BigBill
Yamadori
I know this is going to sound like crying to some. But at the urging of some of the more seasoned members of this forum I decided to post some "observations"
I pesonally got into bonsai because I fell in love with these little trees while stationed in Japan. I am a navy man, medically seperated, but an old salt none the less.
I bought several trees while there that I kept alive and triving for years. I dont consider this being a bonsaist because I didnt create these trees. I followed the directions of the man I got them from and pruned and fertilized and watered as I was instructed. All was good until I got transfered from Florida at 65 degrees to Maryland at 15 degrees. The trees didnt make it through the climate change no matter what I tried or what I did. I was out a bunch of money and completely as far as I thought done with bonsai.
After a bunch of personal stuff, I found myself single and back at home in Kentucky. With the little trees calling to me. I decided that I wanted to be a bonsaist. I wanted to create, not buy. I wanted to design and shape not following the directions someone gave me.
The issues I am starting to have are the following:
No one seems to want to give help. Well I deffinatley shouldnt say no one.
Reading only gets you so far. And I am going to join the local bonsai club when they have their next meeting, if I dont have to work.
I never realized how ego driven most bonsaists are. I thought bonsai was supposed to be relaxing and introspective. Seems to me more people would post pics of their trees if they didnt feel like they were going to be attacked by the all mightly gods of bonsai.
All I ask for is constructive critism. I know I have crap stock. I dont know about anyone else but I dont understand learning on an expensive piece of stock. I personally would rather kill a $1 tree over a $100.00 tree.
If there is something wrong with a tree, say your piece, and explain whats wrong. Dont make a blanket statement; its a stick in a pot, why are you messing with that crap. Just throw that away.
I have seen a lot of trees on this and other sites, and I serious have no clue why that tree is any better than the crap stock that I have. Is it the name that is attached to the post that makes it a good piece of stock? Or that I dont have my own line of pots or run my own bonsai site.
I am not attacking anyone. Life is to short to be bothered with that.
Just seems to me that it wouldnt be hard to be constructive.
I still email back and forth with a few bonsaists that I meet in Japan. I am not a name dropper, not that it matters who they are. I sent them all picks of my $1.00 Nana, and I got a ton of ideas and praise for saving the little tree. (not that I was looking for praise. Just help with my trees.)
Why is it that these guys that work on tons of trees, can find the time to point out whats wrong and whats good, what I need to do to fix the bad and what I need to do to enhance the good. But on here I feel like I am being looked down at, and I am not good enough to be bothered with.
I sure everyone on this site was new at sometime. No one was hatched with pruning shears in hand and set down in front of a turntable and started pruning master pieces.
Maybe this site just isnt geared for people new to bonsai. If so I am sorry to have bothered anyone.
And frankly in defense of my $1.00 Nana. I think it has a lot of character and I think it will make a fine cascade one day. Will it win a contest? Who cares. Everything in life is not a contest. Some things are for the plain ol' joy of doing it.
Thats my 2-cents for what its worth. Probably not even worth 2 cents.
Feel free to flame away or ignore. I will go on learning bonsai.
I pesonally got into bonsai because I fell in love with these little trees while stationed in Japan. I am a navy man, medically seperated, but an old salt none the less.
I bought several trees while there that I kept alive and triving for years. I dont consider this being a bonsaist because I didnt create these trees. I followed the directions of the man I got them from and pruned and fertilized and watered as I was instructed. All was good until I got transfered from Florida at 65 degrees to Maryland at 15 degrees. The trees didnt make it through the climate change no matter what I tried or what I did. I was out a bunch of money and completely as far as I thought done with bonsai.
After a bunch of personal stuff, I found myself single and back at home in Kentucky. With the little trees calling to me. I decided that I wanted to be a bonsaist. I wanted to create, not buy. I wanted to design and shape not following the directions someone gave me.
The issues I am starting to have are the following:
No one seems to want to give help. Well I deffinatley shouldnt say no one.
Reading only gets you so far. And I am going to join the local bonsai club when they have their next meeting, if I dont have to work.
I never realized how ego driven most bonsaists are. I thought bonsai was supposed to be relaxing and introspective. Seems to me more people would post pics of their trees if they didnt feel like they were going to be attacked by the all mightly gods of bonsai.
All I ask for is constructive critism. I know I have crap stock. I dont know about anyone else but I dont understand learning on an expensive piece of stock. I personally would rather kill a $1 tree over a $100.00 tree.
If there is something wrong with a tree, say your piece, and explain whats wrong. Dont make a blanket statement; its a stick in a pot, why are you messing with that crap. Just throw that away.
I have seen a lot of trees on this and other sites, and I serious have no clue why that tree is any better than the crap stock that I have. Is it the name that is attached to the post that makes it a good piece of stock? Or that I dont have my own line of pots or run my own bonsai site.
I am not attacking anyone. Life is to short to be bothered with that.
Just seems to me that it wouldnt be hard to be constructive.
I still email back and forth with a few bonsaists that I meet in Japan. I am not a name dropper, not that it matters who they are. I sent them all picks of my $1.00 Nana, and I got a ton of ideas and praise for saving the little tree. (not that I was looking for praise. Just help with my trees.)
Why is it that these guys that work on tons of trees, can find the time to point out whats wrong and whats good, what I need to do to fix the bad and what I need to do to enhance the good. But on here I feel like I am being looked down at, and I am not good enough to be bothered with.
I sure everyone on this site was new at sometime. No one was hatched with pruning shears in hand and set down in front of a turntable and started pruning master pieces.
Maybe this site just isnt geared for people new to bonsai. If so I am sorry to have bothered anyone.
And frankly in defense of my $1.00 Nana. I think it has a lot of character and I think it will make a fine cascade one day. Will it win a contest? Who cares. Everything in life is not a contest. Some things are for the plain ol' joy of doing it.
Thats my 2-cents for what its worth. Probably not even worth 2 cents.
Feel free to flame away or ignore. I will go on learning bonsai.