| TIME TO PLAN FOR YOUR STATE FAIR SHOW ENTRY! Here are the categories for the 2007 Bonsai Show at the Minnesota State Fair - it's never too soon to start planning which tree(s) you might enter, and start preparing. The judge this year will be visiting bonsai artist Guy Guidry. COLLECTED TREES - FOREST STYLE TROPICAL VARIETIES - LITERATI (OR BUNJIN) STYLE MAPLES - FRUITING OR FLOWERING TREES (and OTHER for everything else) There is also a Shohin tree category with a Best Shohin in Show trophy. Bob Hampel tells how to Prep Your Show Tree HERE c c c ANNUAL SUMMERTIME REMINDER! As part of your regular summer routine, be aware of the weather before you leave your bonsai for the day. In hot and/or windy conditions, well-drained soil in pots can dry out to a deadly state very quickly - the smaller the pot, the faster the drying. Some plants such as pines, cedars and various junipers can take dry soil for a time. But trees with large, soft leaves cannot, so an ounce of prevention goes a long way. When a hot windy day is forecast, water thoroughly and set pots in the shade or out of the wind or on the ground - or any combination of these. c c c Quoting Carl Morimoto, editor of Golden Statements magazine May/June 2007: "Often, I think, 'What is a nice bonsai?' ... the answer may be separated into (1) a bonsai with meticulous appearance achieved through skillful arrangement of branches and foliage to the smallest branches, or (2) a bonsai with very natural appearance with aged look, without any sign of manually forced shaping. Although the former emphasizes the refinement and the latter appeals to peace and composure of our senses, both impart a beauty in a bonsai. As an art, bonsai requires creativity and manipulation of forms, space, and balance. With a living art, it is endless - both in effort and enjoyment." c c c |
| A Poem For June I meant to do my work today, But a brown bird sang in the apple tree, And a butterfly flitted across the field, And all the leaves were calling me. And the wind went sighing over the land, Tossing the grasses to and fro, And a rainbow held out its shining hand, So what could I do but laugh and go? - Richard LeGallienne More Miscellaneous |
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