Would you let someone style your tree for you?
- Thread starter Fidur
- Start date
ShadyStump
Imperial Masterpiece
That's fair.
Do you have another thought on it? No holds barred. I'm genuinely interested in exploring the various avenues available to people.
Before I invested money into really good trees, I first invested money into my education on how to produce, and maintain really good trees. Once I had the education THEN I started buying good material and making it become good bonsai. Before I obtained the education, I was making pretty good but not really good bonsai. I needed the education to “get to the next level” which is where I wanted to be. If you don’t want to improve, I suppose that the education isn’t necessary. But I wanted to have the kind of trees that you see in the magazines, and I knew I didn’t know how to do it. So, I invested in the education. And continue to do so.
If I may, let me make another point…
I started trying to do bonsai when I was 16 or 17 years old. I’m 68 now, so that’s some 50+ years ago. There was no internet, no videos. There were only a few books and even they were scarce. I knew nothing about bonsai clubs, traveling masters, or any way of learning about bonsai other than by the few books I could find. I struggled to find any information and/or instruction. I heard about Father Paul at the Monastery in Conyers, GA. I drove out there in hopes of getting some information. (This was before the days of GPS, or even decent Road Atlases! I went to the gas station to get a road map to figure out how to get there!). And when I did get to the Monastery, Father Paul, while he was polite, he wasn’t interested in teaching… he did sell me a couple books! The Monks weren’t supposed to talk, but Father Paul talked a little to be able to sell trees and bonsai supplies. But certainly, he wasn’t going to teach anything.
I continued to struggle with bonsai. A few years later, I found a bonsai shop, The Garden Source, that taught classes. There, I learned the basics of wiring, the various styles, and they had a few of the types of trees used for bonsai. Like trident maples. Oh, what progress I made! From there I learned about the Atlanta Bonsai Society. And from there, I was able to take workshops from some travelling masters. Like Bill Valavanis and John Naka and Chase Rosade. My bonsai continued to improve but I could never get anywhere near like the images I saw in the books.
It wasn’t until I found out about Boon’s Intensive classes where I had the chance to study and work on advanced trees that I learned the techniques needed to advance to the next level. The Intensive classes are very hands on, and at least for me, they were what I needed.
In my mind, anyone who has access to any of these guys (Bjorn, Ryan, Michael, Matt, Tyler, Danny, etc) and doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity is foolish.
Today, there are many former Japanese apprentices who have brought superior knowledge back from Japan that simply wasn’t available when I started bonsai back in 1970. If I had had the knowledge of someone like Tyler or Bjorn back in 1970 (or access to that knowledge) my trees today would be incredible! It’s SO much easier to get good info today!
I started trying to do bonsai when I was 16 or 17 years old. I’m 68 now, so that’s some 50+ years ago. There was no internet, no videos. There were only a few books and even they were scarce. I knew nothing about bonsai clubs, traveling masters, or any way of learning about bonsai other than by the few books I could find. I struggled to find any information and/or instruction. I heard about Father Paul at the Monastery in Conyers, GA. I drove out there in hopes of getting some information. (This was before the days of GPS, or even decent Road Atlases! I went to the gas station to get a road map to figure out how to get there!). And when I did get to the Monastery, Father Paul, while he was polite, he wasn’t interested in teaching… he did sell me a couple books! The Monks weren’t supposed to talk, but Father Paul talked a little to be able to sell trees and bonsai supplies. But certainly, he wasn’t going to teach anything.
I continued to struggle with bonsai. A few years later, I found a bonsai shop, The Garden Source, that taught classes. There, I learned the basics of wiring, the various styles, and they had a few of the types of trees used for bonsai. Like trident maples. Oh, what progress I made! From there I learned about the Atlanta Bonsai Society. And from there, I was able to take workshops from some travelling masters. Like Bill Valavanis and John Naka and Chase Rosade. My bonsai continued to improve but I could never get anywhere near like the images I saw in the books.
It wasn’t until I found out about Boon’s Intensive classes where I had the chance to study and work on advanced trees that I learned the techniques needed to advance to the next level. The Intensive classes are very hands on, and at least for me, they were what I needed.
In my mind, anyone who has access to any of these guys (Bjorn, Ryan, Michael, Matt, Tyler, Danny, etc) and doesn’t take advantage of the opportunity is foolish.
Today, there are many former Japanese apprentices who have brought superior knowledge back from Japan that simply wasn’t available when I started bonsai back in 1970. If I had had the knowledge of someone like Tyler or Bjorn back in 1970 (or access to that knowledge) my trees today would be incredible! It’s SO much easier to get good info today!
StPaddy
Mame
I suck at styling. I’m good at watering. I’m great at overwatering…I’ve had three trees styled by a pro. Best money I have spent…along with good pots and good plant material. Now I am looking for a pine and plan to buy a finished tree…or semi finished. I get most of my ‘joy’ out of looking at them, and do not mind who made them look nice. That being said I learn how to maintain them so they do not grow wild.
I am trying to actively learn to improve my skills. Wiring, pruning, repotting etc on less expensive material and feel I have a good path I’m walking. But at the end of the day I really like just looking at plants. It’s how I start my day and end my day. My kid thinks I’m nuts and says I like to stare at them so much I just watch them grow. Maybe so. I find it calming but now I digress. I also enjoy researching potters and bonsai history.
Anyhow just wanted to contribute to the thread.
I am trying to actively learn to improve my skills. Wiring, pruning, repotting etc on less expensive material and feel I have a good path I’m walking. But at the end of the day I really like just looking at plants. It’s how I start my day and end my day. My kid thinks I’m nuts and says I like to stare at them so much I just watch them grow. Maybe so. I find it calming but now I digress. I also enjoy researching potters and bonsai history.
Anyhow just wanted to contribute to the thread.
penumbra
Imperial Masterpiece
Well somehow I got through this entire thread. I learned that:
no one is right
no one is wrong
and many people just really like hearing themselves
no one is right
no one is wrong
and many people just really like hearing themselves
ShadyStump
Imperial Masterpiece
Shogun610
Masterpiece
Just being a person with lots of money buying up expensive trees doesn’t cut it for me either
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