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NEXT CLUB MEETINGS

Green Square Community Hall

3 Joynton Avenue Zetland

7pm Tuesday 13 May 2014

Brenda, President of Illawarra Bonsai Club will talk about Azaleas. Brenda is a specialist in Azalea bonsai. 7pm Tuesday 10 June 2014

Lee will do a workshop on Australian Native bonsai techniques.

CONTACT DETAILS

� 0432 461 025

�[email protected]

� sydneycitybonsai.org.au

�� PO Box 486 Summerhill NSW 2130

COMMITTEE Patron Dorothy Koreshoff

President Bryan

Vice President Sue

Secretary tba

Treasurer Chris

Newsletter Editor Roslyn

Librarian Marianna

Catering Philip

Committee Lee & Tony

MEMBERSHIP Full Membership $40.00 Concession $25.00 Family $55.00 Pensioner $25.00

SCBC wishes to thank Sydney City

Council for their continued support

for our club by providing the hall at a

reduced rate.

Welcome to the April Newsletter

May Meeting

Brenda Parker will be the speaker at the May meeting and her topic is azaleas.

Brenda is the long running president of the Illawarra Bonsai Society, the largest bonsai club in NSW and she is a dynamic person in the bonsai field. Brenda’s interests are bonsai and suiseki [viewing stones] and while she loves all species that make beautiful bonsai her greatest love is Azaleas. Tuesday 13 May is your chance to learn a great deal more about this beautiful flowering plant and how to make beautiful azalea bonsai. Brenda is a knowledgeable and enthusiastic speaker and it will be a great meeting. Don’t miss it.

Sue wins 2014 Royal Easter Show Champion Bonsai. See page 3 for full RAS bonsai results

In this issue:

• SCBC at the 2014 Royal Easter Show – see pages 2-3

• Interview with Dorothy Koreshoff – SCBC Patron – page 4

• April Talks – Root grafting a Maple & Initial Styling Sandpaper Fig –Page 5

• Formally Displaying Bonsai & the Events Calendar – page 6

SCBC’s new look website:

Whilst there is still more to be done, check out our new look SCBC website at http://sydneycitybonsai.org.au/.

SCBC AT THE 2014 ROYAL EASTER SHOW

Lots of interest and questions at our Easter Show bonsai stand Thanks to Sue’s organisation and effort, the Sydney City Bonsai stand at the RAS was a great success. Each day SCBC club volunteers and some volunteers from the Bonsai Society of Australia ensured that members of the public showing an interest in bonsai could stop, look, have a chat and ask questions about the art of bonsai.

Phil in action at the SCBC RAS Bonsai stand

Generally people were fascinated and impressed by the beauty and age of the trees. This year we had a bonsai “workshop” section and “jaws did drop” when Lee cut off a main branch of a tea tree (about 1/3 of the tree) demonstrating the importance of creating a plausible natural “story” in the bonsai styling process. We continued to be amazed by the questions people asked. Questions like: Do you have to water it? Can you grow bonsai under water? Why do you do wire therapy? Do you have to water them all of the time? I was told you can revive a dead bonsai- Is that true? I thought bonsai, being small delicate plants should be kept indoors all of the time – Is that right? Bonsai clubs certainly do have a role to play in educating people about how to develop and care for bonsai trees/

One of our volunteers making use of the cuttings from a workshop tree

A selection of Bonsai at the 2014 RAS Competition

Colin Hugo from the Bonsai Society of Australia wins the Australian Native Bonsai (other than a Ficus)

Lee’s Pyracantha wins bonsai in flower or fruit. In fact Lee’s trees in this category won 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

Sue’s winning saikei (landscape)

page. 2

SCBC AT THE 2014 ROYAL EASTER SHOW

SCBC Prizes and Commendations at the 2014 Royal Easter Show

At the Show this year there were around 50 trees presented for the RAS bonsai competition. Congratulations to Sue and Lee for winning so many prizes.

CLASS: 512 - Bonsai, any style, under 30cm high.

1 5282 LEE – SYDNEY CITY BONSAI CLUB


3 5053 SUE – SYDNEY CITY BONSAI CLUB

Highly

Commended

5155 COLIN HUGO - BONSAI SCOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA

CLASS: 513 - One Bonsai (one tree only), informal, upright style.


2 5158 COLIN HUGO - BONSAI SCOCIETY OF AUSTRALIA


CLASS: 514 - One Bonsai (one tree only), cascade or semi-cascade style.



3 5175 P D MARTIN

CLASS: 515 - Bonsai, in flower or fruit.




CLASS: 516 - One Bonsai (one tree only), root over rock or growing on rock.



CLASS: 517 - Bonsai, ficus, any style.


2 5176 MRS P D MARTIN


CLASS: 518 - Bonsai, Australian Native (other than fig), any style.




CLASS: 519 - Bonsai, any other style.




Highly

Commended

5066 SUE – SYDNEY CITY BONSAI CLUB

CLASS: 521 - Bonsai, saikei (landscape).



CLASS: S5210 - CHAMPION BONSAI.

