece will go to
TTSBE.
Visit www.fwbonsai.com for more details on the convention.
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 4
A full set of the bronze and the resin sculptures will be
on display and used in the Convention Exhibit for your
scrutiny and approval.
Pictures & Information:
Value Increases:
Bronze sculptures just naturally increase in value due to
the metal. In the art world numbered, limited editions rise
in value as collectable interest increases. The lower the
numbered piece, the higher the value becomes. Through
the generosity of the artist, the #1 of each of these bronze
pieces will be donated to The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit
to become part of the permanent exhibit. Once the exhibit
opens, the value of these limited edition sculptures will
increase dramatically.
The resin sculptures, while having little material value,
will still increase in value due to their less expensive
“collectable” interest. Again, the #1 of each of these resin
pieces will be donated to TTSBE and will increase their
appeal for collectors over the years as they are exhibited.
Where the resins are not a set "limited" edition, they will
only be offered for one year and will not be
manufactured again, therefore limiting their total number
to the orders received.
Bison: “Black Dog II”
(4.25" x 3.75" ht.)
Bronze: $375
Resin: $125
This opportunity is exclusively offered initially to LSBF
members and I am happy to introduce it to you for the
2010 Convention. I personally enjoy and take great pride
in my collection of bonsai art much more when I know
the artist. Everyone who does not already know Donna
can meet her at the Convention. If you are serious about
the bonsai art, take a look at the Ordering Information
at the end of this article and please take advantage of
your good fortune now while helping to insure the
permanent exhibition of native bonsai trees in the future
of our State.
Happy styling,
Mark A. Bynum
Cougar: “Catamount II”
(6" x 2.5" ht.)
Bronze: $300
Resin: $85
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 5
Ordering Information:
Whooping Crane-female:
“Alarm Call II”
(6.5" x 7" ht.)
Bronze: $385
Resin: $100

Please place all orders with Donna Dobberfuhl
directly. Her website has a shopping cart type of
ordering. You may call, email, or snail mail an
order. Pertinent information below. Credit card
sales available.

Remember the deadline of March 31, 2010 for
the bronze pieces and May 12 for the resin
pieces for possible delivery by convention.

All orders require payment in advance.

Earliest paid orders get the lowest numbers! No
numbers are being "held" for future sales or
VIPs. Phone orders and email orders will
reserve you a piece, but payment must be
received before a number is assigned.

If you purchase a full set of 4 resin pieces, you
may take a $50 discount. Sorry, no discount on
the bronze pieces, they are already priced very
low!

There will be a few resin pieces available for
immediate purchase at the June Convention.

The prices in this article are good through
June 13, 2010, the last day of the Convention.
On Monday, June 14, 2010, the prices will go
up $50 for each resin, and $100 for each
bronze. ORDER NOW!

Both bronze and resin pieces can be ordered for
one year from March 20, 2010.
Donna Dobberfuhl, MFA, NSS
Sculptural Designs Atelier
1514 Broadway
San Antonio, TX 78215-1251
(210) 667-4270 voice/fax
(210) 326-0860 cell
[email protected]
www.sculpturaldesigns.com
Longhorn: “Texas Star II”
Other side view (7.5" x 5.5" ht.)
Bronze: $575
Resin: $150
Disclaimer: All orders, production, payment receivables and
payables, refunds, numbering, distribution, deadlines, and any
other aspect of this offer are the sole responsibility of Donna
Dobberfuhl, sculptor. The Lone Star Bonsai Federation, Fort
Worth Bonsai Society, 2010 Cowtown Bonsai Convention,
Mark A. Bynum, and The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit are not
affiliated with this offer other than marketing.
Copyright ©2010 by Mark A. Bynum and Donna Dobberfuhl.

Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 6
April Bonsai
Tips and advice by John Miller
Most trees will do well in full sun at this time of year.
However, if you have had them in partial shade, be
careful about moving them directly to full sun. They
probably should be acclimated gradually. Too much wind
will cause the leaves to burn. Some damage may not
show up until hot weather.
Repotting for most hardy bonsai has ended. Very late
budding species like oaks may still be done, depending
on your local climate. I also do dwarf yaupon and olive
then. It‟s still too early for the tropicals. They should
usually be held until nighttime
temperatures are in no danger
of going below 60°F.
There are two things to
consider when doing spring
trimming. Are you still in the
styling stage or are you ready
to do the refinement and
develop the twiginess that a
mature bonsai needs?
If you are still styling, you will
need to develop size and
movement in your branches by
letting those branches grow
vigorously, then cut back to a
good node and repeat the
process on the new shoot. At
the same time you must not let
the other branches get too
powerful. Keep the foliage
there trimmed so the energy
goes primarily to the
developing branch.
Sometimes it is easier to grasp the new leaves and bend
the tip sharply backward breaking the node off.
A good organic program takes care of both feeding and
insect problems. I recommend the mixture of 1
tablespoon each of fish emulsion, liquid kelp, molasses
and apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water. I use the
mixture both as a foliar spray and as a soil drench
fertilizer. As a weekly foliar spray it keeps aphids and
mites under control as well as any other insects I‟ve had.
The prime requirement is to cover the entire plant, top
and bottom of the leaves with a fine mist sprayer (no
hose end stuff). I try to drench
the soil twice a month, partly
because I don‟t think the plant
can absorb all the minor
elements it needs through the
foliage.
(A commercial product called
Garret Juice, which is to be used
the same way, uses compost tea,
dried seaweed, water, molasses
and vinegar. As a fertilizer this
should act the same, but I do not
know if the dried seaweed would
be as good as liquid kelp as an
insecticide.)
Fungal diseases can show up
with damp weather. Leaf spot
can be serious on Catlin and
Chinese elms and on hollies.
Mildew shows up later with
warmer weather. There are
organic fungicides available,
such as potassium bicarbonate or
A sampling of maples (and a few other) trees brought to the
baking soda (sodium
March program. Photo J. Bonney
If your tree is a mature bonsai
bicarbonate). Check an organics
or is ready for refinement, do not let the new growth get
nursery or publications. A 1% solution of hydrogen
large. On elms and other trees with leaves appearing
peroxide (dilute the standard 3% store bought stuff with
alternately along the shoot, do not let more than 5 new
2 parts water to each part peroxide) is also recommended
leaves appear. Cut back to 2 or 3 leaves, leaving the last
but it can injure very new foliage.
leaf on the side that you want the new growth to appear.
On maples and others with leaves coming in pairs on
Be sure to check your soils each day for proper water
opposite sides of the twig, cut the center shoot as soon as
content. It is easy to assume that the soil has plenty of
you can determine it. You must get behind the new
water when the days are cool or there has been some rain.
internode that is emerging. Tweezers work best for this
It is also too easy for a tree with full leaves to shed water
operation. Since the shoots do not all open at the same
outside of the pot or a good sun and low humidity after a
time this could be a daily chore for the best results.
front to dry the soil. I suggest that you remove most of
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 7
the moss so that you can see and feel the soil in order to
determine how dry it is. (Moss growing on the trunk or
roots will cause the bark to rot also, kill it with isopropyl
alcohol.) An automatic watering system will be an aid,
but you should not rely on it to replace hand watering.
Hand watering allows you to adjust the watering for each
tree individually. Also, most automatic systems use a
drip system which only waters a small spot in shallow
containers.
If you have early blooming azaleas, you should remove
some of the buds. Most azaleas have way too many buds
to look good because they do not have room to open
fully. Later flowering plants usually bloom on new
growth so they may be pruned now with no loss of
flowers. 


