I have found that bonsai is filled with constant knowledge, constant learning.  The more I learn the more I study.  The more I study the more I find I don't know.  As I find things that I don't know I have an even greater desire to learn.  It's a vicious cycle that keeps my passion about bonsai growing more and more.

Recently I've been thinking about my successes and failures.  I seem to have subconsciously adjusted my methods over the years in response, to help secure more successes.  Oh, if I only knew then what I know now.

Learning is a must to any practice, whether a hobby or vocation.  Knowledge is power.  There are a variety of ways to gain knowledge such as independent reading, training classes and club meetings, or hands on practice. 

Books and magazines can be an invaluable resource for learning new and different techniques that you are not aware of or have not tried.  Stone Lantern publishing has offered some great new book recently focusing on specific species.  There are also a variety of magazines in the United States and abroad.  The American Bonsai Society (ABS) offers a quarterly magazine with their annual club dues.  Another great magazine from over seas, Bonsai Focus, is absolutely wonderful.  When shopping for a book or magazine be sure to evaluate it’s usefulness to you.  Can you see yourself referencing the text or photos often?  Is the publication high quality or its content superb?  Give it a shot and see what you think.

Training can be found at local clubs.  There are also a variety of opportunities at some of the regional and national bonsai shows.  Many of these offer small classes with various bonsai artists and instructors.  Through these meets I have had the opportunity to work closely with Boon Manakitivipart, Suthin Sukosolvisit, Marco Invernizzi, Jack Sustik, Marc Noelanders, and many others.  Each one of these incredible experiences has helped supplement the tremendous knowledge gained from our own local club members.  All the knowledge and tips gleaned from these meetings has given me the confidence to try new and different techniques on my own trees.

In my collection I have many trees in various stages of development.  That means that I have plenty to work on.  Through my reading and teachings I have learned a great many number of techniques that can be applied to trees in any number of situations.  Until you experience working on a unique bonsai with a truly difficult problem, such as rogue branch placement, it’s hard to really know the technique.  Hands on work really is an invaluable part of the learning process.

There are other things to keep in mind as well.  In the beginning of my bonsai journey I had fallen victim to the problem that many face early on.  I wanted to work with every tree I saw or read about.  I wanted to learn about everything from fruiting and flowering species to evergreens, to deciduous trees.  I spread myself too thin and my trees suffered for it.  I hadn’t yet learned the basics of watering, soil mixtures, or fertilization.  How could I possibly know what the different requirements were for such a large array of bonsai trees?  The answer is, I couldn’t.  And didn’t.  It was a hard lesson to learn and a difficult thing for this stubborn person to admit.  I needed to narrow my focus and learn all that I could about one or two species. 

I decided to pick a major.

When I was finally able to convince myself that I needed to pick a focus I settled on Japanese Black Pine, the king of bonsai.  This was an easy choice for me, as it was by far my favorite tree for bonsai.  Other trees of interest to me were Satsuki Azalea and Shimpaku Junipers.  These three types of trees were my main focus, with Japanese Black Pine being my center of attention.  I have spent the last several years learning all that I possibly can about these three trees.  I have since branched out to include Japanese Maples and Trident Maples, among others.  This has proved to be a very affective way of learning for me.  I am able to focus solely on a tree, its care, and its specific needs; and am able to learn how to make it into a magnificent bonsai tree.

If all goes well I will continue learning and growing for the rest of my life.  There are still a wealth of techniques and species to learn, but that’s just part of the fun.  I still take a look at the works of Kimura to remind myself how tremendous the journey can be.  The works of a true artist have the power to amaze, and that is not something that is learned overnight.