Bonsai Bucket List

Txhorticulture

Chumono
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Merica
Saw someone put olive on their list. I'd like to add that to mine. Doesn't have to be a century old, just old enough to have a weathered corky trunk and branches
 

Andrew Robson

Shohin
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462
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801
Location
Portland, OR
Hmm, I'm going to name 10 trees I currently don't have, but I would like.

1. A large Kurume Azalea
2. A large JWP (green needles variety, not blue)
3. Large Ezo Spruce
4. Colorado, Engelmann, or Black spruce forest.
5. Large Red maple
6. Northeastern forest planting (hemlock, red maple, hornbeam
7. Black Spruce (any size)
8. JWP and Japanese maple forest, with other Japanese species
9. Large Pitch Pine
10. Limber pine

I like spruce and forests if you can't tell... ;)
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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Location
NEGeorgia
USDA Zone
7a
-7 point showable shohin display (jbp, azalea, black olive, Chinese quince, shimpaku, zelcova, and trident or kiyo)

oh, and the pots
Ron, if you want to do it "right", drop the azalea! Evidently, in Japan, azalea are taboo in an otherwise traditional bonsai shohin display!

I don't REALLY know why, except for this: In Japan, there are two types of bonsai people... "Azalea bonsai people", and "everything except azalea people"!

Last January, Daisaku Nomoto gave a display class of 7 point shohin using the traditional box stand. Daisaku is an officer of the Nippon Shohin Society (or whatever they call it). Really, really knows his stuff.

Anyway, he was telling us about how to set up the display, and ideally, one of the trees inside the box should be a flowering tree. So, I blurted out, "Like azalea!" Whereupon he gave me a dirty look, and said, "No! No azalea! Anything except azalea!" I laughed and repeated back, "No azalea!" He smiled.

Now, I understand that here in the USA, we like both kinds. So I suppose you could show an azalea with your other trees. But if the judge is Japanese, don't. You could have a separate display of all azalea, and that's fine. Just don't mix them!
 

Ron Dennis

Shohin
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Location
Birmingham, AL
USDA Zone
7B
Ron, if you want to do it "right", drop the azalea! Evidently, in Japan, azalea are taboo in an otherwise traditional bonsai shohin display!
Thanks, Adair. I have learned something new. I suppose because I like azaleas so much, I automatically thought I would include. Both of the azaleas I would want to use are slightly larger than shohin size and probably would have been deleted even without knowing the Japanese aversion to them.
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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NEGeorgia
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7a
Yeah, who knew?

It was interesting to work with Daisaku last January. While I was there, I bought a Satsuki and brought it to Boon's garden. Daisaku saw it, and it was an imported tree, and had the variety on a tag written in Japanese. Daisaku whipped out a little pocket guide he had with him and looked it up!

He claims he doesn't know Satsuki. But, he sure was prepared! I'm looking forward to working with him again this January.
 

LanceMac10

Imperial Masterpiece
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Location
Nashua, NH U.S.A.
USDA Zone
5
Bucket list?
Smoke a butt with Kimura
Drink tequilla, wine and bourbon with Adair and Dave4
Go fishin with Frary, source, VAfisher, and SteveC
get a pot from stickroot and more pots from hometeamrocker
spend a bunch of income tax money at NEBG with Teddi, Hitoshi, Jun and John Romano

oopss...shoot a gun with smoke, use a saw with vance wood, see grimlore's halloween decorations, visit Vin in FLA, pick weeds at Mach5 and johng's garden

give jkl a pat on the fanny
and rockm to....

BVF'S pine book and ......did I leave anyone out?

wink.... see a Clash coverband with coh? Pitch a tent in Bill V. backyard.
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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Yes and the azalea outside the rack.
If you say it is. I can't tell.

Sure, there's always exceptions to every "rule"! The azalea isn't blooming in this picture, so maybe it was more acceptable?

When Daisaku began his lecture, the first thing he said was "with Shohin, there are no rules. But..." And then he went on for a half hour explaining all the rules! Lol!!!
 

Brian Van Fleet

Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
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B’ham, AL
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8A
My point exactly. A rule that precludes azaleas from shohin displays is ludicrous. A 1-minute book search shows that.
I have plenty of respect for Boon's work, and a lot of his students', but really appreciate my freedom from indoctrination.
 

Smoke

Ignore-Amus
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Location
Fresno, CA
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9
Satsuki are not usually shown in rack presentation due to the time of year they bloom, May. All the prestigeous shohin exhibits are in February. Showing a Satsuki without blossoms is like showing Smoke without a thong...err wait that didn't come out right.
 

Andrew Robson

Shohin
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Location
Portland, OR
Satsuki are not usually shown in rack presentation due to the time of year they bloom, May. All the prestigeous shohin exhibits are in February. Showing a Satsuki without blossoms is like showing Smoke without a thong...err wait that didn't come out right.
I disagree. Kobiashi recently took Dave to a show in Japan. The show was in late winter. Dave looked at the trees, and said something like, "why did you bring me to a decidious show?" Kobiashi said, "no, go look closer," and Dave saw that they were extremely ramified azaleas with their leaves removed.

Azaleas can make pretty damn good bonsai any time of the year, although when they are blooming, they are second to none.
 

Adair M

Pinus Envy
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NEGeorgia
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My point exactly. A rule that precludes azaleas from shohin displays is ludicrous. A 1-minute book search shows that.
I have plenty of respect for Boon's work, and a lot of his students', but really appreciate my freedom from indoctrination.
I understand. I'm just sharing what Daisaku told me. Daisaku is Boon's Senior. Which means that he was an apprentice for Kamiya before Boon was.

Boon didn't tell me no azalea in shohin display, Daisaku Nomoto did.
 
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