The Bonsai News of H ouston A Monthly Newsletter of the Houston Bonsai Society Inc.

HBS President Hurley Johnson with Best Tropical award (Photo: SB & SN)

The next meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society will be at the Cherie Flores Garden Pavilion in Hermann Park, 1500 Hermann Park Drive, Houston, TX 77004. Refreshments at 7 PM, meeting starts at 7:30 PM.

Wednesday, November 2, HBS monthly meeting: Michael Ryan Bell will present a program on Chinese and Japanese bonsai pots and potters.

Upcoming Events Saturday, November 12, “Day of Bonsai” at Mercer Arboretum, hosted by the Houston Bonsai Society, 9AM – 3 PM. Visiting artist Pedro Morales will do a demo and Scott Barboza will give an Introduction to Bonsai lecture in the afternoon. Free Judged Exhibit of great trees, Study groups, BYOT workshops and vendors booths.

November 21 - 24: 36th Taikan-Ten at Miyakomesse, Kyoto, Japan (9-1, Okazaki Seisyoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8343).

December 3 - 4 : 3rd Annual Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, NC, featuring a wonderful display of bonsai, shown in their leafless structure. Admission is FREE. Demos by William Valvanis (International Bonsai), Owen Reich (Bonsai Unearthed), Rodney Clemons (Allgood Bonsai) and Adam Lavigne (Adam Ask Why). Vendor area featuring plants, trees, pots, accessories and tools. Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/180231852388833/.

December 6 - 9: Bonsai without Borders Global Convention & the first “Black Scissors Global Bonsai Creators (Artists) Convention” at Nanxun District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China.

Wednesday, December 7, HBS Annual Christmas dinner and Gift exchange

Saturday, December 17, Japanese Black Pine Study Group led by Ken Credeur, at Timeless Trees, 9AM – 1PM, $40 per person, including 2 gallons of the Akadama, Lava and Pumice mix. Focus will be on winter development work, repotting, styling and wiring.

Volume 45 Number 11 November 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

Upcoming Events

Michael Ryan Bell

Showcase of the Month

LSBF 2016 exhibit

November Bonsai Care

John Miller

President’s Letter

Michael Ryan Bell

Chinese & Japanese pots

The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit

David & June Nguy

California Juniper demo

Bonsai-Living Art

LSBF 2016 Convention Texas State Contest

Exhibit Awards

HBS 2016 Day of Bonsai

November Bonsai Care

Have you ever had the statements "The strength of a juniper is in its foliage" and "The strength of a pine is in its roots" explained? The meaning is critical since all pine and juniper styling and care is based on these concepts. When I sat in on some workshops at the convention in Corpus, it came to me that I had never heard the meaning before. It has to do with how those types of trees have developed in nature, and how they repair their damages.

The juniper, with its scale leaves, manufactures food whenever healthy foliage receives sunlight. Even in winter, it can make a little food and consequently don’t need to store a large quantity of energy in its roots. That is the reason when styling a juniper, you need to make sure the tree has some healthy foliage with plenty of growing tips on each branch.

Pines have to replace shoots and branches, whether lost to ice and snow storms in the high mountains or broken by wind and waves in lower seacoast elevations. They must have a ready source of energy to grow new candles and therefore, they store their energy in their roots. You can safely remove all two year old needles and style in the fall.

Now that we are going into the repotting season, it’s time for a reminder that articles like this are always just guidelines. Each tree in your backyard is a special case and you should look at it individually each time you water. Be sure it is not getting stressed. Is it really healthy? Any signs of problems? Wilting? Color, OK? Leaves, good? Does it need attention immediately? If so, place it aside and come back to examine it and take appropriate action. I have repotted deciduous trees in July but not in the normal manner. At an abnormal repotting, special attention is needed during the repotting and the aftercare.

BIG NOTE: If you have a tree that is weak and unhealthy, you should not attempt to style it in any way. Just get it happy by adjusting its soil, feeding, and getting rid of parasites. Styling just adds to its stress and problems.

Learn to think in terms related to plant characteristics instead of calendar periods (i.e. use ‘when dormant’ instead of October, ‘candle growth’ instead of April, etc). That will enable you to read bonsai articles correctly whether written in Japan, Florida or wherever. Note that some tree cultivars (like the cork bark black pine) are notably weaker than the standards of the species and require different pruning and care.

You should have your winter quarters ready. Select one for deciduous trees that will be out of the sun. Air circulation is good but too much wind will desiccate them especially in freezing temps. Be sure to check their watering. Clean up all debris.

