I received an email this morning alerting me to the new Bay Island Bonsai site.  If you missed it, here's the email:

...After 12 years, Bay Island Bonsai has its own web/blog site.
www.BayIslandBonsai.com

In a week or so, the link from Bonsai Boon will point to the site above.
But it is up now! Check it out!

The calendar will be much easier to update - and thereby much more current.
The tab NEWS (on top) will be our (your) blog site. This will be where we can communicate as a club -- or comment on posts.

If you are new to blog sites (like me) there is something called RSS feeds that send you an email whenever there is a new B.I.B. post. Since it is going to be about Boon and/or B.I.B., you should probably hit the few clicks to get the notification.

The other bit of new is that www.BonsaiBoon.com is being reworked. Take a look at the home-page for its new look. You can also watch a short clip of Boon's repotting video.
But do take a look at our club site .comments welcomed, especially on ideas of how the site can improve connections with club members and our small bonsai community across North America.

This HUGE trident maple, Acer buergeranum (かえで kaede), followed me home from Arkansas.  The nebari (root spread) on this tree is 12" (30cm) at it's widest point.

This is another tree that was field grown specifically for bonsai.  It still needs a lot of work.  That's the great thing about a project tree, it can be developed over time.  We'll be working with this in the next few Bonsai Study Group meetings.  We'll practice a few special techniques that will help develop this tree more quickly.

This Japanese Black Pine Pinus thunbergii (黒松 kuromatsu) finally made its way into my garden.  It was field grown specifically with bonsai in mind.

When I started working on this tree it had been potted in a large round training pot.  I repotted it in January 2008.  The roots were incredibly healthy, having spent 2 years in an open bonsai soil mix.  It was obvious that it had been well trained not only in the field, but also after being potted.

In November 2008 I added a few more grafts to some key branches.  The timing was not optimal for the grafts to take, but with the mild San Francisco Bay Area climate there was success.  Over the next few years more grafts will be added as needed.  The major cuts will heal with the added energy of the extended sacrifice branch.

I'm thinking it will be show ready in 3 years, and a knockout in 4. 

My apologies for not cleaning the pot for the photos.  

I recently returned from visiting my friend, John Kirby of Von's Gardens in Northwest Arkansas.  I always enjoy catching up with friends; bonsai friends especially.  Those friends I've made in bonsai are among the nicest individuals I've ever met.  John is certainly no exception.

While I was there I took a few photos.  I'm sure he won't mind me sharing them here.

Enjoy!

At the last meeting of the Bonsai Study Group we split this collected juniper in two.

I collected this juniper (urban yamadori, if you will) 3 years ago. I believe it to be a Juniperus chinensis 'Pfitzeraiana', but am looking for confirmation. I had spotted this in an office strip not far from my office. The yard crews had battered and bruised a row of shrubs for 15-20 years.  There were 5 or 6 trunks coming from a common root-ball when it was collected.  Several of the trunks were discarded, and ultimately taken down to 3 trunks and some deadwood.  

The single trunk is my main focus at this point.   I can already see the tree within.  This fall we'll apply some wire to arrange some of the major branches.  It's a long term project, but will be well worth the wait.

The double trunk has a great deal of potential as well.  However, I'm thinking I might consider donating it for demo material for one of the local clubs.  Or, you might see it at the upcoming 2011 Bonsai in the Bluegrass.

What do you think?  Can you see the potential in the trees?  Leave your comments below. 

I've been incredibly busy with bonsai, life, work, etc.  The blog may have been a little neglected, but the thought about posts continued.  Next week I'll be publishing 5 new posts.

• Monday: Finding a Bonsai Mentor
  
• Tuesday: Splitting a Collected Juniper
• Wednesday: Visiting a Bonsai Friend
• Thursday: A New Japanese Black Pine
• Friday: A HUGE Trident Maple

There's a joke that has made it's way around internet bonsai forums in the past.  The joke is in response to some of the old guard that are opposed to new ideas, because they've done it all and have nothing left to learn.  It reads, "he has one year of experience, repeated 40 times."

I've had a lot of frustration lately with my home club, the Greater Louisville Bonsai Society.  There are a number of xenophobic individuals that shoot down new ideas.  It's often these same individuals who state that they want to grow the club and retain new members.  What they don't realize is that when every new idea is opposed it has quite the negative effect on those trying to make a difference.  The result is that the same old guys make the same old decisions.  Nothing changes.  Nothing is accomplished.

Two years ago I had scheduled a repotting workshop with the club.  It turned out to be more of a lecture, as very few people brought trees to work on.  During the lecture one of the senior members actually heckled me from the back of the room.  He proceeded to tell the attendees that "... it was a shame I just killed such a nice tree as a result of removing too many roots."  What this gentleman was not aware of was that I was rather conservative with regard to root removal.  Had this been in my teacher's care he would have removed twice as many roots.  That's what is possible when you have the knowledge and experience.  As I had expected, the tree responded well and will be placed in an even more shallow pot next year.

What has frustrated me recently is the continued refusal to try something new.  The club calendar is unbelievably sparse this year, with more cancellations planned.  As a board member I have tried to influence the schedule of events and suggest new and different ideas for events.  It was my goal to promote bonsai and the club to the city of Louisville.  Unfortunately I haven't had much success.  I'm hoping this isn't a sign of what's to come as we continue plans for the ABS/BCI 2011 Bonsai in the Bluegrass Conference and Learning Seminar.

Thomas Edison has been credited with saying that he discovered 10,000 ways not to make a light bulb.  Imagine if he tried only once, then abandoned his efforts because he was not successful on his first attempt.

We should all strive to improve ourselves, our bonsai skills, and our trees.  Don't listen to the nay sayers.  Embrace new ideas.  Promote pluralism.  Remain open minded to those with a different point of view.