Author: cleveland
October 2023 Meeting
Coming up this Saturday will be the follow up to our accent pot making workshop. Those that made a pot last month will have the opportunity to paint their work with glaze ahead of the final firing. This work should require much less explanation so we can also have some general discussion about the limits of fall bonsai work and winter storage strategies. So bring your questions, share your experience and if you’ve got a tree you’d like to share, bring that too!
September 2023 Meeting
August 2023 Meeting
July 2023 Meeting
Bring in a tree that’s lookin’ pretty to share with the group, or a tree that needs some post hardening pruning.
For those who are interested in propagation, CBC VP Adam Shank will be bringing in an Ezo Spruce to prune which will produce a lot of cuttings. Spruce cuttings are not easy to strike successfully but Ezo is fairly rare so if you’d like to try, bring a ziploc bag to collect some.
May 2023 Meeting
At our upcoming meeting this Saturday we will be prepping for our show which is next weekend.
January 2023 Meeting
Happy New Year Everyone!
Our first meeting of the year is coming up on Saturday January 28th, 9:30am in the indoor classroom of Rockefeller Park Greenhouse.
To begin preparations for the upcoming spring repotting season, we will start with a discussion and workshop on kintsugi! Kintsugi refers to the Japanese tradition of repairing broken pottery using lacquer dusted with gold powder. In addition to keeping the item in service, making a decorative and functional repair allows the piece to tell the story of its history and reminds us to find beauty in imperfection.
For repairing bonsai ceramics that experience wide ranging outdoor temperatures, we must deviate a bit from tradition in our repairs. We will use quick-setting 2 part epoxy to effect a structurally sound and durable repair. I am hoping some members have broken or cracked pots to bring in and participate. Materials will be provided but if you’re planning to participate please send me a message to let me know.
Additionally, if anyone got a new bonsai tree for Christmas and would like to share it, or ask questions about care, please do.
Looking forward to seeing everyone again!
-Adam Shank, V.P.
August 2022 meeting
For this month’s meeting we will be doing a “Swap Meet” as suggested by Rob Giorgi. If you’ve got anything bonsai related you’d like to sell or just get rid of, bring it in! Or bring a tree to work on.
The meeting is Saturday August 27th at 9:30am. Same location as usual, in the classroom at Rockefeller Park Greenhouse.
2022 Bonsai Show
Here are some pictures of the bonsai trees in the 2022 Spring Show as taken by club VP Adam Shank.
2019 Fall Show and Winners
Our 2019 Fall Show was held this past weekend and was a big success with over 1,000 visitors!
While we did get a little light rain on both days the weather cooperated for the most part. See below for a gallery of sights from the show.
We are also pleased to announce the winners of the People’s Choice voting:
Thank you to everyone who attended and I hope you all had a wonderful time.
Suiseki Primer
The March 2019 meeting of the Cleveland Bonsai Club featured a presentation by member Les Allen on Suiseki, the Japanese art of stone appreciation.
Suiseki are small, naturally formed stones selected for their shape, balance, simplicity, and tranquility. They invoke a feeling, memory, or impression in the viewer and can resemble landscapes, mountains, huts, people, animals, and more.
They are usually displayed on a daiza (a wooden base custom made for that particular stone) or in a shallow tray of sand called a suiban (ceramic) or doban (bronze). The display may incorporate a stand and possibly a scroll on the wall.
Suiseki are selected based on five criteria:
- Shape – balance and proportion
- Quality of material – appearance of hardness
- Color – reflection of nature
- Surface texture – varies but should never show damage
- Age – appearance of age (patina)
Some classifications include:
- Landscape Suiseki (Sansui keijo-seki): shaped like a mountain, island, waterfall, shoreline, cave, canyon, or plateau.
- Object stones (Keisho-seki): resembling a person, animal, boat, house or bridge.
- Celestial (Gensho-seki): with patterns resembling the moon, sun or stars.
- Plant (Kigata-ishi): with patterns picturing flowers, fruits, grasses, forests or even Bonsai.
- Weather (Tenko-seki): resembling rain, intense sunlight, lightning or snow.
- Abstract (Chusho-seki): with surfaces similar to animal prints, tangled nets, etc.
Suiseki are sometimes displayed along with bonsai trees and can be valued in the thousands of dollars.