Most important is winter is to keep the soil moisture at a proper level. This sometimes is hard to do because the trees do not use as much water as

when they are growing. However the cold winds will dry out the tops quickly. I believe that most winter damage in Texas is due to lack of water rather than to freezing temperatures. Mulch helps keep the roots warm and retards evaporation but makes it difficult to see if the soil is damp enough or dry. Most soils with enough organic material that keep the tree happy in the summer will be too wet if watered daily in the winter. Wet and cold means root rot.

Before putting the trees into winter storage, treat them for over-wintering insects and eggs. Dormant oil spray is good on trees with no green, foliage or buds. A dilute solution of lime sulfur is an old gardener’s dormant spray for insect and fungus control. Mix 1 part lime sulfur to 20 parts water and use it on very cool days. Be sure to read the label on your bottle in case there are different strengths available. This solution should also be applied to benches tops, posts and the soil surrounding them (if you have gravel instead of grass) to eliminate hiding eggs and spores. If you have a greenhouse, treat it also before the weather gets too cold. Bring your plants outside or move them to one end, before spraying the shelves on the other end.

At this time of the year, deciduous plants do not need

fertilizer. Evergreens will continue a slow growth and will benefit for a light fertilizer feeding. Use one with a lower nitrogen (first number) like 0-10-10 or 8-8-8 at no

more than 1/3 the recommended feeding rate.

Watering should be done with care during the cool and/or cold weather. Deciduous trees will use some water to replace what is lost to winds and evaporation. Evergreen trees will need a little more but not as much as in summer. The easiest way is to sort your pots into 3 groups: Those that dry quickly, those that are slower to dry, and those that seem to stay damp. This will let you water faster and yet not over-water the ones staying damp. Make a note to repot the ones staying too damp.

Repotting of hardy trees can be done anytime the trees are dormant. However it is safer to do that chore in the spring when the buds swell. New roots will start forming immediately upon repotting in order for the tree to absorb water. If you do repot in the fall, protect the new roots from freezing during the winter. Do you need to change the pot? Making notes at this time while getting the trees ready for winter will give you 3 - 4 months to find the proper pot.

When trees go dormant, which indicates a

reduced sap flow, they may be pruned. That

means to have major limbs removed. Trimming may also

be done while the leaves are off the trees and you can see what you are doing better. Evergreen types will probably still be active so pruning them should be held until later. Foliage can be removed when half has turned color to remove some pathogens and to enjoy their winter silhouette.

By this time any tropical you have should be under cover. Most do not like the temp below 50 degrees. All tropicals should be checked and treated for any insect problems since any insects will multiply fast when they get into warmer quarters. Spider mites and scale can be especially damaging if the plant is moved in the house where the humidity is low.

The semi-tropical plants like crepe myrtle, pomegranate, pyracantha, and some south Texas natives, need to go dormant to stay healthy over a long time but they cannot take much cold on the roots.

They will be killed by temps somewhere between 25 and 30 degrees. I set them down on the ground and cover the pots with mulch for protection from light freezes and then bring into a protected area for the colder winter. Sometimes I will let them go dormant for a month and then take into the greenhouse to re-start early, so I can enjoy their new foliage in January.

John Miller

John Miller, who writes a monthly column for the Bonsai Society of Dallas and Fort Worth Bonsai Society, has agreed to share his column with us. We need to make adjustments for our warmer and damper climate, with earlier springs, longer summers, late fall and erratic winters.

On October 5th, Scott Barboza, the father of Bonsai Jeopardy, formally presented Team 1 with a hilarious certificate of Achievement. Two other team mates who brought their families for the proud occasion but had to leave early, missed this historical moment.

President’s Letter

Finally we got our first cold front of the year. Keep in mind that even with a mild winter in Houston, we need to protect those Tropical trees when the thermometer drops down in the 40’s.

We just got back from the LSBF “Bonsai - Living Art” State convention hosted by Corpus Christi Bonsai Club. It was a great convention. Almost 1/3 of the participants were from our club, so we were always among friends. From the start on Thursday evening, the Houston group made me proud. We had two teams sign up for the Texas Talent Contest. We competed well but did not win. We had teams of Sharon Barker, Shawn Nguyen, and Ken Credeur. And the old guys’ team was Vern Maddox, Clyde Holt and myself. Joshua Roth/ Ryuga tools provided each member of the winning team with a $200 gift certificate, and each member of the 2nd place team got a $100 gift certificate. We need to get some teams lined up for the Dallas event.

The workshops and demos started Friday morning and were well attended. Joe Day, Jason Schley and Ed Trout were the visiting artists. They did a great job with the demos, workshops, and exhibit critique. On Friday evening, after the dinner, they all did demo trees, which were raffled and auctioned off.

