Alabama Bonsai Society Spring Show 5/17-18

[Brian Van Fleet]

If you're anywhere nearby, be sure to make plans to see the ABS Spring Show and say hey to a few fellow B'Nutters!

 

[MACH5]

Wish I could go! What are you exhibiting Brian? BTW beautiful tree on the announcement letter!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Wish I could go! What are you exhibiting Brian? BTW beautiful tree on the announcement letter!

Thanks. Not sure what I'll exhibit. I try to add something new each year, which may be the smaller Itoigawa or shimpaku I've been working on over the last 4-5 years. Not excited about either pot, but they are looking pretty good.

Believe it or not, the ezo source is looking really good too...but only from the front, and still has guy wires, so I can't bring myself to show it yet. I might show my ginkgo, just to say it's in a show and has only been in a bonsai pot for 6 months.

I'll probably also show my big Koyokko from Don, likely the Pyracantha; they always show pretty well.

 

[MACH5]

Really nice Brian! You have some great choices there. Have fun exhibiting!

 

[Ron Dennis]

I am heading over to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens within the hour to help set up the exhibition. This past Monday night we had a preview of the trees to be exhibited and this promises to be a really good show.

Come join us this weekend. There is no admission charge and the parking is also no charge.

Here are some photos from last year.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Good show this year...here are a few to whet the appetite...

 

[Smoke]

Very clean displays. Showcases the trees well.

Would sure like to see a close up of that juniper accent in the third picture. Looks kind of gnarly.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Would sure like to see a close up of that juniper accent in the third picture.

I'll try to remember to shoot one for you tomorrow. Tightest foliage of any juniper I've ever seen, but it looks like he had some spider mites this year and it's not as healthy as it normally is.

 

[Adair M]

I like the JBP cascade! I need to get a stand like that for mine.

 

[ml_work]

I made it to the show today, beautiful day and beautiful trees. They had paper to vote for the best tree, it was no way to pick one favorite from all the trees. I took pictures of everyone of them, here is a room view. It would be interesting to know which tree did get the most votes, maybe Brian will let us know.
(the color is off on the JM-Cascade)

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

More pix are here:
http://nebaribonsai.wordpress.com/2014/05/18/abs-spring-show-pt-4-the-trees/
The room is usually hard to photograph because of the lighting, but this year was a little better than some.
I suspect one of the azaleas will be viewer's choice; the timing was really good for them this year. A few of us are talking about doing a winter show so we can feature leafless trees and pines with mature foliage...and so we can visit Atlanta's show!

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Would sure like to see a close up of that juniper accent in the third picture. Looks kind of gnarly.

Here is that Itoigawa; sorry for the poor quality photo. Best foliage of any I've seen...bright and tight.

 

[AboveBeyond]

Thanks for posting the pictures on your site.

 

[Ron Dennis]

I made it to the show today, beautiful day and beautiful trees. They had paper to vote for the best tree, it was no way to pick one favorite from all the trees. I took pictures of everyone of them, here is a room view. It would be interesting to know which tree did get the most votes, maybe Brian will let us know.
(the color is off on the JM-Cascade)

I should have the final tally shortly. We have the results from Saturday but not Sunday. We will let you know the results.

I agree it was impossible to pick a "favorite" tree. The JM cascade, the pyracantha, the persimmon and the beech were some I really liked.

Brian is right. We do need to have a guest artist judge our show. We have some very talented people and I believe judging would benefit out club.

 

[Adair M]

I would love it if you guys would do a winter show. As long as it doesn't conflict with Boon's show, I'd offer to display a couple trees.

 

[Ron Dennis]

I would love it if you guys would do a winter show. As long as it doesn't conflict with Boon's show, I'd offer to display a couple trees.

Thank you. Several of our group are wanting to do a winter show. We will keep your posted on this possibility.

Some of us would really like to see if Atlanta and Birmingham might schedule our shows for different times. We would like to be able to come to the Atlanta show and be able to have your club come to ours. I think the times for both shows were originally planned around our azaleas and we may be locked in.

 

[KennedyMarx]

Nice pictures and nice trees. I'm surprised at how many people didn't wire their junipers for the show.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I would love it if you guys would do a winter show. As long as it doesn't conflict with Boon's show, I'd offer to display a couple trees.

We might even take you up on that one ;-)

Ron and I have been talking and think we could pull off a good one-day winter show, if not a bit smaller...and ideally juried.

What are the dates of BIB Show? We'd need to do something late February or first week of March at the latest so we could roll right into repotting and workshop season.

 

[Dav4]

Thank you. Several of our group are wanting to do a winter show. We will keep your posted on this possibility.

Some of us would really like to see if Atlanta and Birmingham might schedule our shows for different times. We would like to be able to come to the Atlanta show and be able to have your club come to ours. I think the times for both shows were originally planned around our azaleas and we may be locked in.

The Atlanta Bonsai Society board is contemplating a move of our show from the typical May date to an earlier one, perhaps in March or April. As Adair mentioned, this flies in the face of convention and not everyone is happy so nothing is truly etched in stone...yet. We'll let you know once we know.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Indeed...change bad...change very very bad.