Archives for the year of: 2012

1+1=1

March 22, 12 //

This season we have find and collected many new trees. This carpinus is one of them. Tree looked attractive in nature, but when we have bring it home and look at it better uprighted in the new position, we were not so satisfied. Whole crown with trunk looked little bit flat. So we decided to merge this tree with one little carpinus that we have collected near to this one. Both trees have very similar character of the trunk and branches, so it was possible to merge it. We are content with the result, at the end nebari is also improved.

To be sure that both trees will survive we have put it into heating bed in December 2011. At last picture is tree in heating bed today, with the new shoots. It will stay there in moist environment until full recovery.

Carpinus #10 in winter

February 13, 12 //

Oriental Hornbeam today and virtual.

Henry Moore

February 7, 12 //

It is really thrilling when in someone’s bonsai work we can feel something of what sculptor Henry Moore said:

***

Vitality and power of expression. For me, a work must first have a vitality of its own. I do not mean a reflection of the vitality of life, of movement, physical action, frisking, dancing figures and so on, but that a work can have in it a pent-up energy, an intense life of its own, independent of the object it may represent. When a work has this powerful vitality we do not connect the word Beauty with it.

Beauty, in the later Greek or Renaissance sense, is not the aim of my sculpture.

Between beauty of expression and power of expression there is a difference of function. The first aims at pleasing the senses, the second has a spiritual vitality which for me is more moving and goes deeper than the senses.

Because a work does not aim at reproducing natural appearances it is not, therefore, an escape from life – but may be a penetration into reality… an expression of the significance of life, a stimulation to greater effort in living.

Heating bed for better yamadori survival

February 5, 12 //

After extensive preparations and planing, at the end of December 2011. we have finnaly constructed heating bed in our greenhouse. Our prime intention is to enhance surviving rate of newly collected trees (in November and December 2011), and as general help on tree recover.
Frame is wooden, covered with polyester resin all around, to become waterproof. At the bottom we have put styropor as isolation, then heating cable into pumice. Over the bed we have tighten wire to and put nylon over the whole bad, to keep moisture and heat.
After 40 days, almost all trees inside have started budding like at the beginning of Spring! This cold wave and bad weather can be good test for the heating bed.

Snow

February 3, 12 //

For the continental part of Croatia snow is normal at this time of the year, but in southern part of county at the Adriatic coast where we live, 20cm of snow is exceptional event. Last time we had this much snow in 1971. Schools and all public offices are not working. After cleaning main roads, public transportation will start to function again.
Weather forecast for this days were announcing temperatures to -10°C. So few days ago we have put all our trees into greenhouse. So far temperatures are around 0°C.

Olive repotted

January 27, 12 //

We have repotted this tree into much better pot and slightly change position. This is Olea sylvestris and it has really small leaves.

Noelanders Trophy XIII – demo

January 25, 12 //

This time demonstrators were William Valavanis and Ryan Neil from the US, Mauro Stemberger from Italy, Vaclav Novak from the Czech Republic and Jorge Campos from Spain. Both days demonstration lasted for 4-5 hours. Mainly we were watching Ryan Neil’s demo and W. Valavanis since they were simultaneously at the same stage. Walter Pall was there as moderator to brake a silence, and put more dynamic in show, by asking questions and explaining whats happening. Ryan Neil is obvious example how the most important thing in bonsai is intensity, dedication to bonsai. It doesn’t meters how long one practice bonsai, title, bloodline, only passion, that can not be performed, or artificially made.
Matija Triglav from Slovenia and Michael Fedducia from Florida were assisting to Ryan.

Noelanders Trophy XIII – exhibition

January 25, 12 //

For the second time we have participated on Noelanders Thropy exhibition with our Mastic tree / Pistacia lentiscus.
Bonsai exhibition and overall organisation was at high level.