The Exhibit for the convention was very impressive. The only thing more impressive was the Awards handed out Saturday evening. The LSBF has the usual awards that they presented, plus two additional awards. Timeless Trees sponsored the “Best Shohin Group” certificate and $100 prize won by the Texas Shohin Society. (By the way, what made it so spectacular was Ray Gonzalez’ Japanese Black Pine.) There were actually 4 other Shohin groups brought in by HBS. Ed Trout loves

Literati, and presented the “Best Literati” and a $100 prize to Shawn Nguyen.

The LSBF awards are as followed: “Best Texas Native” to Scott Barboza for a Yaupon Holly Cascade. “Best Cascade” to Vern Maddox for a Ficus Cascade. “Best Deciduous” went to Dr. Hoe Chuah for a Chinese elm and “Best Broadleaf Evergreen” for an Azalea in his Shohin Collection. “Best Tropical” went to Hurley Johnson for an Escambron cascade. “Best Conifer” went to Alex Leong for his terrific juniper. And finally “Best in Show” went to Hurley Johnson for a Buttonwood. It was a sweep. I was so proud, the quality and quantity of exhibit class trees that are owned and trained in Houston, has certainly risen in the last 5 years.

The next statewide event will be the LSBF – Dallas Society’s event in April. The theme is “Make the Cut”. So make plans to attend. It will be April 6-9th and here is the link. The visiting artists will be Bjorn Bjorholm from Tennessee, Daisaku Nomoto from Japan, and Juan Andrade, originally from Costa Rica. All three artists were apprentices in Japan, and have completed their apprenticeships. http://www.bonsaisocietyofdallas.com/convention2017/Registration%20Form%20and%20Workshop%20Listing%202017.pdf

Our November meeting will be a real treat. We have Michael Ryan Bell, from Mississippi, coming to give us a program on Japanese Pots, and identifying the chops: i.e. identifying the potter, or kiln, or where they were made. I have heard him speak at Brussels and he was informative and very interesting to listen to.

Our next meeting will again have the report of the nominating committee. We will accept other nominations from the floor if you are so inclined. We will have the election of officers in December, before the Christmas Party.

November 12th, we will host our fourth annual “Day of Bonsai” event up at the Mercer Arboretum & Botanic Gardens. It will be a one day event, 9 AM - 4 PM. The highlight will be a Bonsai Exhibit of our best trees. Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in both the Experienced category and in the Novice Category. The Donald Green “Best in Show” will also be awarded. The exhibit will be in an outdoor, in a covered area, open to the public. We have 10 tables available, so we can accommodate about 30 trees. We plan to have several activities for attendees who spend the day. We will have some vendors with great products.

Pedro Morales will hold a “Bring your own tree” workshop from 9 AM – Noon, and do a demo from 12:30 – 3:30 PM. The demo tree which will be raffled at the end of the day. So bring those bonsai, projects, tools and wire. In the afternoon, approximately 3:45 PM, we will present the awards and hold the raffle.

We look forward to seeing you at the next meeting, Wednesday, November 2nd.

Have a great day, Hurley

On Wednesday November 2nd at the monthly meeting of the Houston Bonsai Society, be prepared for a very special event.

Michael Ryan Bell, one of the foremost bonsai pot experts in the US, will give a free show and tell on quality bonsai containers. He will also ID and appraise pots brought in by attendees. But best of all, he will have for sale a special selection of hand picked pots directly from Japan, for everyone who attends! You'll have the opportunity to purchase quality pots not often available here, at very reasonable prices. You're guaranteed to go home with a new appreciation for the pots that our

trees call home and maybe a pot or two to add to your collection.

I've known Ryan for several years, and he just keeps raising his game; along with the quality of pots in the US. I also blame him, in part, for my pot addiction, erhh, collection.

Ryan (he says that the name "Michael" is just to keep the riff-raff away) is the founder of the website japanesebonsaipots.net. For years now, he has been compiling a gigantic database of Japanese and Chinese bonsai chops, aka “hankos”. He has researched so much information about these pots along with the biographies of Japanese and Chinese bonsai potters that he is unequaled in the English-speaking world in the knowledge of types, regions and makers of bonsai ceramics.

He also has the gift of gab and can make learning about these pots fun and entertaining. I guarantee that you'll leave the meeting with a

new and deeper appreciation of bonsai ceramics than you did before. He gave several talks at the US National Exhibition in Rochester last September and there was standing room only!

Ryan’s knowledge is encyclopedic, and he’s so quick with bonsai pot identification and valuation that it’s amazing to just watch him at work. I've seen him plow through crates full of pots, rattling off the makers' names, their history and the relative value of the containers.

