Akron Canton Bonsai Society

ACBS March Meeting: Natonal Bonsai Collection

2012-02-11T14:07:00.000-08:00

Japanese maple of the National Collection in its spring colors

The photographs will speak for themselves at the ACBS March meeting when Mike shares slides of some of the trees from the National Bonsai Collection at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C.
Here's a brief rundown of items that were on exhibit at the time of the visit in March of 2011, and will be included in the slide show.

The earlier (than N.E. Ohio) D.C. spring meant that several specimen maples were featured in the main courtyard, and they were just beginning to leaf out.
Several dormant deciduous trees allowed for an unobstructed view of their finely tapered trunks and branch structures.
A number of sizable and very old pines--one that dated to the 1600's and originally a gift to the United States from Japan-- were also on exhibit.
Trees by the legendary American Bonsai artist John Naka. In particular Naka's famous forest planting that makes ample use of perspective was on display (see photo below).
Tropical bonsai
You'll be inspired by more abstract and "wild" tradition of the trees in the Chinese pavilion. You instantly know you are in a different world. (see photo below)
Also of interest to club members: photos of many remarkable, large-sized viewing stones and their custom-carved wooden stands.

So don't miss the photos and discussion of these amazing and inspiring "big-league"e trees.

John Naka's famous forest

Exceptional Japanese maple just leafing out in March 2011

Dramatic Motion of Chinese trees

Jeff Carr of Staselwood Bonsai Discusses Soil, Pots, & Tree Qualites at February Meeting

2012-02-04T10:45:00.000-08:00

ACBS enjoyed some in-depth discussions with Jeff Carr, well-known Ohio bonsai artist and owner of Staselwood Bonsai Studio http://staselwoodbonsai.com/. In the past, Jeff has given the club some noteworthy lessons. In September 2010, Jeff's extreme bending demonstration was especially well received ( see post http://akroncantonbonsai.blogspot.com/2010/09/extreme-bending-by-jeff-carr.html).

Jeff Car of Staselwood Bonsai in Newark, Ohio

Jeff went into much detail about creating an effective soil mix for bonsai. He talked about how it was important to keep in mind your needs when considering a mix. First, there's the unpredictable Ohio weather. And there are also considerations about our life-styles. Because most of us work full time, it may not be practical to expect to be able to water daily. This piece of our daily routines translates into a mix that includes sufficient organic material, such as pine bark, into the the soil. It allows us to care for our trees without having to do constant watering. He noted that due to this watering issue, he uses the same soil mix for nearly all of his trees. Some of the ingredients Jeff talked about were the organic components. He prefers pine bark mulch which he sifts to get an appropriate size and eliminate dust particles. For inorganic he likes to use material like haydite (fired shale) or forms of hydroponic fired clay. He also believes that sharp types of inorganic, such as grower size turkey grit, are important for both root development and good drainage.

Jeff discusses ways to improve ACBS trees from past shows

Jeff also discussed artistic qualities to consider when selecting a pot for a tree. He discussed proper proportions of the trunk thickness with the thickness of a pot, as well as paying attention to the the direction of energy that the tree's movement displays. Branches extending beyond the pot, as well as the front of the pot that is about the same size as the crown. He also took time to discuss things to think about when choosing the color of shape of a pot: dark ones tend to look heavier, rounded ones tend to have a more "feminine" quality.

Jeff also took the time to make a brief study of pictures from our past shows, posted on our gallery site http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai He pointed out issues to consider when placing a bonsai on a stand-- off center with the energy moving to the longer side. He discussed pot arrangements that might improve the character of some trees, as well as other design issues, such as
older trees having more rounded crowns, and a rule of thumb on the direction that the crown faces: if the tree begins by bending to the left, the tree look more balanced if the crown bends to the left.

Thanks again to Jeff helping again to improve the skills of our club members.

ACBS’s Project Tree of the Year: The American Larch or Tamarack

2012-01-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Collected larch 100+ years

ACBS June show

First a personal note about thisspecies. (Feel free to skip down to thesecond paragraph, if you like.) Thelarch--tamarack-- is probably my favorite species. It is the best of allworlds. They don’t seem to be bothered much by insect pests; their trunks formterrific shapes and textures, and their branches layer out nicely. While it is a cone bearing tree, its soft needlesturn yellow to gold in the fall, giving it a fine, almost soft-looking fallcolor (see photos). Its spring colors, though, are my favorite. The vibrantgreen foliage has such a fresh shade of green that it just makes you happy tolook at it. It is the green of light coming through the canopy when translucentleafs light up like church glass. It is also a green like wet moss, ferns andlichens. There is no question in my mind that sunlight on this brilliant,spring, tamarack-green strums some primordial chord. It recalls a time whenpeople were more connected with the forest. In short, it is the green of someancestral home, a green of tranquility. I cannot say enough about thisemotional connection it makes for me with the way its color reacts with the sunlight. Working with them, their springcolor slips your eyes into a wide openvision, and open mind. I just love them. For bonsai, they are well worththe time and effort.

The larch is a deciduous conifer--that is a cone bearing tree, but drops all its foliage in the fall. The American larch or tamarack (larix laricina) is described in Wikipedia as:

a species of larchnative to Canada, from eastern Yukon … to Newfoundland, and also south into thenortheastern United States from Minnesota to .. West Virginia…The name Tamarackis the Algonquian name for thespecies and means “wood used for snowshoes.”

