Welcome to Akron Canton Bonsai Society's June Exhibition at Wolf Creek Winery

 

     

 The Winery at Wolf Creek and the Akron  Canton Bonsai Society welcome you to our June exhibition and to the wonderful and fascinating art of bonsai. All trees are designed, trained and cared for by members of the Akron Canton Bonsai Society

 

  The word "bonsai" simply means "potted tree." Although bonsai began in Asia, it can be applied to native trees anywhere in the world. Bonsai brings a piece of the natural world into a pot and offers reminders of seasonal growth and changes.  It brings ordinary trees to eye level, and forces you to notice details—shapes, colors, textures.  It tells the story of the tree.

Bonsai changes attitudes, and thereby can change the world.  We hope you enjoy this presentation of this wonderful and fascinating art.

Feel free to take pictures of our trees

Take a selfie with a tree too. Post on Instagram, if you like and tag us--

@akroncantonbonsai

@bonsai.mike2020

 

 Some Bonsai Facts

• The word "bonsai" simply means "potted tree."    In Japanese, it's pronounced "bone-sigh"
• Bonsai is part art, part plant science 

• Bonsai began in China sometime around AD 700, then spread to Japan before AD1200 and elsewhere in Asia
• Although bonsai originated in Asia, it can be applied to native trees anywhere in the world.  In the US, for example, ponderosa pine, and tamarack (eastern larch) make spectacular bonsai.
• Bonsai can vary in size, some traditional trees are in pots so large it takes two guys to carry them.  Others are in small, Barbie doll-sized pots 

• As art, bonsai brings ordinary trees to eye level. It invites you to notice details--shapes, colors, textures, contrasts & seasonal changes

• Bonsai can be created from wild trees, nursery stock or discarded shrubs
• Training:  Wiring and pruning are used to train the tree, and help shape it to look old. Wire is generally removed after a growing season.  
• Trees are periodically re-potted and root pruned.
• Typically developing a bonsai typically takes 5 years. The fun is in this process. 

• Many ACBS club members create bonsai from inexpensive nursery stock or shrubs that have been thrown away.
• The National Arboretum in Washington DC has trees that we gifts from Japan.  Some have been in training since the 1600's.
• It recently came to light that one of the oldest bonsai in the US Collection survived the Hiroshima blast.  It was behind a garden wall and was one of the trees that were a gift from Japan.
• A few are hundreds of years old-- US National Collection in Washington DC has some that date to 1600"s
• Some bonsai tell stories of life, resilience and survival.

• A well-cared for bonsai may outlive its owner

Bonsai can change attitudes toward trees, nature and the natural world.  Bonsai can help save the world. 

We'll post a video tour of this exhibit on our youtube channel 

https://www.youtube.com/@AkronCantonBonsai

 The Akron Canton Bonsai Society was established in 1995 to understand, enjoy, and learn the ancient living art of bonsai.  Members exchange ideas, collaborate and study to develop the skills to create their own bonsai.  ACBS holds yearly exhibitions to share our trees and introduce the community to this wonderful art.  In short, it’s all about the trees.

Akron Canton Bonsai Society July 2021 Exhibit at Wolf Creek Winery

By Michael Rusnak

Strolling though bonsai trees while sipping a glass of wine on a gorgeous summer afternoon--that's just about perfect.

This year, the Winery at Wolf Creek in Norton, Ohio hosted our club's July exhibition.  In a picnic-like setting of wonderful overlooks across a valley and vineyard, the Akron-Canton Bonsai Society presented a display of trees.  It included pines, larch, yew, juniper, maple, as well as several tropical varieties.  

There were examples of several traditional bonsai styles as well by members of our club at all skill levels.

The idea for a bonsai exhibit at a winery was a stroke of genius by our club president during the long months of the last year's Covid19 pandemic lock-down. As there are no public conservatories or arboretums in our area, we were looking for venue for an outdoor exhibit where people stroll and want to enjoy beautiful things.  It was just about a perfect match.

While our original exhibition date in June was rescheduled due to storms in the area, this make up day turned out to be picture-perfect weather for the event. 