He is truly an expert in discernment - that is the identification of different pots and their quality relative to other bonsai pots. Discerning differences in the quality of bonsai containers is often quite difficult for beginners and sometimes even for experienced practitioners. Developing an eye for good ceramics will help make your trees look much better, as well as adding a new dimension that will deepen your enjoyment of the art.

Ryan will have beautiful pots on hand to use as part of the presentation which will be available for sale to club members. This opportunity does not come around that often, so take advantage of the event to build your knowledge as well as your collection. This is also a great chance to have your prized containers evaluated and appraised by an expert.

Have questions about a chop? Ever wonder if your pot was hand-made or if it was a production pot. Is it a quality container? Bring those pots in for Michael to take a look. Where else can you get input from a true expert in the field?

I can't wait ! My pots are already boxed up to bring to the meeting.

Hope to see you there!

Scott Barboza VP Houston Bonsai Society

Today I wanted to say a few words about some of

the unsung heroes of Texas bonsai.

I know most of us are into bonsai for the vast

quantities of riches involved. But there are some

volunteers in Austin who are putting Texas on the

map of bonsai exhibits in the U.S. I don't know how

all of this came to be, but I do know that these folks

have put in a lot of time, effort and energy to make

this idea a reality. Not only do they maintain their

own collection of trees, but they volunteer their time

to maintain the collection trees as well.

We're all in their debt and I'd like to give them a big

collective THANK YOU from the Houston Bonsai

Society.

Please visit their website http://www.ttsbe.org to

learn a bit about what it is that they're trying to pull

off. And please consider donating to the cause - it's

a good one. Austin is a bit too far away to donate our

time on a regular basis, but we can send a few bonsai

bucks their way.

Scott Barboza

Joey and Quoc from TTSBE (Austin) delivering the bonsai

raffled bonsai with Versie Marks’ help. (Photo Shawn Nguyen)

About TTSBE Sharing the beauty and utter enjoyment of bonsai has been a proudly held tradition of bonsai artists and hobbyists everywhere. Inspired and encouraged by the unfailing and positive response

to the annual state conventions and local shows and at other permanent exhibits such as in Washington, D.C. and in the GSBF exhibits in California, several dedicated bonsai hobbyists have set forth an ambitious plan to create a permanent collection of bonsai for public enjoyment here. This permanent display garden of bonsai will be The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit.

Bonsai, although long lived under skilled care, are subject to some of the ravages of nature and the occasional thief in the night. For this reason a protected place that can be secured is necessary. This place should also be in a setting befitting the beauty of bonsai and it should be accessible to all who wish to see.

We have secured a 12 acre parcel of land in the community of Mustang Ridge, located South of Austin. Continuing tasks ahead include clearing the brush and grading the land. An infrequent flood problem must be addressed. A plan has been drawn and approved and will be followed by building the exhibit. But before we build, funds must be raised. The Texas Bonsai Exhibit, Inc. a non-profit organization, must raise all funds to complete construction. This project needs your help to build this very special exhibit that will be an asset to the State of Texas. This will be an exhibit of broad interest and a legacy of Texas Bonsai.

Joey and a hand full of volunteers at work at the

home of TTSBE in Austin

Your donation will be gratefully acknowledged. Also, as a non-profit corporation, chartered under IRS 501C3 rules, your donation may be tax deductible. All of the funds raised will be used in the construction of the exhibit. Each of the officers

and directors of The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit, Inc. are volunteers and serve without payment.

A personal note from TTSBE’s chair Joey McCoy

Hi all,

Thanks for stopping by our table at the Corpus Christi Convention to say hi or to help us out! The link below has the latest newsletter of The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit, with some of the latest projects. http://www.ttsbe.org/ttsbe_newsletter-fall_2016.pdf

The Texas State Bonsai Exhibit is having a

One-day Fundraising sale October 30, 2016 from 10 AM to 2 PM

at Lakeview Bonsai 4005 Paloma, Austin, Texas 78734

We have bonsai which have been donated to raise funds which need to go to their permanent home while helping TTSBE continue in its work to put in a permanent world-class exhibit for the state of Texas. Your purchase or donation will help a lot!

Available for purchase are specimen tropical species developed right here in Texas, from small, medium to huge Dai (Imperial) size. Other species will be available as well including natives and various exotics.

While here, see some of the beautiful bonsai in the Permanent Collection including Bill Cody's donation of his amazing collected Cedar Elms and more. You will see some stunning views of Lake Travis from here. Luckily the lake is now full. Hot dogs and snacks will be provided so lunch is covered.

