How to maximize your bonsai knowledge?

johng

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building knowledge

Hello Rick... you are quite prolific with words my friend... I think a caveat, or perhaps more than a caveat needs to added to your article... You can read and look at pictures all you want but it will never be a substitute for actually working on trees, viewing trees and talking about trees with other hobbyist. As far as the Internet is concerned, information needs to be carefully scrutinized as there are no editors to insure quality. WRT (your favorite acronym) bonsai, chances are better than not in most cases that information presented may not apply to reader based solely on location...and that is only one of the many other factors that should be considered when determining the relevance of information.

I realize that you're isolated in terms of other bonsai hobbyists and clubs...but it is these avenues where folks will find and build the most relevant knowledge related to bonsai. For me and all of the other bonsai enthusiasts whom I know well, it was not until we began to spend time with other hobbyists, join clubs, go to conventions, and do workshops that our knowledge really began to grow and accelerate. Several of the folks I know spent years(as many as 20) studying on there own...of course this was pre-Internet... but by their own admission once they became involved with others the quality of their trees and level at which they practiced grew exponentially.

Once again..I am not discounting what can be learned from bonsai related Internet resources, but one has to acknowledge that this is not the most conducive method for learning a hobby which entails so many intricacies. Furthermore, I suspect there are few, if any, hobbyist out there that have learned only from books and the Internet that are truly satisfied with their own trees...I would also bet that many of their trees suffer from a two-dimensional learning experience.

I love bonsai forums and occasionally pick up a trick or two, but it will never be a substitute for the opportunity and experience of getting together with other hobbyists.
John
 

Rick Moquin

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John,

... and you will never receive any argument from me on the subject. Nothing replaces one on one, or club interaction and experience.

From the original entry, the article took on a different slant after it was toned down, the gist was lost.

BTW thanks for the critique and feedback.

Edit: The original content was edited in order to truly express the views of the author. In doing so, a new section was required to house these editorials, vice the article section.
 
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