Winner 5062 SUE – SYDNEY CITY BONSAI CLUB

Sue receiving RAS Champion Bonsai award

Hints on Preparing Trees for a Show These hints were written by Brenda Parker (from the Illawarra Bonsai Club newsletter in preparation for their annual club show).

• Trees must be healthy and free of pests and diseases.

Remove spent flowers, damaged or very large leaves and

leaves on the soil surface except for deciduous trees as

this gives the impression that autumn is here.

• Pots should be weeded and the soil surface prepared e.g.

moss, pebbles, rocks etc.

• Pots must be clean and finished with a smearing or baby

oil (or similar) and then wiped with a soft dry cloth.

• Trees must have a stand and a soe (accent plant) that

suits your display. The accent plant should also have a flat

mat or similar to place it on.

• Supply a list of your trees with the common name or

species, the style and the age of the tree. This information

is required so that uniform place cards can be printed and

placed in front of your tree.

• Have all your trees and bonsai related items with your

name on them so that these can be safely returned to you

after the show. Missing items can be very distressing.

• Remove wire from the tree especially from around the

trunk. Inconspicuous wiring on small branches is quite

acceptable. Although, trees in the ‘Trees in Training’

section can have wire on.

‘To display requires staging but the method

is never the goal. Artistry and quality are.

The intent of bonsai and suiseki is one of

grace, taste and elegance.’

Susumu Sudo

page 3

INTERVIEW WITH DOROTHY KORESHOFF –OUR CLUB PATRON

About our Patron – Dorothy Koreshoff By Roz Young As I am relatively new to the world of bonsai, I jumped at the chance to interview Sydney City Bonsai Club’s patron, Dorothy Koreshoff at the 2014 Royal Easter Show.

Dorothy Koreshoff at the 12014 RAS

I knew that Dorothy is both nationally and internationally recognised as a bonsai expert from both an artistic and horticultural perspective and is the Patron of the Sydney City Bonsai Club. So I wanted to know:

• How she originally came to be interested in bonsai; • How she developed her bonsai techniques including the

famous Koreshoff soil mix;

• What was her and husband, Vita’s philosophy behind their promotion of bonsai in Australia from the late sixties

and then internationally; and

• How our club, Sydney City Bonsai Club originated.

Way back in the early 1940’s living in Brisbane, Dorothy was adamant that she wanted to be an artist rather than going to university. When she was 14 years old, her loving parents eventually allowed her to help our on Saturday’s at a local embroidery factory. Instead of losing interest, Dorothy was intent on working in this field full-time. It was at this factory at the age of 16, that she first encountered Vita, the boss of the factory and who was to become her future husband. Vita had originally spent much of his youth living in Hailah Province in China as a result of his father was the administrator for the Southern Sector of the Trans Siberian Railway through Manchuria. Their Government house had a beautiful Penging1 collection attended by in-house Chinese gardeners. After settling in Brisbane his ‘homesick’ Mother prompted Vita in 1930…the year of Dorothy’s birth, to dabble in bonsai in an effort to support his mother’s sadness. Dorothy and Vita were married in 1949 and by this time Dorothy had also become interested in bonsai. The couple moved to Maroubra, Sydney, with Vita’s early bonsai prior to eventually buying a place at Pagewood. As the Collection expanded they move to Castle Hill where they continued developing the collection of bonsai.

Then followed years of experimentation with soil mixes, watering, environmental settings and bonsai styling techniques meant that visitors to their home due to extensive media coverage as a new development were really impressed with their bonsai collection. After moving to Castle Hill in 1965 they eventually opened their gates to the public on weekends and happily explained and helped anyone who came for advice with their own bonsai. From here their bonsai nursery began. Using their own bonsai as inspiration, they began holding classes at the Koreshoff nursery. Word spread and their reputation grew. Dorothy explained that the early soil mixes had too much clay in them which meant that the bonsai would not vigorously thrive. Better results were achieved when they moved to a more open mix using washed crushed gravel and choir as a base and fertilised with organic material such as chicken manure. After many years of experimental refining, the Koreshoff soil mix recommendation is:

• 7 scoops of washed gravel (screenings) • 3 scoops of choir peat • 1 scoop of Standard Dynamic Lifter (make sure it is Standard

only as other variations have chemicals added that will burn the

roots.

Dorothy explained that the above “mix achieves the correct delicate balance between particle size and water tension.” However, along with the science you must also apply the “spirit of bonsai”, that is the reason you do bonsai for your art to be a success.

Fractured Gravel Screenings

- not smoothly round approx. size2-5mm

Dorothy and Vita were part of the 1965 development of the Bonsai Society of Australia which is still in existence today. Dorothy explained, “You should do bonsai because you love it and not for ego purposes.” From the late sixties Dorothy and Vita began spreading bonsai knowledge freely by holding bonsai subjects in each burgeoning club in a number of suburbs around Sydney. These free subjects were one year in length to ensure enough knowledge was attained to pass on as membership increased. The Eastern Suburbs Bonsai Club formed in 1970 by this method and was the forerunner of our Club, Sydney City Bonsai Club. The Koreshoff’s promotion of bonsai was not limited to Australia. Vita had many international connections and both he and Dorothy were the original Australian Directors of Bonsai Clubs International.