Grown in open ground for several years

In the fall, you can easilyspot them from a distance because of their particular shade of yellow. Last November while driving on I-80, I saw a couple of groves of them in their full color on a steep hill side in eastern Pennsylvania. I was disappointed that I couldn't get to my camera in time for a picture.

Larch grove in fall and summer

A larch’s spruce-like outline allowsit to work well for most style of bonsai (except broom-style). They make excellent formal or informalupright, literati, cascades or group plantings. The photographs show several examples. The top photos show a 100+ year old collected larch, on the left is a group planting in fall and summer, and on the right is a developing bonsai abouta 15 years old, that was grown in the open ground for several seasons to help thicken its trunk. During that time, the trunk was pruned several times to create a gently curving trunk. It wasput in a training pot about 2 years ago.

Part of the club’s plan for this tree is to order many seedlings. The seedlings can be made into neat forestplantings. Members can also plantseedlings individually in pot for a few seasons, prune them for use asindividual bonsai or group plantings. Members may also want to plant some in the open ground to allow them toadd some girth, if they are going to be used as individual bonsai. You can dosome preliminary pruning to work on the trunk shape while it is in the ground,but these will be more like five year projects. Ken may have some larch for sale that he hasbeen developing in pots for the past several years, and one of these trees maybe a good choice for some.

Larch's natural growth habit forms a spruce-like outline

You can see the larch's natural growth habit, forming a spruce-like outline in the photo below (with my daughter and me). It is useful to understand this growth habit/shape if you are making a group or forest planning. As new shoots form on your forest planting, you may want to wire them in a more downward direction so your group planting will more closely resemble the shape in the photograph.

For winter care, trees can be healed into the ground in an area where it has some protection from the wind (I like areas around the house in between shrubbery). Then cover the pot with a layer of mulch or straw. As the larch is winter hardy, it will do just fine.

Mature larch in a park in Stow

As with out black pine project last year, we'll be taking some photos, so we can keep a record of how our projects progress. Don't be afraid to try both a group planting--even a three tree one can be attractive--and also try a few in nursery pots to prune and develop as individual bonsai. Working with several will help you to become familiar with how to care for them. Below you can see the kind of planting that can be attained with larches. This ambitious project that Gib created at an ACBS workshop a few years ago speaks for itself. With a little work, and time, you won't be disappointed.

Two views of Gib's larch forest --created at an ACBS workshop


After three seasons

ACBS Kicks Off a Bonsai Agenda for the New Year +PLUS "the wizard"

2012-01-07T10:33:00.000-08:00

ACBS's new president Matt Connelly presented an agenda of events for our club at the January meeting. In addition to the meeting's presentation by Rich Snyder of the Lorain Botanical Gardens, a number of events are planned. Among some of the coming attractions for this year are a program on picking the right pot for your trees by Jeff Carr, who did our extreme bending work last year; a presentation by Andy Smith who is well know for his collected pines and spruces from the mountains of South Dakota; creating penjing planters; and a possible exhibition in the gardens at Akron's famous Stan Hewit Hall. Plus we'll continue to have plenty of club work on our own trees and a June show.

Rich Snyder talks about the botanical gardens in Lorain.

The Magic

The wizard himself

Also, check the wonderful little boxwood that Ken clipped out during the business meeting (Not sure how closely he was listening, and, sorry, he moved too fast for a before pic). Very nice. Ken is just a wizard when it comes to using a pair of clippers and especially when it comes to doing something with small sized trees. He always pulls something cool out of his hat.

More Over-Wintering Ideas for Hardy Bonsai

2011-12-11T07:53:00.001-08:00

Although pines and other winter hardy trees need their dormant period rest, because bonsai are kept in shallow pots there is a danger of your trees dying out. Also some protection of the roots is best to keep the tree healthy.

One way used by many of our club members, and that has worked for my own pines over many seasons is to heel the tree into the ground, along with a covering of mulch. Good spots for heeling in your trees include landscapling areas near the house. Such locations give you the added benefit of wind protection from the house and in between shrubbery. Plus you may already have plenty of mulch in these areas. I simply use a rake or garden hoe to pull away the landscaping mulch, then dig a shallow trench about as deep as the pots. Place the trees in the trench, and rake the dirt back in and around the potted trees. Then pull the mulch back over the pots as well. For most trees, I've typically heeled them pot and all.

However, it works just as well to slip you bonsai out of the pot, especially if you are unsure whether or not the pot will withstand winter freezing. It is disappointing in the spring to bring the bonsai out of the ground and find that your pot has burst apart from the frost.

Another handy spot that I use are the window wells around the house. In these spots, I put trees that are still in nursery pots. The sunken well is handy and well out of the wind.

I also like to use the tomato garden for some of my larger plants. It is close to the area where I keep a lot of the larger trees that I work with, so I don't have to carry them as far, and it seems to work real well for the bigger pines. During a lot of winters, they stay coated with snow.

