Blog | Bonsaiplace

Read as much as you can.

I recently saw a few posts on social media where people new to Bonsai asked for advice and also for good sources of reliable information. The “reliable information” made me think even more. Most of this happens in the internet and as mentioned, on social media. In a lot of cases the credentials of the people answering these questions cannot be easily established and one of the things that really get to me is that people give advice without establishing where the person asking the question is from. I have recently moved 500km north on the North Island of New Zealand and now know that even a relatively short distance like that makes for a very different climate and a complete rethink of when to do what with my trees.

Join a club or two or three.

So, where and what are the best places and people to go to. My personal philosophy on this is that you should use as many resources as possible. One of the answers amongst a whole host of really good ones out of a discussion of which club to join (think this was in Australia), was that one must be weary of clubs as there is usually a dominant teacher there with set ideas and that one should actually just watch You Tube videos. Nothing wrong with the videos, but the person went further to mention one specific series of videos, again with one dominant teacher. No change then.

By all means, join a club. It is a very good thing to do. As a matter of fact, join more than one. Supplement this with watching a variety of videos, there are millions on line. The emphasis here is on the variety. Out of this, always relate it back to what you already know, where your knowledge and skills come from and how that relates to your trees, your philosophy and your climate. This reflection part is to me the most important phase of learning. Digest all of the information that you have and take what suits your situation. Books, whether in digital format or printed (still my favourite) should be part of this learning. Attend conventions, workshops and demonstrations. This is probably where you will learn most.

Many online videos exist.

This learning journey never stops and if you are exposed to a “sensei” who does not learn anymore him- or herself, run as far away and as fast as you can. Bonsai is the ultimate lifelong learning exercise.

I have been following quite a lot of Blogs from well known and not so well known people within the Bonsai world. I am at that stage where I think I also have something to contribute. The best way for me is to do it through a Blog. My hope is to add some value to other Bonsai enthusiasts who are on this journey that never ends. I also contribute regularly to Bonsai Times, the New Zealand Bonsai Association’s official publication. My intention is to post those articles here as well.

My quest for knowledge has led me to Blogging. New Zealand has very strict laws in place to prevent the spreading of plant based pathogens. This means that we cannot import Bonsai and everything we have in our collections must come from within. The Bonsai community here is also relatively small and we are reliant on International exposure. This is mainly done through reading whatever we can get our hands on and by attending conventions and displays. The NZBA and host clubs do bring high caliber artists and demonstrators in and the knowledge that they spread is soaked up. The internet is also a huge help with Facebook putting many Bonsai enthusiasts in contact with each other.

My interests are focussed on the Philosophy, Art as well as the practical horticulture that provides the foundation for Bonsai. In exploring all of this, I have also recently started Vlogging. These videos are posted on You Tube and this Blog now gives me the opportunity to post those videos here as well.

So here goes …….