 The perfect weather brought out a steady stream of visitors, and we would suggest that other bonsai clubs might want to try a winery for a summer exhibit. Additionally, we had no problem getting club members to volunteer to work the exhibit.  The good weather, the setting and readily available refreshments were enough of a draw.

One of the things that I always enjoy about our club exhibits is seeing the trees and projects that other members create.  I enjoy seeing how their trees develop over time.  And unlike your own trees that you work with throughout the seasons, you mostly only see those of other members once a year.  The progress and refinement therefore is at once noticable.  That yearly progress is a genuine joy to discover.  In this way, the trees themselves have also become club members. 

In total we had more than half of our membership represented in the trees displayed. And it just felt soooo good to be out again with friends, visiting, enjoying the art of bonsai after the calamity that was last year.  Enjoying the event with  good glass of wine didn't hurt either. 

Also, enjoy this video tour of our July exhibit at Wolf Creek Winery our our club Youtube channel.

Trident Seedling Work

Debbie shared two photos of another spring project.  She has been working on  Trident Maples
Roots over rocks and tying them with wire. 

She commented that it was a "Very difficult.  I was snapping off some of branches.  I need a class on wiring."
She hopes they will survive and have a productive growing season.

Lexi Trims Brazilian Rain Tree

Denny submitted this look at her new helper, Lexi, working on a Brazilian rain tree.  Looks like he's serious about his new day job, but I hope someone told Lexi that tree has thorns. 

More Spring Bonsai Projects by ACBS Members

With the whole state still on lock down, we are sharing some of our spring projects  here on our blog.  This week, I've gotten three more messages with pictures from our members.

First up, Debbie sent in this photo of her amur maples from last year's club dig. The maples are looking healthy and busting our all over. And just look at that rugged old trunk. 

She also sends photos of these two small flowering bonsai, a crab apple in a white hexagon pot, making that spring color really pop.

Plus this small azalea already flowering with some warm purple colors.  Very cool. 


Ken adds another spring project.  He says,
"When in doubt, get some Rocks out...?"
This is the same Root over Rock Trident Seedlings ON the Rock method we did the last couple years at my ACBS Spring Workshops.
Ken is using the Seedlings intended for our Workshop last night and making more Root over Rock for the next couple days . He is going to try some Virginia Pine today and have used Elm already too. Maybe Shimpaku next?

Root over rock before and after tie down

Additionally, Ken proposes a 2020 Root over Rock Challenge to Members to see their ROR on this Blog? Hopefully there are some from the last 2 years that we can see!  Amen Ken. That would be awesome.

Lastly, Emmett and Randy finished repotting a group of amur maples from last years dig, and these too have responded nicely with ample shoots pushing our all along their trunks, as can be seen in this photo they sent.

Ken Works an Erodium

Ken shared these before and after cutting photos of an erodium he pulled out of a growing pot this week. He describes it as "a roughly cut, erodium project just started."

For those of you who aren't familiar with these little guys, they are a lot of fun to grow and put out bright flowers throughout the growing season. Plus they make neat mame size bonsai.

As can be seen in the photos, he's potted it up and cut the plant way back.  But take note of that trunk and all its ripples and texture.  Nice.

It won't be long before the erodium puts out new shoots and leaves.  It should look great in a few weeks.

Spring Dig-- Eastern Red Cedar

This season due to the corona virus, and our club not actually meeting, we'll be periodically posting some of the projects club members are working on so that we can all share in each others projects, the excitement and energy that the trees bring. In other words, virtually, we can share some of what bonsai has to offer-- bonsai reveals the glory of spring.

Eastern Red Cedar Yamadori Just Dug Out

Nice trunk with lots of branches

Having just moved back to Ohio last year, AJ is  not only back in the ACBS club, but already scrapping out some new material for bonsai.  I guess tree work is just in the blood.

Check out AJ's new projects, an eastern red cedar just pulled out of the ground, and lugged out of the wild.  From the pics, it looks like it has a serious trunk and lots of branches to choose for a new leader and to dead wood.  

Plus he's already go it potted up in a big training box.  But hey, is that work position is hard on the back? Just kidding, I wish I could still do that.

Anyway, this we'll all look forward to see how that tree develops in the coming seasons.