I keep some of the less hardy trees like my Japanese maples in an unheated garage that is attached to the house. Because dormant trees will still use a little water, but you must be sure to check these trees occasionally. Watering them is necessary. Be especially vigilant if your trees are in very shallow pots. I lost two prized maples a few winters ago that happened to be in shallow pots, and were watered the same as those in deeper ones. But at some point the moister wasn't adequate and trees had dried out. It was painful to loose two incredible maples. So keep a close eye on them.

--Mike R.

David's Wild Tree Project & Winter Tree Protection Ideas

2011-12-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

A wildtree like that can be a lot of fun to work with. Plus the price is right. DavidC.sent this photo of something wild that he has been encouraging and trimmingin his back yard. He writes this of the project:

I dug this small tree up from near our property line ,5 or 6 years agoand moved it so the neighbor wouldn’t mow it down. I keep it cut back forbonsai stock, it was about 2 feet high, but a deer rutting in our back yardtore the top off, now its about 1 foot tall and the top 2 branches that he leftare broken, I guess I’ll dig it up and tilt it using the bottom branch as thenew trunk ,I have no idea what it is, the leaves are small and it seems to growvery slow.

It will be fun to see how this project progresses in the coming years.

David alsoadded this good view of a spacious cold frame that he has built to winter oversome of his trees. Such a cold frame offers good protection from the dryingeffect of winter winds, while allowing the trees to stay dormant.
Don't forget that plants will still use a little water while they are dormant, so b be sure to check plant periodically during the winter. Some member let a coating of snow inside the frame to insure that the trees stay moist.

2011 ACBS Show

2011-07-29T22:41:00.000-07:00

A well arranged display of several fine bonsai and a steady stream of visitors made for a notable July exhibit from the Akron Canton Bonsai Society. There really is nothing like the annual show to get the creative juices flowing. It really is quite exciting to see each other's trees and how they have progressed this season over last.

Several member trees have now reached a point of refinement that they can be rightly considered specimen trees.

Among the highlights were Dan's (our club president) two amazing junipers which were created from shrubbery that was discarded from a city park several years ago. both are quite large in size and are highlighted with sections of dead wood. These two bonsai get better every year, and it is always exciting to see them. There were also several pine projects, such as Gib's small cascade black pine that was pictured on our show card this time, and some fine scotch pine projects. Mike's 80 year old concord grape has a different look every year, and had three grape clusters for this years show. There were also examples of neatly developed elms, box woods, yews, spruce, and tropicals in the exhibit.

Pictures of the entire exhibit can be seen at our gallery site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

Leaf Cutting Discussion at July Meeting

2011-07-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Gary talked about reducing the size of leaves on some species of trees. He showed his small sugar maple--a native Ohio tree and an unusual subject for bonsai. The comparison shows the dramatic effect leaf cutting can have. The tree must also be in good health. Also of note-- carlton's cool forest and Ken does some leaf cutting of his own.

ACBS's Annual Summer Show

2011-07-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Akron –Canton

Bonsai Society

presents a

Bonsai

Exhibition

July 22^nd 23^rd & 24^th 2011

(concurrent with Fall's Italian Fest)

Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

2131 Front Street

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Admission: free

The exhibition will feature local bonsai artists and contain examples of various bonsai styles and species, including pines, elms, flowering and tropical trees.

Mike's Pine Discussion Notes from June Meeting

2011-07-10T11:43:00.000-07:00

At the June ACBS meeting, we talked a little bit about how to shape our pine projects. The following is a few notes on what we talked about:

The development of your pine may occur in stages—trunk, branches, foliage pads, refinement and maintenance. Pines are typically a five year project.

Keep in mind the pine’s growth habit—it has three years worth of needles at this point in the year: the past two which are dark green, and the young light green shoots or candles on the ends of branches. A pine will want to extend outward to get maximum light, and it can grow out of control, if you don’t pinch.

When pruning your pine remember to keep in mind your purpose. Are you still at the stage where you are trying to develop the trunk, do you want to let a shoot extend some to begin to develop a branch? Are you beginning to create foliage pads?

Visualize what is happening with the pine’s growth, so you can be selective in which shoots you allow to extend a bit and which you remove.

Develop and maintain the foliage pads with regular pinching. Keep in mind also that you are keeping the pads compact. Often this means removing the shoots on the ends of branches.

Remember the Christmas tree growers trick—you can cut into the 2^nd year needles if you need to shorten. New shoots will develop back inside these needles.

Also, here is one other detail that I forgot to mention that will help the partly developed pine. It is a trick that Ken Huth taught me. Sometimes the pine’s branches will get a “French poodle look.” You can improve this look, and at the same time, begin to develop lines and spaces on your tree. Simply pull off the needles on the underside of the branch. I like to use mechanics gloves to do this, as the rubber covered fingers will easily grip and pull off the underside needles—see photos

Creating lines (underside of branches)and spaces (between branches) will also give your pine the look of an old tree

A New Growing Season: Does it Get More Exciting?

2011-06-04T21:42:00.000-07:00

The beginning of a new growing season--can anything be more exciting when it comes to working with bonsai?

Our early June meeting brought out many projects that club members are now experimenting with--and look at the results that Gib shared with his two fine azaleas that are still in bloom. It is terrific that the tree was still in bloom for our meeting, and its blossoms are large and plentiful this year. While he has been under pressure to keep the number of trees to a minimum at home, it is rumored that his wife will permit him to have as many azaleas as he wants. We can all understand that.

