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Schedule of eventsMeetings are held at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, at 777 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto, in the lower auditorium on the west side of building, unless otherwise noted.
Beginner sessions: 6:30 – 7:20 p.m.The beginner sessions are held in Studio #2 upstairs. All beginners should take a look at the new TBS Journal section, beginners corner, on page 7, and visit the Beginners Corner section on the TBS web site.
January: bonsai design, presented by Mike Roussel.
February: no beginner session - silent auction.
March: suitable trees for bonsai; how to manage your bonsai collection.
April: essentials of repotting, pruning, wiring, root development.
General meetings: 7:30 – 10:00 p.m.
January 10: TBS meeting: suiseki & stone appreciation, with Arthur Skolnik and Jeff Shortt. Please bring in your viewing stones for critique and discussion.
February 14: TBS meeting: silent auction. Bring in your donations, help support the club, and clear out your garage.
March 14: TBS meeting: propagating your own bonsai trees & how to keep collected trees alive.
April 11: TBS meeting: white spruce forest demo, presented by Norman Haddrick.
May 9: TBS meeting: shohin dwarf elm (Ulmus x hollandica 'Jacqueline Hillier') workshop. Sign up with Cheryl or Linda.
May 22, 23: TBS spring show. Bring in your bonsai, accent plants, viewing stones, for display.
June 13: TBS meeting: Blaauwii juniper & bring your own tree workshop.
Backyard workshops/garden parties: contact your TBS executive, listed on the back page, to offer your backyard for a get together.
The publishing deadline for the February TBS Journal is Wednesday, February 2 (Ground hog day).
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Linda Chevrier's snow covered Blaauwi juniper (Juniperus chinensis 'Blaauwi') in early winter 2009. Purchased from the club at a workshop, receiving help from John Biel initially, she's had this bonsai for about 14 years. Photo by Linda as well.
The bonsai doctorby Mike Roussel
Last winter I gave my mother-in-law a bonsai as a Christmas gift. She had asked for one specifically so I decided to give her one from my own collection - one that I grew from a cutting around 8 years ago. It has a nice curvy trunk with a thick base and dramatic taper, the product of a series of big sacrifice branches. Being created from scratch, I knew the branches were near “perfect” with nice nebari as well. I had never intended to sell the tree, but with limited space in my new house, and a sweet request, I was happy to give it to a family member where I could see it from time to time.
It gives me great pleasure to hear how much she loves the tree. Every time I saw her she had to tell me how well it is was making out, proud of the good job she was doing, caring for her first bonsai. We have not gotten to the wiring yet and with her arthritis I have been providing a service in that respect.
I thought all was well in bonsai-land, but when I visited on New Year's and saw the tree, I was surprised to see the state my “baby” was in. 3/4 of the leaves were gone with just some new growth at the tips. It was not in a fatal state (evidenced by the new shoots coming out) but some of the secondary branches were definitely gone. I was told that in the late fall some of the leaves had turned yellow and fallen. I instructed her that it was the normal way of things: the tree was shedding some of its leaves due to the lower amount of sunlight at that time of year. Upon further inspection though, I discovered that while that event did happen, the other problem was those nasty creatures: spider mites. There was also a small watering issue which had produced some root rot (evidenced by the soil having a slightly fetid smell).
I took the time to show her the tiny webs and creatures crawling on the new shoots and under the leaves and explained that spider mites love warm, dry conditions and the best way to thwart them is to provide a moist, humid environment. I showed her how to fix the issue by spraying the tree with water periodically (especially the leaf undersides) and suggested insecticidal soap if the problem persists. I also explained that when a tree starts losing leaves, the uptake of water slows; so it is important to modulate the amount of watering instead of sticking to the usual schedule. I suggested letting the tree dry out before watering again and we would do a transplant once the tree recovers sufficiently.
Being a good son-in-law meant offering to take the tree home with me for a week or two to nurse it back to health for her. The former nurse agreed to let the “doctor” take her tree home with him for a little TLC (tender loving care). I am confident that I will be able to return the bonsai back to a healthy and beautiful state.
Thinking about this little story reminds me of how challenging it can be to start out with bonsai, and how important it is to seek out support so one doesn’t become discouraged. Unfortunately, not everyone has a son-in-law who is the president of a bonsai club to provide assistance.