There should be plenty of parking in the cul-de-sac and in the grassy field inside the gate (look for the sign). Please do not block neighbor's driveways. Hope to see you there! Thank you, Joey McCoy www.ttsbe.org

On October 2016, as promised, this sweet and

talented duo traveled from California to Houston to

work their magic on a collected California juniper.

After taking the time to meet and greet club

members, David and June started on a giant bush, a

few heads taller than they are. They had fun playing

Hide & Seek, or Now you see me, Now you don’t.

This rare beauty, estimated around 200 years of age,

was collected by their friend from high slopes, off

the California coast. This experienced collector

nursed it to health for 9 long years until robust

foliage was achieved and its rootball developed into

a more compact size, suitable for bonsai pot.

This yamadori material was carefully selected for

vibrant health, substantial nebari and foliage, and

remarkable deadwood potential. When the Nguys

took it home to Bonsai Jidai, some preliminary

styling was done. The tree then was allowed to grow

freely with super fertilizers for 4 more years. Every

year, David did a little more work on the deadwood

as suggested by the new branch formations. In the

Spring of this year, it was shipped to Houston to

have time to acclimate to our hot and humid

weather.

Before they got started, David took the time to give

a quick lesson on wiring. He recommends always

wiring across 2 branches for stability. Place the wire

on top of the Y formation, if you intend to bring the

branches down. Place the wire beneath, if you intend

to bring the foliage pad up. If done incorrectly, after

wiring and bending, the top wire will buckle up,

which would losen up the rest of the wire.

For aesthetics and maximum strength, wire the two

opposing branches in opposite direction, not the

same. While looping the wire around the branch,

spread the fingers of the other hand to push the

branch in the desired position, whether up or down.

Allow your fingers to “walk” down the branch at the

same intervals. That’s how David and June can wire

the tree so fast, even blindfolded.

Although the meeting started an hour early, when

seeing the tall juniper for the first time, I couldn’t

see how these two artists can complete the demo.

Most of us watched in amazement or even disbelief.

There's lots of character in this old yamadori, but it

would require a very vivid vision, a rare ability to

see the tree within and a ton of skilled work to bring

it out.

Without a word exchanged, David and June waltzed

around the tree, in sweet harmony. In that enchanted

bubble of time and space permeated with the

heavenly aroma of California juniper, a spectacular

masterpiece took shape under their golden fingers.

This dynamic duo exubed a very rare love and

synergy, driven by a sincere reverence for the tree.

The three of them, artists and subject, share a

beautiful relationship that shows in the end result.

The wild juniper gradually was tamed into a marvelous

work of art.

In our brief conversation, when asked to describe his

experience as Mr. Masahiko Kimura’s apprentice,

David reminisced about the best bonsai training

anyone could dream of. He didn’t mind the long

hours on his feet and the heavy lifting but his neck,

shoulders and back did. He got started in bonsai not

in the prime of his youth, but rather in the late stage

of his life. David had to cut his training short to

return to the US for medical care and rest. Not a day

goes by that he didn’t regret the unfortunate injuries,

but he is determined to put all of his sensei’s

teaching to work. He shares all he learned with June

as well as his many students. He did share plenty

with HBS in this demo as well as in the following

workshops in the next days.

Most of us were completely stunned by June’s

youthfulness in her mid - 60s, her agility, and her

innate ability to stay in sync with her husband to

perform half of the styling job with complete

confidence. She spent two years as apprentice to

Japanese bonsai teachers in California who were

trained in Japan. The rest of the techniques were

passed on by David, except for styling. June is

already an accomplished artist in other media than

bonsai. In the last issue, we’ve seen her bonsai

touch in very elegant and ethereal masterpieces.

Our club is incredibly fortunate to have a chance to

know this wonderful couple, to watch them in action

and to pick up some of their talents. We also had the

rare occasion to taste the sweetness of their non-

bonsai gardening. Before getting on the plane to fly

over a thousand miles to Houston, they went out to

their garden at the first light of dawn to collect the

ripest Vietnamese fruits, pink Dragon fruits and

brown Dragon’s eyes (longan) fruits to share with

new friends at our meeting.

That evening, Houston Bonsai had a huge turn out to

see this special couple, in fact the biggest turn out of

the decade. Some old members who moved away

traveled very far for this special occasion. That

number also generated the highest raffle sale the

club ever had for any demo tree. Over $1,000 was

collected, although that barely covers the cost of this

magnificent yamadori, its 9 years of TLC and its

transportation from California to Houston, before

any work was done.

Adan Garcia was the lucky winner to take this treasured

masterpiece home.