It was also good to see how many members are still sharing their progress with last year's black pine extreme workshop. First and foremost, just about everyone's black pines were still alive. This will be the season where will will begin to see how the trees respond. It will also give our members a chance to hone their skills. The first bit is learning now how to visualize and work with your pines. Remember to be aware of what you are trying to accomplish with th
e tree as you prune. In some cases you may want to allow new shoots to extend, if your purpose is to create a new branch or apex. In other cases, the there is so little foliage that some needs to be kept to keep the tree healthy or to just thicken the side branches that will take over as new leaders for the tree.

*In other news, while we were unable to secure our viewing area at the art center for a show in June, we are hoping that we can get a weekend spot in early July. This timing will be at the height of the growing season and should allow for some interesting trees for display.

*One other observation: It has been exciting to see how many of our newer members are beginning to pick up their skill level--not just in their ability to prune and wire, but in their selection of nursery stock and collected material that they are using to start new projects. Members are encouraged to keep a photo log of their projects. In time, the early photos will be invaluable testimony to the how both the tree and the bonsai artist progress and grow.

May ACBS Meeting Brings Excitement Over Projects

2011-05-07T14:53:00.000-07:00

The May meeting of the Akron-Canton Bonsai Society brought a lot of excitement over the new growing season, and over all of the various club projects that members will be continuing through the summer.
There were a couple of crab apples at the meeting that were grown from stumps last summer that were currently in bloom. Despite their only partial development, they offered a good variety of color to the meeting and brought lost of speculation about how they'll look in future seasons. Also, maples, azaleas, boxwood, juniper and black pine were shared at the meeting. Cheryl B brought in a Korean lilac that had multiple buds ready to break open. Hopefully she'll send us a
picture that we can post.
Given the tough winter we had this year, and record setting rains--as well as a May 6 frost--it was refreshing to see the bonsai begin to break out. There is just something happy in the bright green of fresh new foliage.

April Meeting Brings Out the Trees

2011-04-16T18:26:00.000-07:00

With the long and tough winter we had in northeast Ohio, most of us have trouble remembering what green looks like. But the April meeting of the Akron-Canton Bonsai Society finally brought out the trees. Members were sharing some of their spring projects that were trying real hard to bud out. To mention just a few. Anne begins working with a trident maple, and Carlton shared a couple of projects-- his forest planting and a dawn redwood.
There is something about the bright shade of green in freshly opened leaf buds that just makes a person happy to look at them. That vibrant green also cues you to think about a new growing season, and visualize what your bonsai trees might become. More project updates to follow. I'm especially looking forward to seeing how our members' pine plantings and extreme bending attempts from last season develop.

Planning at the January Meeting

2011-01-07T17:40:00.000-08:00

The typical northeast Ohio weather made travel difficult, and so we lacked our usual membership at the January meeting. Nevertheless, Gib still plugged away on this awesome little white pine, and some good ideas for workshops, demos, perhaps a project tree species for the year, and other club activities were tossed around.

Don't forget you 2011 dues--still on 20 bucks, and also please turn in the member profile sheet to Dan.

Bring a Tree & Help Us Plan at the January Meeting

2011-01-01T10:22:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year from the Akron Canton Bonsai Society!

The next ACBS meeting will be Thursday, January 6th at 7:00 at the Cuyahoga Valley Arts Center in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The meeting focus will be two fold:

Bring a tree to work on
Planning for the coming year

It's always fun to collaborate on projects, so bring a tree to work on at this meeting. It is always good to see what projects other members have on their plate, and how these trees develop over time.

Also, think about what programs that might be of interest and what artistic or horticultural skills you might like to acquire or develop. See you there.

The Bending Fun Continues

2010-11-05T06:19:00.000-07:00

At the November meeting, more ACBS members brought their pet-flex wrapped and wired black pines in for a workout. But this month there was a big addition from one of our members who came prepared.

Jim had some of his friends at a fabricating shop make him a serious bending tool. It consisted of a steel bar with 4 nuts welded at the business end. This allowed some choice in the spacing for the three bolts that did the work. The tool was considerably longer than the one used by Jeff Carr at the September "Extreme Bending" workshop.. So much so the that the comment was made that it may not be legal in some states. :) They were just kidding though. The thing worked great, and you just couldn't help but to love it. The tool was big and it was mean, but it was just a blast to work with, and we were all tripping over ourselves to try it out. A terrific "cheater bar" of sorts. Archimedes himself would have been proud to see it. What was it he said when he outlined the principals leverage-- "Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world." Well at least a tough branch.

It will be fun to see how these black pine respond and develop in a season or two. More photos of these member projects will be posed in the extreme bending album on our gallery site-- http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai Also, don't forget to check the Virtual Fall show album posted there. We have photos of some of our maples and other deciduous trees there from the past couple of seasons. If you're interested in bonsai and live in the Akron / Canton area join us at on of our monthly meetings. Email us for info at
akroncantonbonsai@gmail.com

October Meeting: Bring Your Own Tree

2010-10-07T18:38:00.000-07:00

Who says you have to plan for a good meeting?