Those of you beginners reading this message have taken an important step in joining the Toronto Bonsai Society; but how much are you leveraging this opportunity? Are you coming to our beginner sessions, taking workshops, reading books in the library? Are you bringing in trees to every meeting, seeking the advice of more senior members? If you are, that is great. If you aren’t, what are you waiting for?
Shoku workshop with Sean Smithby Barbara Pope
A small group of us spent a rainy, cold December day assembling bonsai stands (called 'Shoku', in Japanese) under the expert tutelage of Sean Smith, who is a master wood carver from Marysville, Pennsylvania. It was a fun afternoon and the best thing is that we now possess lovely walnut bonsai stands which, once stained, can be used in the next club show.
Sean started the workshop with a slide show presentation on bonsai display tables. It was interesting to learn about tokanoma displays, but he made several comments which I found particularly interesting. One is that a bonsai artist should have a variety of display tables in different sizes and heights. Indeed, Sean showed a Japanese bonsai master ‘s collection which filled a room. His display tables were neatly stored in order of size. It was impressive!
Not intuitive to me was the fact that the tables should be taller for mame and shohin bonsai and lower for large bonsai. This of course makes sense when you consider that the goal is to view all bonsai at eye level. Another interesting point was that, in Japan, all of the elements of a tokonoma (display table, pot, scroll, and art objects) should be old if the bonsai in the display is an old collected tree. This is considered a sign of respect to the tree.
We then went on to actually assemble our stands. We were given a table top, 4 legs with round holes in the top and square holes on two sides, 4 side railings, and 4 small dowels. The top had a floating central panel which I had considered previously to be a decorative aspect of the design. However, it turns out that the central panel is made of a walnut veneer which is less susceptible to expansion and contraction. This prevents warping, which would be more likely to occur if the top was made of solid wood.
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Greg Quinn receives basic carpentry help from Sean.
The first job was to glue the dowels into the legs and fit into a corresponding hole on the underside of the top. We learned some tricks, such as wetting the end of the leg and pressing it on the top to mark where the corresponding hole should be drilled. At first glance, the dowels looked much too big to fit into the holes, but we managed to force and glue them into
place. Then the side railings were cut to size and glued into place and the whole stand given the final adjustment.
Our homework is to stain the table with an oil based stain. This protects the wood and harmonizes the colour of the whole table. This is followed by a coat or two of clear lacquer with a light sanding in between. The final coat is paste wax applied with a fine steel wool and then buffed to give the table a sheen and to protect the wood.
One more word of wisdom from Sean: this is a fine piece of furniture - be careful to lift the pots when repositioning! He also mentioned that scratched or dirty stands should be cleaned with baby oil.
Apparently not just for babies in Japan, baby oil is used to clean pots, tools and stands.
Making a slab standby David Johnson, reprinted from the TBS Journal, December, 2003
When displaying a bonsai, the tree always looks best on a matching stand. The same applies to the container in which the tree is grown. (What constitutes an appropriate stand or container for a given tree is the subject for another important discussion.) This article will touch on the subject of stands by following the process of building one.
The difficulty of having a hobby with limited access to supplies or knowledge can sometimes force you to improvise. Some of us try our hands at building pots, others at building stands while still others try both. Whether these attempts are successful or not will be left to the judgment of viewers. Both pottery and woodworking are skills mastered over many years and it is difficult for amateurs to cheat time...but we still try.
I needed a low (in height) stand to display a literati jack pine. The stand needed to be low to match the narrowness of the tree¹s trunk and lightness of the foliage mass. This is similar to matching the trunk diameter to the depth of the pot. A very low-legged stand might be suitable but another option could be a slab. A slab is a slice of wood cut across grain through a tree trunk. If cut at the base or at the buttress root/trunk area, the edge will be irregular making it look more natural and interesting. Sometimes slabs are made by cutting through burls showing even greater irregular shape and grain.
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Back row: Barbara Pope, Sean Smith, Linda Chevrier, Mike Roussel, Jean Charing. Front row: Maegan Myer, Jeff Shortt, Greg Quinn.
Jean Charing, Mike Roussel, and Arthur Skolnik, gluing and clamping bonsai stands.
Sean helped get the legs aligned.
Linda Chevrier sets her clamps.