David and June,

No word is enough to express our gratitude to you

both the most wonderful couple in bonsai we have

met among the bonsai teachers), for the mesmerizing

and most memorable demo experience.

Thank you for sharing with our club your passion for

bonsai, your artistic talents and your bonsai secrets.

We will always treasure your visit, your exotic sweet

gifts and your teaching.

May this joyous day mark the beginning of your

long lasting and happy relationship with Houston

Bonsai club.

Wish you both a joyful, healthy, harmonious, and

prosperous future ahead.

Shawn Nguyen

The 2016 LSBF Corpus Christi

First Texas Talent contest

As announced in the last month’s newsletter, Hurley

Johnson was asked by the Corpus Christi chair and

co-chair ladies, Versie Marks and Yvonne Padilla, to

introduce the First Texas Talent contest in an LSBF

convention. The contest is sponsored by Joshua Roth

bonsai tools - Ryuga tools and Timeless Trees

Bonsai Nursery & Studio in Rosenberg.

Although Hurley did not get a lot of contestants who

signed up early, on Thursday evening, a huge crowd

flooded the tiny room reserved for the Texas Talent

Contest. Only 6 teams of 3 contestants could fit in

that small room.

Each team picked a number corresponding to a tree

among a mix of junipers, Texas olive, podocarpus

and some unidentifiable bushes. Everyone in the

room, whether competing, cheering on or just

sipping wine and cocktails, nibbling on hot hors

d’oeuvre, had an absolutely fabulous time. In the

end, we barely had enough standing room. Huge

success!

Donna Dobberfuhl couldn’t stop laughing.

The next time, we’ll definitely need a room three

times as large, so we don’t fear the Fire Marshall

bursting our party.

The first prize went to Sylvia and Howard Smith

from Dallas, and Mark Bynum from Ft. Worth. Each

received a $200 gift certificate from Joshua Roth to

purchase the best bonsai tools.

Take a look at their dramatic cascade juniper.

The second prize went to Joey McCoy, Quoc Hoang

and Jonathan Wood of Austin. Each received a $100

gift certificate from Joshua Roth.

Houston is the only club with two teams. Clyde Holt

and Vern Maddox teamed up with Hurley Johnson

to work on the only podocarpus. In two seconds, that

tall tree was reduced by 1/3 and the wiring was

completed within half the time. Once again, Santa

Clyde remains true to his wise motto: The more you

cut, the less you have to wire. The team even had

time to add green moss to the soil!

The other HBS trio were Sharon Barker, Ken

Credeur and Shawn Nguyen. Our lucky draw of

lucky number 9 turned out to be a funny octopus like

juniper, no apex, no trunk, and no nebari. Just 9

tentacles of the same size and length!

Going, going...

...gone to shohin size! Well, almost.

When wiring during the first round, I tried to create

an apex by pulling one of the “tentacles” up, higher

than the other branches, which I pulled down to

create some movements and separate elevations.

Ken came back with “Not all bonsai have to have an

apex” and pushed my apex down. Out of respect for

the elder, I kept quiet but in my next round, I

repeated the same, pulling up that one branch even

higher than before. Ken came back and repeated the

same, his same no apex needed concept. Sharon just

giggled and giggled and kept on wiring.

Team 9: Grumpy K. sandwiched between 2 Happy Ss!

How about that for teamwork? I guess we’re only

human! My only fear was between the three of us,

with all that bending, tugging, pulling, yanking,

mutilating, and jinning, we collectively and

sucessfully killed that poor octopus.

Pete Parker did an excellent job as our time keeper,

but not so good as an enforcer. Way before the third

phase began, most of the contestants have already

left the room for the bar and the buffet.

For those of you who didn’t participate in this

contest or didn’t have a chance to come to this LSBF

convention, don’t miss it the next time. We had a lot

of expected fun and much more unexpected

laughter. That happens a lot when we don’t take life

or the competion too seriously.

Many thanks to Joshua Roth, The Corpus Christi

club for sponsoring this contest and many more

thanks to Hurley for the donated trees and for

spearheading a new exciting tradition for the bonsai

community.

Shawn Nguyen (All candid photos were snapped by Shawn Nguyen and

her helpers in the crowd.)

Versie Marks, the chair lady of this Bonsai –

Living Art convention, with her mentor co-chair

Yvonne Padilla, had done an awesome job in

planning this event. My hat to the amazing

ladies, as well as the gentlemen of Corpus club!

Thanks to the Red Tide that ruined most plans

to swim in the ocean or take a stroll on the

sandy beach, all the bonsai people found ways

to have a lot of fun and learning indoors. To

some, no matter what happens along the way,

they are determined to have fun.