Sometimes a bring your own tree night can create some spontaneous fun and variety for the club. This impromptu workshop, saw a continuation of last month's extreme bending as a few members began black pine bending projects of their own--like Anne's cool creation from a pencil "straight is boring" seedling to something that wants to tell a story. More photos of member tree-bending projects at the meeting were just posted in the Jeff Car Bending album at our gallery http://picasaweb.google.com /akroncantonbonsai.

Other ad libs at the October meeting included Dave's ficus re-pot and trim, Cheryl's bougainvillea maintenance , Carlton's white pine adjustments, and check out Larry's carving job that he recently completed to create an awesome walnut stand for this tear drop shaped black stone from the Lake Erie shore. Very cool.
Interested in bonsai? Join us on the first Thursday of each month at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center in Cuyohoga Falls, Ohio.

Extreme Bending by Jeff Carr

2010-09-03T06:24:00.000-07:00

In an amazingly cool demo, Jeff Carr of the Staselwood Bonsai Studio in Newark, Ohio showed our club some techniques of extreme bending. Working on this Japanese black pine, he wrapped layers of a sticky bandage-like material called Petflex along the trunk of the tree along with copper wire.

Then using with a bending tool, he began to work the straight tree over. This was done gradually by repeating the bending several times. Each time, letting the tree flex back. He also worked the tool along the trunk and continued to bend it an let it flex back. Over time, and repeated actions, the tree remained bent over enough to pull it down and secure the bend by tying stay of copper wire.

This gradual process of persuading the tree over changed it's entire look from an upright tree to a cascade--see photo.

Jeff then completed wiring both the main and secondary branches. He worked the two main branches--one to create an apex and the other downward to continue the cascade. He commented on how these branches contributed to the over all design. He noted that keeping what he called "the energy flow" or the motion of the tree's movement consistent--including in the directions that the foliage pads faced--unified the whole look of the tree. At that point he "foreshortened" the smaller branches to bring them into foliage areas.

Overall, this was a fascinating demonstration, and showed how when working with our trees, it is often possible to open your thinking into more radical design possibilities.

See our gallery site for a step by step series of photos from Jeff Carr's extreme bending demonstration at the link below: http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

August 2010 ACBS Show in North Canton, Ohio

2010-08-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

This year's August show was set in a smaller location than in past years. However, the new location with its classic hanging milk-glass lights and neutral white background provided an intimate gallery-like setting for the bonsai displayed the exhibit.

Nearly 90 trees from a dozen club members showed the wide variety of styles and species. Members like Cheryl lent more interest to the program by working on some styling during the event. The exhibit had a steady stream of visitors throughout the weekend.

Some of tropical species--such as the fine ficus narrow folia pictured at the bottom right-- were especially lush in the midst of this unusually warm growing season. Some of the native trees, such as the arborvitae on the bottom left also displayed good summer growth. It was terrific to see some of the newer members of the club contribute their trees as well as seeing how some of the specimen tree projects of our more experienced people continue to develop in character and quality. In a sense, the exhibit, which many consider to be "the attraction" of the North Canton Main Street Festival was a fitting celebration of the art of bonsai as we shared our trees with the community.

You can view all of the pictures of the exhibit at our gallery site http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai
Much thanks to all members who participated in the exhibit.

ACBS June Exhibition

2010-06-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

This year's June show drew many visitors, and it is always a delight to see how our members' trees are progressing. Many trees that have been exhibited in the past are now developing toward "specimen tree" status. The juniper and pine projects highlighted the show.

Unfortunately, we missed the azalea blossoms by about a week. The warm weather this year brought the flowers out a little sooner than usual. Still, a well attended show with many members at all skill levels participated, and we had many good remarks from our visitors to the exhibit.

See our gallery site for more photos from this show and from past shows at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

Our next exhibition will be in August at the North Canton Street Festival. Hope to see everyone there.

ACBS June Show

2010-04-30T06:49:00.000-07:00

The Akron Canton
Bonsai Society
Presents a

Bonsai Exhibition

June 11th 12th & 13th 2010
Cuyahoga Valley Art Center
Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio

Admission: Free

The exhibition will feature local bonsai artists and contain examples of various bonsai styles & species, including pines, elms, flower and tropical trees.

April Meeting: Swap Meet

2010-03-30T20:04:00.000-07:00

No Foolin’: It’s Bonsai Swap Night

As planned, we're having a bonsai swap meet for our meeting on April 1st. So If anyone has trees that they'd like to sell or trade PLEASE bring them to the meeting. We may also have a silent auction( proceeds to the club ). If anyone wants to donate trees for that bring them also. If there is any time left we can work on trees.

Not a member and want to join? Come to the meeting, see Gary Gifford, ACBS Treasurer, with $20 in cash or check (made out to “Akron Canton Bonsai Society”).

Akron Canton Bonsai Society

First Thursday of Each Month

7 – 9 p.m.

Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

2131 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Club Black Pine Project

2010-03-01T13:27:00.000-08:00

ACBS Notice

AKRON CANTON BONSAI SOCIETY

a member of Bonsai Clubs International

March 2010

4 March 2010 7 – 9 p.m. at the Cuyahoga Valley Arts Center

Japanese Black Pine: Step One – Potting

This is the Year of the Japanese Black Pine.