March Recap
passed out a crib sheet which listed Palmatums
(Japanese), Japonicums (Japanese), Buergerianums
(Trident), Ginnalas (Amur), Truncatums (Shantung),
from Asia; and Circinatums and Rubrums from America
as good species for use as bonsai, while listing Acer
Saccharinum (Silver) and Acer Negundo (Box Elder) as
species to avoid. (All names begin with Acer and
common name appears in parenthesis.)
by James Bonney
Club business:
Our March meeting was very full, so it looks like moving
our meetings to the larger room is a good move. The
meeting started out with Chuck T. reminding us that the
LSBF 2010 Convention is just a few months away, and
that registrants receive a discount off a full registration if
they register before May 11th. James passed out
convention packets provided by Mark Bynum. Visit
www.fwbonsai.com or contact Mark Bynum, FWBS
President and Convention Chairman, for more
information. Dave S. announced that J.R. “Bill” Cody,
M.D. of the Austin Bonsai Club passed away recently.
Dr. Cody was an avid collector, author, and benefactor to
the bonsai community. Several of his most recent
donations went to support The Texas State Bonsai
Exhibit. He will be missed.
Bill W. introduced the show-n-tell portion of the
meeting. John B. talked about some rooted cuttings that
he‟d brought. Ravi S. brought in an elm that had suffered
a partial die-off, and Bill brought in a lovely little almond
(in bloom!) that he was training for bonsai. Several
members brought in maples to support John M.‟s maple
discussion. Thank you everyone for helping support the
program!
Maples: Species, Styles & Care
John started the program by sharing some of his favorite
books on Maples: Sunset National Garden Book (For the
U.S. & Canada) published by Sunset Books, Bonsai
Design: Japanese Maples by Peter Adams, and Japanese
Maples by J. D. Vertrees, and Timeless Trees: The U.S.
National Bonsai Collection by Peter L. Bloomer and
Mary Holmes Bloomer.
John gave an overview of the various bonsai styles and
species of maples most desirable for use as bonsai. He
A twin-trunk maple that John grew as separate trees for a number
of years before planting them together and allowing them to fuse.
Photo J. Bonney
To evaluate a tree as potential bonsai, John likes to use
his hands and block out all but the lowest portion of a
tree. He says, if you don‟t see anything interesting down
there, chances are you won‟t find anything anywhere else
on it either. You also have to be wary of the fact that
when looking at nursery grown trees, many are grafted,
so finding good looking ones is hard and grafts tends to
become exaggerated over time. Generally, if you go with
a grafted tree, you‟re looking for the lowest graft
possible. Although, Dave S. suggested that an air layer is
one alternative for fixing an otherwise nice tree that has a
bad or high graft. Another concern with nursery trees is
that they are usually potted in deep pots, which means
they will usually have deep roots. This often takes some
effort to correct. In other words, plant your trees in
shallow pots, not deep ones! Two good places mentioned
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 8
at the meeting to include in a search for maple stock are
Metro Maples (a “regular” nursery which carries many
uncommon maples–call ahead as their hours are limited)
and Ray Hernandez‟s Bent Tree Bonsai. (Actually, any
of our advertisers at the back of this newsletter are often
good sources. See their advertisements at the back of this
newsletter.)
John discussed some of the ways you can create good flat
root systems and even fuse multiple trunks together. One
method is to use a board or tile, drill holes in it and put
the tree through it. Then plant the entire setup. When the
trees swell, the holes girdle the trunk(s) and force the
sapling(s) to put out new roots above the divider. Other
layering methods including ring-barking, wire tourniquet
and channeling to name a few. For more details, I‟d
suggest talking directly to John or another experienced
member at a meeting.
Some show-n-tell trees. The one on the left would get an
impromptu trimming at the hands of John. Photo J. Bonney
One of the main tips in trimming for shape that John
stressed to keep internodes short is that you must pluck
that center tip as soon as you can discern it from the first
pair of leaves. A point he again emphasizes in his April
column. Well-known bonsai master Kathy Shaner likes
to say that to have a good looking maple you need to
sleep with it.
At the end of the program, John donated a couple of old
issues of Bonsai Today (they‟re getting harder to find),
and Jean & Usman Qureshi donated a copy of Practical
Bonsai, a care manual by Ken Norman. Both were raffled
off, which made for some very happy members. Thank
you very much for the donations! 
What type of program would it be if at least one plant didn’t get
the axe? By the way, all those shoots will make excellent rooted
cuttings! Photo J. Bonney
Yet another packed house. It was nice to have the extra elbow
room the new big room provided. Photo J. Bonney
A root-over-rock maple. Photo J. Bonney
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com
BSD NEWSLETTER
APRIL 2010
PAGE 9
www.bonsaiware.com
Howard and Sylvia Smith
www.BonsaiSmiths.net
[email protected]
Tel# (972) 754-9883
Fax# (972) 661-0694
Bent Tree Bonsai: (469) 648-8202
• Cultivators of fine trees
• Collection maintenance
• Private instruction
• Classes, lectures & demos
www.bonsaismiths.net
www.sandersonbonsai.com
Sanderson Creek has announced that they are extending
their offer of 20% off all merchandise (excluding large workstands)
through April to members who bring their advertisement (above) into
the store.
Generous Businesses Give Discounts
to BSD Members
Present your BSD membership card at the following
participating businesses for a 10% discount on
merchandise:
• The Bonsai Smiths
• Sanderson Creek Bonsai
• Ray Hernandez’s Bent Tree Bonsai
• Dallas Bonsai Garden
We are so grateful to these businesses for their generosity
to BSD members! If you have a business and would like to
offer a discount to club members, please contact James
Bonney at [email protected].
Bonsai Society of Dallas, P.O. Box 836922, Richardson, TX 75083-6922 • www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com