I would love to get input from those of you who have been doing Bonsai for sometime now. When you first started out, did you learn by reading, experimenting on nursery stock, both or other avenues ?
I am finding that there are different perspectives and beliefs on this and some with more rigid guidelines. I have found that some people get upset when you do something to a tree that may not have been very successful for some. One of the things that I’ve heard is once you start doing Bonsai, you should not wire for at least 1 to 2 years into your journey. Ect…
Personally I have combined reading, seeking wisdom from those with more experience as well as hands-on. I have definitely done work on a tree that I thought was a risk, but I did it in the spirit of learning and was very hopeful for the success of the tree. My thought is obviously with practice you’re going to have some loss and failures. Of course we all set out to be successful and preserve tree life but in evolving and growing, sometimes we push boundaries and “rules” that are upsetting to some. I have found that some think strictly black-and-white, where others lean on the side of creative and experimenting. And also some combine the two thought processes for doing bonsai. I have found people who do more traditional Bonsai and those who are more creative clashing on how they approach those of us just learning.
Just curious on your perspectives on how one proceeds to learn as we sort through the different practices and not offend those with different approaches?
I am finding that there are different perspectives and beliefs on this and some with more rigid guidelines. I have found that some people get upset when you do something to a tree that may not have been very successful for some. One of the things that I’ve heard is once you start doing Bonsai, you should not wire for at least 1 to 2 years into your journey. Ect…
Personally I have combined reading, seeking wisdom from those with more experience as well as hands-on. I have definitely done work on a tree that I thought was a risk, but I did it in the spirit of learning and was very hopeful for the success of the tree. My thought is obviously with practice you’re going to have some loss and failures. Of course we all set out to be successful and preserve tree life but in evolving and growing, sometimes we push boundaries and “rules” that are upsetting to some. I have found that some think strictly black-and-white, where others lean on the side of creative and experimenting. And also some combine the two thought processes for doing bonsai. I have found people who do more traditional Bonsai and those who are more creative clashing on how they approach those of us just learning.
Just curious on your perspectives on how one proceeds to learn as we sort through the different practices and not offend those with different approaches?