The Japanese Black Pine is truly one of the CLASSIC bonsai species. So we hope that you will join us in the fun of working together on this species (Pinus thunbergii).

This Thursday we will receive the pines we’ve ordered from Ken. Some ordered the small, and some ordered the medium size pines. At this meeting we will begin the process by discussing soils and potting techniques. Gib will bring his photography equipment so that everyone can take a “before” picture of their tree.

ACBS 2010-- Year of the Black Pine

2010-01-11T07:20:00.001-08:00

This is the Year of the Japanese Black Pine. At the December meeting ACBS decided to program a thematic year. Everything (well, nearly everything) this year will relate to this one species, Pinus thunbergii, a frequently used (and abused) species in bonsai. It’s known for having its own set of problems. So this year we will work on this one species. Everyone who wants to participate will work on their own specimen and each month we will progress to the next step. Cool!

In January & February Ken, Carlton and Gib will bring in price guides, style charts and specimens they’ve worked on. You can begin to think about the size of tree and price level you want to work on. This is a new direction for the club. It will be interesting to follow these trees through the year – and in years to come. The Japanese Black Pine is truly one of the CLASSIC bonsai species.

The picture above is from the USDA web site. The bonsai to the right was done by Walter Pall, the great German bonsai artist. His article and step-by-step photo essay is found at:

http://knowledgeofbonsai.org/articles/progressions/japanese-black-pine-kotobuki-pinus-thunbergiana-walter-pall/

Not a member and want to join? Come to the meeting, see Gary Gifford, ACBS Treasurer, with $20 in cash or check (made out to “Akron Canton Bonsai Society”).

Members get:

- A monthly e-newsletter including

Calendar of Bonsai events in the area

Bonsai book reviews

Articles on bonsai

Full color photo displays of meetings and events

- Private meetings with bonsai demonstrators

- Monthly meetings

- Tons of advice on growing, styling, displaying (and disposing of) bonsai

Akron Canton Bonsai Society

First Thursday of Each Month

7 – 9 p.m.

Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

2131 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

(enter through the rear door on the lower level)

Virtual Fall Bonsai Show

2009-10-27T18:59:00.000-07:00

Spectacular fall color is one of the rewards of working with deciduous trees in northeastern Ohio. Despite our notoriously unpredictable weather, we do get some amazing color this time of the year.

Once again this year the Akron Canton Bonsai Society is presenting its Fall Virtual Bonsai Show. You can see pictures of some of our trees in all of their colorful autumnal beauty on our gallery site http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai.

Just click on the "Fall Bonsai Show" icon and you can see fall pictures of member's trees from this season and last season. It's fun to compare this year's photos to last year's and note how the color can vary.

The virtual show is at the time of this post, a "work in progress." We'll be adding pictures as we get them from our members. So check the gallery link often in the coming weeks.

We really do love our trees-- especially when they look like this.

Craig Coussins Visits the ACBS

2009-10-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

International bonsai star Craig Coussins visited the ACBS in October. At our club's regular meeting, he assisted and collaborated with members on some of their current tree projects in an open forum that flowed late into the evening.

On the following night, he held a public demonstration where he worked his magic on a large garden juniper, creating a fine cascade style bonsai. Also, he presented a slide program on Chinese gardens.

See our gallery site for more photos of Craig's visit along with photos of our past shows:
http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

Special October Meeting --- FRIDAY, OCT 2nd

2009-09-24T11:26:00.001-07:00

ACBS Notice

AKRON CANTON BONSAI SOCIETY a member of Bonsai Clubs International

October 2009

October Meeting: FRIDAY 2 October

7 – 9 p.m. Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

Main Floor Gallery

Craig Coussins

Internationally Renowned Bonsai Artist

Founder, Scottish Bonsai Association

Role of Honour, Federation of British Bonsai Societies

Author, Five excellent books on bonsai

Craig will do a demonstration of bonsai techniques.

Craig Coussins is well known for his ability to recount interesting tales, answer

questions and tell good jokes while working on bonsai. The completed tree will

be raffled at the end of the meeting. Craig will also be available to autograph

copies of his books. I’m told that this will be Craig’s final tour. So unless you

plan to visit Scotland anytime soon, this is one you don’t want to miss.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - PUBLIC PARKING READILY AVAILABLE

Plan to arrive early because this event is part of Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest

ACBS 2009 August Show

2009-08-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

The Akron Canton Bonsai Society held its August exhibition at the North Canton Main Street Festival this weekend. We had many types of hardy and tropic trees.

It was great to see both new and established members participating. Plus there was a steady stream of visitors. Once again this year, kudos to our "show boss," Mike A. for his good direction. You can see photos of the show at our gallery site:
http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

Just click on the August Show icon and you'll see about 80 pictures of members trees and other bits and pieces of the event.

ALSO, check out the recently posted folder titled "Members' Trees" on the gallery site: http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai. Gib set up his equipment at the show on Saturday and took "bonsai portraits" for members who wanted them. The photography is so good that I'm thinking of getting some wallet sizes made of these to carry around with me :-)

2009-08-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Akron Canton Bonsai Society
Presents a
Bonsai Exhibition
August 22nd & 23rd 2009
Sat. 10am - 8 pm & Sun. 11am - 5 pm
North Canton Main Street Festival
in the IBEW Union Hall, North Canton, OH

The exhibition will feature local bonsai artists and contain examples of various bonsai styles and species, including, pines, elms, flowering and tropical trees.