According to reports from proud attendees, the

judges had mostly praises for the high quality of

bonsai in this exhibit.

Many standard awards were given out to many

outstanding works of art in each category,

besides two unusual ones: Best Shohin Group

award sponsored by Timeless Trees and Ed

Trout Award for Best Literati award.

Andy Graham received Honorable Mention for

his Ficus. Andy recently donated a dozen of similar

outstanding bonsai to the Texas State exhibit.

Scott Barboza received the Best Texas Native

award for his semi-cascade Yaupon holly. Here is

this beauty’s bio: This was a collected tree from right

here in Houston, about 10 years ago. I grew it in my back

yard for a while, but the trunk became quite thoroughly

rotted. One day I was fed up with it and pulled it out of

the pot to throw it away. In doing so, I grabbed the apex

and pulled it out of the pot, rotating the apex to the

position of a cascading branch. Much of the rotted wood

fell away, revealing some beautiful deadwood. I had an

epiphany and the tree got a new lease on life, this time as

a semi-cascade. It's been in training as a semi-cascade

for the past 4 years. It's now one of my favorite trees.

Alex Leong received Best Conifer for a very

gracious cascade juniper with a long sweep.

Hoe Chuah got Best Broadleaf Evergreen

and…

…Best Deciduous for his Chinese Elm

Here is one of

those two little

gems.

Hurley Johnson got Best Tropical award for a Campeche semi-cascade (see page 1) and…

…Best in Show with the Buttonwood which he

shared with Andy Graham who styled it, Yvonne

who nurtured it for years before passing it on to him)

Vern

Maddox

got Best

Cascade for his Button-

wood

semi-

cascade.

Steven Hendricks accepted the "Best Shohin

Group" award, sponsored by Timeless Trees, on

behalf of the Shohin Society of Texas. Ray

Gonzalez has a Japanese Black Pine in this

group.

And last, but not least…

Shawn Nguyen won The Ed Trout Award –

Best Literati – for her rare boxwood serpents.

There are so many bonsai, accent plants and

events to share about the LSBF 2016 exhibit and

convention. All those beauties will be featured

in the next issue.

Until then, enjoy this mix of photographs

contributed by Joey McCoy, Scott Barboza and

Shawn Nguyen. We apologize for the photos

taken in the dark dining room, hence the

unintentional “moonlit” quality.

Shawn Nguyen reporting from Corpus Christi

Calendar of Events

2016

NOV 2 HBS monthly meeting: Michael Ryan Bell will have a program on Chinese and Japanese pots, and potters.

NOV 12 “Day of Bonsai” at Mercer Arboretum, hosted by the Houston Bonsai Society, 9AM – 3 PM. Visiting artist Pedro Morales will do a demo. Free, Judged Exhibit of great trees, Study groups, BYOT workshops, vendors.

NOV 21-24: 36th Taikan-Ten at Miyakomesse, Kyoto, Japan (9-1, Okazaki Seisyoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8343).

DEC 3 - 4 3rd Annual Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo at the North Carolina Research Campus in Kannapolis, NC, featuring a wonderful display of bonsai, shown in their leafless structure. Admission is FREE. Demos by William Valvanis (International Bonsai), Owen Reich (Bonsai Unearthed), Rodney Clemons (Allgood Bonsai) and Adam Lavigne (Adam Ask Why). Vendors: Plants, trees, pots, accessories and tools. Details at https://www.facebook.com/events/180231852388833/.

DEC 6-9 Bonsai without Borders Global Convention & the first “Black Scissors Global Bonsai Creators (Artists) Convention” at Nanxun District, Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China.

DEC 7 HBS Annual Christmas dinner and Chinese Gift exchange

DEC 17 Japanese Black Pine Study Group led by Ken Credeur, at Timeless Trees, 9AM – 1PM, $40 per person. Focus on winter development work, repotting, styling and wiring. Each person will receive 2 gallons of Akadama, Lava and Pumice mix.

DEC 25 Merry Christmas

2017

JAN 1 Happy New Year

JAN 4 HBS monthly meeting

JAN 7 Saturday Study Group

JAN 5-8, 2017: 42nd Gafu-ten at Miyako Messe in Kyoto, Japan. Includes the 3rd World Shohin Photo Awards. Entry deadline is November 30, 2016. Send image, name, address, e-mail, bonsai affiliations, botanical name, size, and pot maker to Koji Hiramatsu of the All Japan Shohin Bonsai Association Gafu-ten Executive Committee at sunsyou-en@shirt.ocn.ne.jp.

JAN 28-29 Bay Island Bonsai Annual Bonsai Exhibit at the Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave. Oakland, California Hours: 10AM-4PM, Saturday and Sunday. Auction on Saturday: Preview at noon and auction at 1pm.