I thought of making my own slab stand when one of my neighbours cut down a large spruce with a three-foot diameter trunk at the base. I asked for permission to cut a slab off what was left of the stump. With a chainsaw, I cut off a rough slab about 3 inches thick. The height of the slab had to be reduced to bring it closer in thickness to the bonsai¹s trunk diameter. Ideally the slab height should be less than the trunk diameter so that slab height, trunk diameter and pot depth would not be the same and thus repeated three times. I was concerned about reducing the height of the slab too much since that could cause it to easily break due to the weaker end-grain cut. [It would have been better if the finished slab had turned out thinner for display with this jack pine (Pinus banksiana).]
Being a woodworking amateur, I thought a band saw might be able to cut off the rough edge to reduce the height but the slab was too big. Then I considered running it through a stationary planer but it was too difficult to cut
across the grain which is on end on the slab. Then I borrowed my brother-in law¹s electric hand-planer but found that although it did a pretty good job of smoothing the slab, it might take me a year or two to finish the job. Not wanting to let this story sound like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, I sought and received some good advice from TBS Journal editor Dierk Neugebauer. Dierk suggested I use a router by setting up a frame around the slab to support the router while I took the wood off layer by layer. I tried to make the frame and even had a sheet of wood that already had a recessed portion for my router¹s face but I found the whole assembly would be too large to accommodate the slab.
Instead I used the router freehand on the relatively flat surfaces created by the electric planer and worked it from the outside inward. The plan was to router off the last bit in the centre. This worked out pass after pass. When the slab was close to the right height, I used the electric planer to finish it off. I used a steel square to check for straightness across the top and bottom and also to maintain a uniform height throughout. After consulting some guys at work, I followed their suggestion to use a hand belt sander to finish the job. Again, my brother-in-law (bless him) stood up to the plate and handed me his sander. The sander worked well and helped to reduce the height even further.
Throughout this project I had two problems to deal with. One was to keep the rough bark intact and attached to the slab for aesthetic reasons (this is bonsai after all and rough bark is precious). The other problem came from the slab being of relatively green wood since the tree was just cut this spring and the slab removed mid-summer. Green wood can crack as it dries unevenly. Club member Grace Wicht recommended a product called "Pentacryl" from Lee Valley (naturally) which when applied resists cracking.
The bark seemed to chip off easily so I had to be careful when handling it. You have to be very careful when using the planer and be aware of the direction of its rotation so that you do not rip off some of the bark like I did when I went over the edge. In other words, you can have the tool rotate by cutting toward the centre of the slab from outside the edge
(bark/wood junction). Do not allow it to rotate away from the slab. I saved the broken-off pieces and tried to glue some back on but matching up the pieces and the bark was difficult. However, I did glue sections of the bark that were separating from the slab and held them in place with clamps. I could have used surgical tubing because of the irregular shape but I did not have any at the time. I put some of the sanding dust into the glue so that any glue not completely wiped off would take some of the stain that would be applied later. 5
The "Pentacryl" worked well but the suggestion on the bottle to wrap the slab in a damp cloth and put it into a plastic bag caused some mold build-up on the wood. I removed the wet cloth, sprayed on some fungicide and exposed the slab to more air. The only small cracks that developed on the slab occurred before the application of "Pentacryl." The mold left dark stains in the light coloured wood so I used a "Minwax" tip to remove dark spots by applying some bleach to the surface and then re-doing the darkest areas. This helped, but did not entirely remove the stain.
Intending to create a uniform colour on the already dark bark, I used a dark walnut stain. This covered up the colour difference caused by the chipped bark. On the top which was very light in colour, I used a lighter walnut stain. This maintained a contrast but a very diminished one. Most stands from Asia are dark in colour in order to have the eye focus on the tree and to a lesser extent, the container. (After I Varathane the bottom of the slab, I will put some small coasters underneath to make it easier to lift the slab and avoid breaking bark off at the edge.)
To secure and protect the bark area, I applied Varathane. I did the same to the top to protect it from scratches, something you have be very careful about. AVOID DRAGGING POTS ACROSS THE SURFACE OF STANDS AND SCRATCHING THEM. Also of concern is the water still remaining in the wood and the risk of trapping it in because, since I polyurethaned the top, I would have to do the same to the bottom to maintain a uniform sealing of the wood. A salesperson at Lee Valley recommended slowly drying the slab in a cool area before sealing the bottom.