Admission: Free

Email: akroncantonbonsai@gmail.com

August 6th Meeting

2009-08-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

PREPPING YOUR TREE FOR A SHOW

(e.g. OUR show on 22, 23 August, North Canton Sidewalk Fair)

BRING A TREE YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SHOWING^*

(or just bring a tree you’re interested in working on)

^* The show in open to ALL MEMBERS. We hope that everyone who

is a member of ACBS will present at least one tree. We hope that

all non-members will stop by the show to see the quality of our

trees.

As usual, we will be meeting at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center in Cuyahoga Falls at 7:00 pm.

ACBS Picnic 2009

2009-07-18T18:54:00.000-07:00

Gib's fine bonsai garden was the setting for the Akron Canton Bonsai Society's summer picnic and afternoon tree. It was attended by several members on a perfect July afternoon.

Several years ago at one of our club meetings, a landscape architect offered ideas about creating bonsai gardens to display favorite trees. Obviously Gib must have been playing close attention. His neatly landscaped backyard includes several gardens and tree display areas that were a real treat for the group--and a lesson in how to show off your trees.

Also, the tree jam focused on a large collected yew. Dan and Larry spent worked diligently--with no shortage of advice from others-- on some shaping and planning for how the tree will develop in the coming years.

Pictures of the picnic can been seen on our gallery site: http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

June ACBS Meeting

2009-05-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

June 4th 7-9 pm at the Cuyahoga Valley Arts Center

BRING YOUR OWN TREE Let’s just relax and bring our own trees to work on and show to each other. You might bring your Hokkaido Elm to show around, or the Octopus style Shimpaku that we worked on last month. Or . . . . whatever. Right NOW is the best time to work on material, especially if you want to pot it.

Need advice on a tree? Bring it. You may get more ideas than one little tree deserves.

Akron Canton Bonsai Society

First Thursday of Each Month

(except December)

7 – 9 p.m.

Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

2131 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

ACBS is a member of Bonsai Clubs International

Ken's Mangled Style Workshop with Shipaku Junipers

2009-05-08T13:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots from Ken's workshop at the May ACBS meeting. Ken called this style of tree "mangle-ations" or "mangled style." He also related that he believes the Japanese word is "Fuko abuncho ?"

Whatever you call them, it was a lot of fun and the members put together some good trees. The 1st pictures are before and after of some of last night's trees.

Also with some of the trees, a srtipped "shari" was created before wiring and shaping. As the tree grows the shari will turn into an interesting feature of the trunk when the raffia is removed after the growing season and as the tree ages.

Octopus Style Workshop at May 2009 Meeting

2009-05-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

Our own Ken Huth will lead a workshop with shimpaku juniper on Octopus style (tako-zukuri) $15 will do it all: tree, raffia, wire, fun, help . . . . the whole bit.

No one has done more for ACBS than Ken Huth! And once again Ken swings into action. You may have seen him working on this at the last meeting. He started with a young shimpaku juniper whip, wrapped it with raffia, then wired it and . . . . then he did the twist – round and round and back and forth. It brought the height of the tree from about 24 inches down to about 8 inches. WOW! (Yes, you do hear considerable crunching and snapping, but that’s why you have the raffia wrapped around it – to hold all of the pieces together. ;-) The next step on the plant shown would be to thin the branches, then wire them into the usual, first-branch, second-branch, back branch, etc. This is an EXCELLENT technique to learn! The technique is the same that you can use on branches that are too long and have too much space between the secondary branches. Besides it looks like great fun!! And Ken is looking forward to leading this workshop as much as I’m looking forward to taking it.

So join us, 7-9 pm at the Cuyahoga Valley Art Center 2131 Front Street Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

ACBS displays at Komono Museum Exhibit

2009-04-26T17:50:00.000-07:00

During the acclaimed "Komono as Art" exhibition at the Canton Museum of Art, the Akron-Canton Bonsai Society presented a bonsai display on April 25th 2009. The display featured several members' trees and was well received by both the art museum officials and members of the public.

This early spring timing was a first for our club (usually we display in June and August), and it presented some unique problems in that members were a limited in what they choose to display-- it snowed here in north east Ohio just last week. However, the early season timing also brought some real treats. Most notably, Gib's yellow-blooming cotoneaster pushed out more and more blossoms as we moved into the second day of the event. Also, some species, such as the Japanese maples, were just breaking out and sported their colorful young spring foliage. We had a fine selection of pines, tropicals, forest plantings, azalea, boxwood and others.

ACBS members also offered demonstrations on how a bonsai might be created from nursery stock. You can see pictures from our display (and the March 8 display) as well as "before and after" shots of the demo trees at our gallery spot
http://picasaweb.google.com/akroncantonbonsai

Information on the "Komono As Art"exhibit can be found at www.kimonoexhibit.com

April 2009 meeting

2009-04-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

April meeting . . . . (2 April) CVAC 7 – 9 p.m. Cuyahoga Valley Art Center (enter from the lower parking lot side).

