July Meeting Information

Native Pines For Bonsai - Where's The Love?

Saturday, July 12, 2008, 1 p.m.

by Randolph Lewis

Greetings, members.  Bonsai is many things to many people.  It is both an art and a science.  Though steeped in tradition, it is constantly being revolutionized by new ideas and techniques.  Bonsai can be a window into another culture, a la last month’s BSC member show at the Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival, or a mirror in which to better see ourselves and our own natural environment.  At the North Carolina Arboretum, the latter approach is emphasized, and the appreciation of bonsai goes hand in hand with the Arboretum’s ongoing mission of bringing people closer to the plants that surround them.     

The unique role of the Arboretum’s bonsai collection is due in large part to the vision of its curator, Arthur Joura.  Trained in visual art, Joura turned his focus to the art of bonsai in the early 1990’s and began learning from experts both in this country and abroad.  Since then, he has made a name for himself in the bonsai world not only in his role as curator, but also as a celebrated writer, teacher, and lecturer.  In addition, he is the organizer and driving force behind the Carolina Bonsai Expo, now a dozen-year-old bonsai tradition in the Southeast.  A common thread running throughout all his work is the idea that that with the right inspiration, bonsai can be a way for artists and viewers alike to deepen their appreciation for nature while cultivating a more profound sense of place.  When Mr. Joura comes in July for his much-anticipated annual visit to the BSC, he will be giving us some ideas about how we can accomplish this in our own bonsai through the use of native species as subject matter, specifically pines.  Here, in his own words, is a description of what he has in store for us:

NATIVE PINES FOR BONSAI 

WHERE'S THE LOVE?

by Arthur Joura

There are many species of pine in the world, but bonsai people tend to limit themselves to working with only a select few. For some the only pine to speak of, the only pine worth talking about, is Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii). This plant is so cool that it is often referred to simply by its initials - JBP, thus putting it on the same plane of reverence as the king of sandwiches - the PBJ. Then there are people who get the vapors when in the presence of the Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora), gushing in poetic rapture over its elegance and refinement. There is also favor for Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora), which is not commonly used for bonsai in this country but is generally acknowledged as worthy because its name begins with the word "Japanese". The more broad-minded bonsai aficionados also allow for a couple of European species - Mugo Pine (Pinus mugo) and Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris), and there are even a growing number of crazy liberals who will admit to using a species of pine native to the western United States – Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa), provided the plants in question have been collected and are thousands of years old.

But when it comes to the pines that grow here in the eastern U.S., the pines that are all around us and come up as volunteers in our backyards, well, wouldn't you know it, they're all worthless.  No good for bonsai. Don't even waste your time.

Fortunately, this bit of conventional wisdom is demonstrably false. Our native pines are certainly usable for bonsai and some of them are actually excellent subjects. In western North Carolina there are five native pine species: Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus); Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata); Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida); Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana); and Table Mountain Pine (Pinus pungens). The bonsai collection of the NC Arboretum includes all of them. (If you are interested in learning more about pines in North Carolina and the eastern U.S., try this site: http://www.ncsu.edu/project/dendrology/index/titleb.html)

On Saturday, July 12th, I'll be making my 14th annual visit to the Bonsai Society of the Carolinas in Charlotte. This year the subject of my program is the use of native pines for bonsai, and I'll be bringing along a few representative plants from the NC Arboretum's holdings to help make my case. The program will include a pine training demonstration, using a large Pitch Pine collected on the Arboretum's property in 2004, and grown in a planting box since then. This tree is ready to take a giant step forward in its bonsai career. I hope many of you will come see how it turns out.

...But, of course, it's a native pine so there's no reason to think it will amount to much.

Still, we'll have fun. So what have you got to lose?

- Arthur Joura

Last month’s meeting – here’s what you missed

For those of you who weren’t able to make it out to the BSC’s member show at the Charlotte Dragon Boat Festival, you missed quite a spectacle indeed.  Despite the heat, it was a resounding success, and festival organizers were quite pleased and impressed with the extra facet that bonsai added to the event this year.  Our booth was a popular destination for festivalgoers who, in addition to enjoying the bonsai on display, were also treated to demonstrations on styling and refinement by club members Rusty Harris, Chris Jenkins, and Bob Wymer.  Judging by the enthusiastic public response, our participation in the festival was a very worthwhile endeavor for the BSC, both in terms of raising awareness of bonsai in general and of our club in particular.  According to show organizer Rusty Harris, “as we hoped, the Dragon Boat Festival proved to be a great venue for a bonsai exhibit.  People who turned out for this event were very receptive to learning about bonsai and I wouldn’t be sur`prised if the club gained some new members in the process.  Let’s do it again next year!”

Thanks to all the exhibitors for sharing the fruits of their labor with the public.  Special thanks to Chris Jenkins, Jim Hall, and Bob and Jan Wymer for braving the record temperatures to staff the booth.  And finally, giant thanks and kudos to Rusty Harris who, in addition sweating it out at the booth with the rest of the gang, was also responsible for organizing all aspects of the show and seeing the whole thing through from start to finish.  Great job, everyone! 

Would you like to see some photos of the Dragon Boat Festival?  Just Click On This Link!