Another point to consider is the shape of the slab at the front. If it is correct to make an analogy with rock slabs, then Mr. Susumu Nakamura¹s comment that the front of the slab should move inward slightly at the centre holds true. A slight inward movement invites the viewer towards the tree. The slab should also have movement that compliments the movement of the tree. In the case of this slab, when I displayed a tree on it, I rotated the slab to couple this inward movement with the overall movement of the slab and tree. These naturally random slab shapes mean that you may need a number of them to fit various situations in terms of size and slab movement. Alternatively, you could just cut a pattern in a natural shape out of a piece of end-grained wood.
Grace Wicht mentioned to me that a fellow in the United States who made slabs has stopped making them. This means that us amateurs will have to fill the gap if we want a slab. Perhaps this article will encourage others to build their own slab stand.
TBS announcementsMembership renewalsThe period for membership renewals has expired. If you have forgotten to do so, please visit the club web site (www.torontobonsai.org) click on the MEMBERSHIP button on the left, print out a renewal form, fill it in, and either mail it to the address listed, or bring it to a meeting, and give it to Cheryl or Linda at the Membership desk.
TBS electionsThis is an election year for us, so consider entering your name for a position on the TBS Executive. The positions available are: secretary, vice-president, librarian. The vote will be held in June.
Bonsai - not for profit! The TBS has decided to go the route of a "not-for-profit" corporation in order to get discounts and sponsorship money. The benefits are that we will have more money and resources for shows, guest speakers, better materials, pots, and everything that our club funds.
In this matter, we need guidance from members who have a legal or accounting background, or know from experience what kind of support would be useful to make our application successful.
Contact Mike Roussel or Otmar Sauer if you can make a contribution.
Bill Valavanis, Marco InvernizziUnfortunately, Bill Valavanis can't come to visit this spring; but we do get Marco Invernizzi instead. There is an opportunity to book private sessions on a first come, first served basis. Contact Mike Roussel for more information.
Here's Marco's web site: http://www.marcoinvernizzi.com/
Local boy makes good bonsai abroadCongratulations to David Johnson, our TBS past president, who just graduated from Boon Bonsai's 'Intensives' program this fall. Led by professional bonsai artist Boon Manakativipart, based in Alameda, California, the course involves nine three-day courses over three years of intensive bonsai training.
The benefit of the program is the time and consideration over time spent on any single bonsai - most of us do not spend enough time with our trees. David is the first Canadian to graduate from Boon's program - an example to us all. The notice appears on the Bay Island Bonsai web site.
Bonsai stand kits availableThere are several walnut bonsai stand kits available for purchase from the club for $100. Contact Linda or Cheryl to purchase.
6Walnut bonsai stand,
Thanks, Arthur, Linda, CherylThanks to Arthur Skolnik, for hosting Sean Smith during his stay in Toronto, and helping out at the bonsai stand building workshop. Thanks to Linda Chevrier and Cheryl Johnson for organizing this event.
TBS show pictures onlineAt the TBS web site (www.torontobonsai.org), click on GALLERIES, and scroll down on the left hand menu to TBS SHOWS. To view Reiner Goebel's TBS show galleries, click these links: Oct 2009, May 2010
Advertising and selling at the TBSYou can buy and sell at the TBS at any time during the bonsai year (Sept. - June). Simply visit the VENDORS section on the TBS web site, click on TBS MEMBERS, and follow the instructions.
Beginner cornerby Greg Quinn
TBS beginners are encouraged to visit the BEGINNERS section, listed under ARCHIVES on the TBS web site, and read the articles written by Bob Wilcox introducing you to the bonsai hobby here in Toronto.
For seasonal care advice, our web-master, Dierk Neugebauer, has written monthly care advice for bonsai, in the MONTHLY section, also listed under ARCHIVES on the TBS web site.