Bonsai Insect Pests and What To Do About Them

Got Pest Problems with your trees? Sticky leaves? Black spot, Cobwebs hanging off the branches? Well . . . . knowing what’s going on and how to stop it is the only way to end the problems for good. You may remember Debbie from our November meeting. Debbie is a plant pathologist who works in Kent, OH. This time she will talk about plant insect pests, how to detect them, how to get rid of them, and maybe even how to prevent getting them in the first place. BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE . . . . she will also bring her microscope and diagnostic tools so we can view the problems with our trees. Be sure to bring a tree that you think may have a “pest problem.” This will be a rare opportunity to ask all those questions about plant pests from someone who REALLY knows the answers.

So . . . . . bring your tree for diagnosis.

Cuyahoga Valley Art Center
2131 Front Street, Cuyahoga Falls, OH

ACBS is a member of Bonsai Clubs International

Akron Canton Bonsai Society

ACBS March Meeting: Natonal Bonsai Collection

Jeff Carr of Staselwood Bonsai Discusses Soil, Pots, & Tree Qualites at February Meeting

ACBS’s Project Tree of the Year: The American Larch or Tamarack

ACBS Kicks Off a Bonsai Agenda for the New Year +PLUS "the wizard"

More Over-Wintering Ideas for Hardy Bonsai

David's Wild Tree Project & Winter Tree Protection Ideas

2011 ACBS Show

Leaf Cutting Discussion at July Meeting

ACBS's Annual Summer Show

Mike's Pine Discussion Notes from June Meeting

A New Growing Season: Does it Get More Exciting?

May ACBS Meeting Brings Excitement Over Projects

April Meeting Brings Out the Trees

Planning at the January Meeting

Bring a Tree & Help Us Plan at the January Meeting

The Bending Fun Continues

October Meeting: Bring Your Own Tree

Extreme Bending by Jeff Carr

August 2010 ACBS Show in North Canton, Ohio

ACBS June Exhibition

ACBS June Show

April Meeting: Swap Meet

Not a member and want to join? Come to the meeting, see Gary Gifford, ACBS Treasurer, with $20 in cash or check (made out to “Akron Canton Bonsai Society”).

Club Black Pine Project

4 March 2010 7 – 9 p.m. at the Cuyahoga Valley Arts Center

Japanese Black Pine: Step One – Potting

This is the Year of the Japanese Black Pine.

The Japanese Black Pine is truly one of the CLASSIC bonsai species. So we hope that you will join us in the fun of working together on this species (Pinus thunbergii).

ACBS 2010-- Year of the Black Pine

The picture above is from the USDA web site. The bonsai to the right was done by Walter Pall, the great German bonsai artist. His article and step-by-step photo essay is found at:

http://knowledgeofbonsai.org/articles/progressions/japanese-black-pine-kotobuki-pinus-thunbergiana-walter-pall/

Not a member and want to join? Come to the meeting, see Gary Gifford, ACBS Treasurer, with $20 in cash or check (made out to “Akron Canton Bonsai Society”).

Members get:

- A monthly e-newsletter including

Calendar of Bonsai events in the area

Bonsai book reviews

Articles on bonsai

Full color photo displays of meetings and events

- Private meetings with bonsai demonstrators

- Monthly meetings

- Tons of advice on growing, styling, displaying (and disposing of) bonsai

Virtual Fall Bonsai Show

Craig Coussins Visits the ACBS

Special October Meeting --- FRIDAY, OCT 2nd

October Meeting: FRIDAY 2 October

7 – 9 p.m. Cuyahoga Valley Art Center

Main Floor Gallery

Craig Coussins

Internationally Renowned Bonsai Artist

Founder, Scottish Bonsai Association

Role of Honour, Federation of British Bonsai Societies

Author, Five excellent books on bonsai

Craig will do a demonstration of bonsai techniques.

Craig Coussins is well known for his ability to recount interesting tales, answer

questions and tell good jokes while working on bonsai. The completed tree will

be raffled at the end of the meeting. Craig will also be available to autograph

copies of his books. I’m told that this will be Craig’s final tour. So unless you

plan to visit Scotland anytime soon, this is one you don’t want to miss.

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC - PUBLIC PARKING READILY AVAILABLE

Plan to arrive early because this event is part of Cuyahoga Falls Oktoberfest

ACBS 2009 August Show

August 6th Meeting

(e.g. OUR show on 22, 23 August, North Canton Sidewalk Fair)

BRING A TREE YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SHOWING*

(or just bring a tree you’re interested in working on)

* The show in open to ALL MEMBERS. We hope that everyone who

is a member of ACBS will present at least one tree. We hope that

all non-members will stop by the show to see the quality of our

trees.

ACBS Picnic 2009

June ACBS Meeting

Need advice on a tree? Bring it. You may get more ideas than one little tree deserves.

Ken's Mangled Style Workshop with Shipaku Junipers

Octopus Style Workshop at May 2009 Meeting

ACBS displays at Komono Museum Exhibit

April 2009 meeting

BRING A TREE YOU’RE INTERESTED IN SHOWING^*

^* The show in open to ALL MEMBERS. We hope that everyone who