Photos from BSBF Convention

[Bonsai Nut]

Photos from the exhibit can be found here. I moved this thread into General Discussion (for now) so that people can post without worrying about moderator approval.

I was a little surprised to see the manzanita this year. It is an amazing bonsai, but does not look very strong or healthy - particularly comparing it to how it looked two years ago.

 

[Attila Soos]

It is an amazing bonsai, but does not look very strong or healthy - particularly comparing it to how it looked two years ago.

I am having the same impression, the tree is slowly declining.

 

[irene_b]

Photos from the exhibit can be found here. I moved this thread into General Discussion (for now) so that people can post without worrying about moderator approval.

I was a little surprised to see the manzanita this year. It is an amazing bonsai, but does not look very strong or healthy - particularly comparing it to how it looked two years ago.

Thank You for taking the pics and posting them!!! Great job behind the camera!!
Irene

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Great job behind the camera!!
Irene

I had to use my little point and shoot. I couldn't locate my wife's SLR. So I'm glad with how they turned out, but I lost a few pictures for some reason and had some issues with the back-lighting. For the purposes of the web site, I think they turned out ok.

Make sure to "click" the photos to get higher resolution. They don't get much larger, but it turns off the auto-compression and the photos are much clearer.

 

[irene_b]

Cool will do that!!!
I think they came out dang great!

 

[Just Duane]

Beautiful trees, thanks for sharing Greg

 

[R_F]

Thank you! Those trees were very impressive.

 

[art-rodriguez]

manzanita

I am having the same impression, the tree is slowly declining.

the manzanita is an excellent tree !
is there anything that can be done to try and save the tree ?
maybe a deeper pot ?
i hear that manzanitas don't like their roots disturbed etc.
i believe there is a area manzanita expert named Greg i believe from Hood River, Oregon who may be of assistance in this concern.
Art Rodriguez
Vancouver, Wa.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

the manzanita is an excellent tree !
is there anything that can be done to try and save the tree ?

I hesitate to be too critical about any tree I see at the GSBF show. These trees are often the work of people who have been involved with bonsai their entire lives. The manzanita at the show is considered by many to be the finest manzanita bonsai in existence. It is the work of Lindsay Shiba, who is not only a lifetime bonsai enthusiast, but a professional nurseryman. He has more experience working with these trees than I will probably ever have.

That's why I said I was surprised to see the tree at the show. Normally you plan your maintenance around a show calendar - and if you are planning to take your trees to a show you start preparing them a season in advance (or more). If a tree looks weak, you take another tree or wait a couple of years until the tree is ready. Perhaps manzanitas do, by their very nature, die back and loose major sections of foilage on a regular basis. I freely admit I have almost no experience with them besides seeing them in the mountains. Therefore maybe the only thing weak about that tree is my appreciation of it I hope this is the case. It would be a shame to lose such a fantastic tree.

 

[greerhw]

Sorry, which one is the manzanita ?

keep it green,
Harry

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Sorry, which one is the manzanita ?

keep it green,
Harry

This one.

 

[irene_b]

I hesitate to be too critical about any tree I see at the GSBF show. These trees are often the work of people who have been involved with bonsai their entire lives. The manzanita at the show is considered by many to be the finest manzanita bonsai in existence. It is the work of Lindsay Shiba, who is not only a lifetime bonsai enthusiast, but a professional nurseryman. He has more experience working with these trees than I will probably ever have.

That's why I said I was surprised to see the tree at the show. Normally you plan your maintenance around a show calendar - and if you are planning to take your trees to a show you start preparing them a season in advance (or more). If a tree looks weak, you take another tree or wait a couple of years until the tree is ready. Perhaps manzanitas do, by their very nature, die back and loose major sections of foilage on a regular basis. I freely admit I have almost no experience with them besides seeing them in the mountains. Therefore maybe the only thing weak about that tree is my appreciation of it I hope this is the case. It would be a shame to lose such a fantastic tree.

I also have a collected Manzanita. They do not like root work, or copper. They can die back but not like that unless something else is going on...Up potted and allowed to grow free for a year or two will replenish the health and vigor on it.
Irene

 

[grizzlywon]

I have wondered a lot about manzanita, as it's the only tree I could collect with almost no limits in a certain untold area with permission. But I keep hearing that they are nightmares to keep alive. Don't want to waist the time if the odds are stacked against me.

 

[Smoke]

I have a scan of a photo I took in 1994 of this tree. The main crown has died but the right branches have filled out very well.

15 years and still going.

Greg's current photo and...
Mine from 15 years ago...

Once you have opened both photos you can use the next...previous button under the photo to bounce back and fourth.

 

[Just Duane]

Thanks for the comparison shots Al.

On a side note, I was fortunate to be on Lindsay Shibas table for lunch during the Hawaii Bonsai Convention. He was a very humble guy with loads of knowledge.

 

[Smoke]

Grouper52 (Will Hiltz)

A Rose between two Thorns; Victrinia, Smoke and Yamadori (Victrinia Ridgeway, Al Keppler and Barbara M.

The bad boys of Bonsai; Smoke, Maria Kapra and Attila ( Al Keppler, Peter Macaseib and Attila Soos)

 

[Smoke]

Working shots of "The Tree".

 

[Smoke]

Well....Barbara, Victrinia and Eric probably didn't think there remained any evidence of margaritaville at the mission.

Ha! I had my camera there to record their entrance to the banquet. Eric wasn't walking too straight.

Victrinia and Barbara just couldn't stop laughing. What a site...

 

[irene_b]

Al,Thank You for posting these!

 

[Yamadori]

What a time! Eric was definately weaving. We were having a great time. It was so funny.