Here are also some links to TBS Journal articles, dealing with beginner topics:
Winterizing bonsai: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2006/dec.2006/wintering.htm
Shopping for bonsai from nursery stock: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2008/apr.2008/nursery.htm
Potting nursery stock: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2006/apr.2006/potting.boxwood.demo.htm
Potting tips: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2007/apr.2007/D.Y.Tips.htm
Bonsai from bonsai nursery: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2006/nov.2006/nursery.gim.r.htm
Collecting wild trees: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2007/may.2007/collecting.htm
Starting bonsai from seeds: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2007/feb.2007/bonsai.seed.htm
Making bonsai soil: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2007/mar.2007/bonsai.soil.htm
Caring for tools: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2007/apr.2007/bonsai.tools.htm
Choosing the right bonsai pot: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Archives/general/right.pot.htm
Designing bonsai using software: http://www.torontobonsai.org/Journal/Journal.2006/mar.2006/virtual.design.htm
Tools, supplies
The TBS supplies materials such as wire, tools, soils and screens, at the tools table, administered by Robert Dubuc (listed on back page).
Alongside this, we also have a list of vendors, listed under the VENDORS on our web site, who have some or all of these things as well:
http://www.torontobonsai.org/Vendors/index.htm
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Editorialby Greg Quinn
Bonsai standsWhile you do not exactly "need" a bonsai stand in itself, you do need one if you intend to display your bonsai at a bonsai show, which includes our biannual TBS Show. Moreover, you need to stock up on them, since not just any stand will do for any given bonsai. As in the case of bonsai pots, there's a bit choosing to do.
Bonsai and suisekiAlthough suiseki can be displayed on their own, we use them to compliment our bonsai on display. As we heard in Sean Smith's bonsai display presentation at the December meeting, bonsai and suiseki are often presented together, each art form adding to the character of the other. You don't have to use viewing stones for your bonsai, but since the presence of an old stone with character may add character and context to your bonsai, and may fill in the composition, it's not a bad idea. After all, the wind, sun, rain, and passing time that would have shaped the bonsai would also have shaped the suiseki.
But beware: while they are natural partners, it takes a fair amount of skill, insight, and talent to successfully match bonsai and suiseki. Take heart, however, the TBS is here to guide you in your selection!
Here's a link I came across while trying to figure out how one puts these two items of display together:
http://www.suiseki.com/bonsai/index.html
Suiseki collectingIf you can remember one collecting trip several years ago, some people were collecting stones...
Suiseki from the December meeting...
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Otmar Sauer, with a prize find.
Regular TBS meetingsMeetings take place on the second Monday of every month, except July and August, at the Toronto Botanical Gardens, located at 777 Lawrence Avenue East, at Leslie Street, in the auditorium on the west side of the building at 7:00 p.m. The general meetings frequently include: demonstrations of bonsai techniques, critiques of bonsai trees, and workshops, in which each participant styles a tree with the help of an experienced member. These meetings are preceded at 6:30 by the Beginner sessions, held upstairs.
A small fee is charged for workshops, and a tree, wire and instructor are provided. To participate in workshops, it is necessary to register in advance of the meeting so that materials can be provided.
Members are encouraged to bring in bonsai to show and work on during the meetings. Wire is provided at no charge. Non-members may attend a meeting at no charge to see if the club is of interest to them.
Library hours and policyThe library is open to members at the beginning of our regular meetings. Members may borrow books free of charge for one month. Late returns cost $2 per month with a minimum charge of $2. Please return all materials the next month, and for sure before summer.
Membership deskThe membership desk will be open at all meetings. The opening time may be extended for the first fall meeting to assist with renewals. You may also register for workshops there.
Tools & suppliesTools and supplies are sold by the club at most meetings. It is a good idea to contact the executive member in advance of the meeting for specific tools and supplies.
TBS executive:President:Mike [email protected]
Vice-president:Otmar [email protected]
Web-master:Dierk [email protected]
Treasurer:Jean [email protected]
Editor/publisher:Greg [email protected]
Tools & supplies:Rob [email protected]
Membership secretary:Linda Chevrier, Cheryl [email protected]
New member host:Karen [email protected]
Recording secretary:Barbara [email protected]
Past-president:Mike [email protected]
Librarian:Keith [email protected]
Members at large:Bob [email protected]
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The JOURNAL was founded in January, 1964, is published monthly, except July & August, and exists to further the study, practice, promulgation, and fellowship of bonsai.
Visit the Toronto Bonsai Society’s website at:
www.torontobonsai.org
Toronto Bonsai SocietyP.O. Box 155Don Mills, OntarioM3C 2S2