Make sure you get on Timeless Trees mailing list so you don’t miss any of the weekly workshops, classes or new bonsai shipments. You can find bonsai of all sizes and species, soils, pots, supplies, tools and books.

Quality Feed & Garden and Ken stand ready to help you with bonsai selection, bonsai care, pots and supplies. He will also personally have free classes for HBS every 3-month to help you start with your first bonsai. Check the Calendar of Events for dates. Ask for 10% HBS discount.

Come stock up on bonsai soils, pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers and other supplies. The plant doctor is always on duty, so bring your unhappy bonsai for a free thorough check up. Don’t forget to ask for a 10% HBS discount.

Come enjoy the most dizzying bouquet of colors and fragrances. There is so much to take home from the large selection of herbs and spices, rare tropical plants and fruit trees, exotic orchids and pond aquatic plants, and native or imported bonsai.

Visit artist Andrew Sankowski at the Mossrock Studio & Fine Art Gallery for the finest gifts and most uniquely beautiful bonsai pots in every shape, form and color. Personalized pots or gifts can be commissioned year round.

Andrew Sankowski 26002 Oak Ridge Drive Direct (281) 684-4411 The Woodlands, TX 77380 Fax (281) 363-9032

andy@mossrockstudio.com

Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. P. O. Box 540727, Houston, Texas 77254-0727

www.houstonbonsai.com

HBS Board Members President Hurley Johnson hurley@all-tex.net

1st Vice President Scott Barboza markyscott@me.com in charge of Education 2nd Vice President Dean Laumen drlaumen@bechtel.com Secretary Barbara Adams adams.barbara1@embarqmail.com in charge of Membership

Publicity Ken Cousino krcousino@yahoo.com

Treasurer Webmaster Quyen Tong quyenctong@gmail.com

Member at Large - O Nandita D’ Souza ndas27@gmail.com

Member at Large - O Vern Maddox vmaddox1@comcast.net

Member at Large - O Clyde Holt cmholt11@comcast.net

Member at Large – E Sharon Barker barkersharonr48@gmail.com Member at Large - E Ray Gonzalez raygonzalez47@yahoo.com Member at Large – E Brian Gurrola bgurrola@gurrolareprographics.com

Delegates Past President Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net

LSBF Delegate Peter Parker peteparkerbonsai@yahoo.com

LSBF Alternate Terry Dubois tdubois1@comcast.net

BCI Ambassador

TTSBE Representative Alan Raymond amraymond@suddenlink.net

Refreshments

Website/email Gary Teeter houstonbonsai@gmail.com

Newsletter editor Shawn Nguyen hbs.news@yahoo.com

The Bonsai News of Houston is a monthly publication of the Houston Bonsai Society, Inc. Copyright © 2011. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the consent of the editor or a member of the Board of Directors. Exceptions exist, however, for certain not-for-profit and non-profit bonsai organizations or associated bonsai and bonsai nursery newsletters, including without limitation the American Bonsai Society. HBS participates fully with reciprocation of contents and material between other LSBF member organizations and others. Authors who submit articles for this newsletter thereby give permission to such organizations to reprint, unless they expressly state otherwise. Space for advertising in The Bonsai News of Houston can be requested by contacting the newsletter editor or a member of the HBS Board. The rates for a business-card-size ad (approximately 3 1/2" x 2") are $6 per month, $30 for 6 months and $50 per year (12 issues). A full-page ad is $25 per month. Rates are subject to change without notice. 3½" x 2" classified ads are run free of charge for one month once per 12-month period for non-commercial members. For special requests or questions related to The Bonsai News of Houston, contact the newsletter editor or a member of the HB

Day of Bonsai & Annual Fall Exhibit

Saturday, November 12th 9 AM to 4 PM

Mercer Arboretum & Botanical Gardens 22306 Aldine Westfield Road

Humble, TX 77338

BONSAI EXHIBIT open to all members and the public

Exhibit trees will be judged for 3 awards in 2 categories, novice and experienced.

HBS members, beginners or long time artists, please bring 1 or 2 of your most prized bonsai.

DONALD GREEN Bonsai Exhibit

Please bring the bonsai acquired from Donald’s estate for this exhibit

to honor our beloved Donald.

Demo by visiting artist Pedro Morales

Introduction to Bonsai lecture by Scott Barboza

Study groups, BYOT workshops, and vendor booths

plus the chance to enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow bonsai lovers.

For more information, please contact HBS Publicity Director Ken Cousino at 832-483-6036.

www.houstonbonsaisociety.com