1 Penjing (literally "tray scenery"), is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature. Their artistic composition captures the spirit of nature and distinguishes them from ordinary potted plants. The Japanese art of bonsai originally derived

from the Chinese practice of penjing. page 4

APRIL TALKS – GRAFTING MAPLE & INITIAL STYLING SANDPAPER FIG

Grafting as an option to improve Maple nebari

At the April meeting Lee brought in a Trident Maple that had recently been grafted at root level in order to improve its nebari. Nebari is the visible spread of roots above the growing medium at the base of a bonsai. Nebari help a bonsai seem grounded and well-anchored and make it look mature, akin to a full-sized tree.

Lee explaining how the grafting process was undertaken.

Lee explained that this Trident Maple did not have an even spread of roots (nebari) and hence would benefit from grafting a young Maple seedling/cutting at the base of the trunk. The process is much the same as any other approach graft except instead of using a branch from the same tree you use seedlings or well established cuttings from the same tree as your grafting material.

An approach graft is done by removing a section of bark from the main tree where the new roots are to join the nebari and from the seedling/cutting with the new roots just above the roots. The cambial layers of these bare sections aligned and fastened together – pushpins or similar thin, large-headed nails are often used. Tape is used to finally bind the graft together and to protect it.

For further information on root grafting check out:

http://www.inlandbonsai.com/articles/RootGrafting/RootGrafting.pdf

Picture from Bonsaibark.com, post by Wayne titled “In search of the Perfect Nebari #7 Root Grafting. Web address:

http://bonsaibark.com/2009/11/30/in-search-of-the-perfect-nebari-7-root-grafting/

Initial styling of a Sandpaper Fig This Sandpaper Fig now owned by Roz began growing out of control and dearly needed some initial styling.

Sandpaper Fig before initial styling

At this initial styling phase, Lee reduced the height of the tree and reduced the size of some of the branches. She left a “sacrificial” lower branch for now to aid in trunk thickening.

Sandpaper Fig after initial styling page 5

© 2006 Sydney City Bonsai Club | www.sydneycitybonsai.org.au | [email protected] 6

FORMALLY DISPLAYING BONSAI & EVENTS CALENDAR

Formally Displaying Bonsai

The text below is summarised from “bonsaiprimer”. The complete article can be found at: http://www.bonsaiprimer.com/display/display.html Traditionally bonsai are viewed isolated from other trees, or visual clutter. In a formal setting, either a Tokonoma (special alcove used to display objects in traditional Japanese houses), or at an exhibition, a bonsai may be shown with some other object to complement it and add to the overall impression of a tree in a landscape. The other object may be either a viewing stone, or a small plant in a pot, referred to as an 'Accent' plant, or some other ornament, relevant to the time of year. The bonsai is usually displayed on a wooden stand,

called a 'Shoku'. Accent Plants

Almost any plant that can give the impression of being larger than it is, may be used as an accent plant. For example grasses are often used to 'mimic' a grove of bamboo.

White Pine by Mario Komsta (PL) displayed with accent plant. The picture is by Roland Petek from Hans Van Meer’s

ofbonsai website http://hans-van-meer.ofbonsai.org/2013/12/09/my-visit-to-the-eda-uchi-kai-bonsai-show-and-how-i-was-blown-away-by-a-bonsai/

Alpines are a good source of suitable plants and flowering plants often make the display that much brighter. Flowering plants should not however be used with flowering trees. Accents should be treated with the same respect you would give your trees, fed and watered as well as the bonsai, bearing the particular species needs in mind. They will be kept in smaller versions of bonsai pots.

Viewing stones or Suiseki Viewing stones, or Suiseki as they are correctly called are an art form on their own right. When displayed with a bonsai, they are used to give the impression of a mountain in the distance, making the tree seem that much larger. As part of the 'Formal' display the stones are shown on stands.

Ornaments

The chosen ornament should have some relevance to the season you are trying to evoke. The figure of a man at rest under a tree, or perhaps a water buffalo are appropriate for spring/summer. Autumn is the season of harvest and an appropriate ornament should depict this. Under no circumstances should the ornament be placed on the bonsai.

Viewing your tree

Ideally a bonsai should be viewed from as close to eye level as is possible. Looking down on a tree will do nothing to enhance the overall impression of size.

Bonsai tend to be displayed at table height, however even this is too low to properly appreciate the tree and bending, or kneeling is the best way to view the tree at the proper height.

BONSAI EVENTS CALENDAR

Date Event Details

May 17 Bonsai Study Group show West Pymble Community Hall, Lofberg Road.

June 7-8 Bonsai by the Harbour S.C.E.G.S Rowing Facility, Wharf Road, Gladesville

August 21-24 27th National Bonsai Convention, “Sunrise on Australian Bonsai”

Gold Coast, Queensland

September 5-7 Illawarra Bonsai Society The 15th Annual Weekend Workshops at the Tops

Tops Conference Centre, Stanwell Tops

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