Bonsai Review 49

Anybody you recognise on the last page?

Gordale Funday weekend 2011 -Sunday

Doug searching for loose change amongst the branches of a Money tree!

Andy deep in discussion.

is it shock or just the wind blowing the rug off?

Andy, with his favourite kind of audience!!

On the 26th July 2011, W-B-S were invited to attend the 2 day Fun-day at Gordale's Garden Center (GGC) and it was amazing as the GGC was buzzing with many activities for members of the public out to enjoy themselves ,so once again this gave the Society a chance to meet, greet and help many members of the public with anything bonsai.

On Saturday the 9th July 2011 not everyone was able to attend the 2 day event but it was left to Bill G. Doug M (whose wife Christine is a Bonsai widow so i am told ) and of-course our Bonsai Blogspot Master Iain Q, my mentor and advisor for the society site at www.wirral-bonsai.blogspot.com and I am told that all went well on Saturday.

On Sunday the 10th July See-No Evil,Hear No-Evil and Say No-Evil in the form of Andy H, Doug M and yours truly The Lad had the pleasure of working on some Bonsai Trees such as Cork Bark Elm, Privets, Potential, Cotoneaster, Juniper, Hornbeam, Acer, Maple, Satsuki and a Chamaectparis plus some other trees

The day started well and it was nice to see so many smiling face as members of the public brought in a few trees and a gentleman who we have help in the past few months returned and we hope will prove to be a regular brought in another ones of his trees this time a Money Tree and it was this time it was Doug M who attended to his worries over his Bonsai Tree

During the afternoon, WBS Members Dee and Ron arrived and we were then able to hand out information Leaflets about the Society which came in handy as many leaflets were taken away and hopefully read.

Doug M, who is already well known for being one of the Foremost Craftsmen of Bonsai Tables and Stands to a very extremely high standard and quality of Detail. (More about Doug Craftsmanship can be found on Bonsai Review.48/1) met and chatted with a Mr Simon Wilson who himself is a fellow Wood Carver and Engraver and you never know Mr Wilson may even see the light and become a member of a Bonsai Club or Society.

It was almost 5pm when it was time to go and we all would like to express our biggest thank-you to the young lady in the Plant Department who looked after us all, treated us extremely well and always had a smile for us working so hard to makes us all welcome and want W-B-S to come back again and again to GGC. Also not forgetting Mr and Mrs Nicholson and all the staff at GGC for their support and inviting us into their establishment and long may it continue.

All that is left for me to say is that the W-B-S Workshop will be on the LAST Sunday of Every MONTH at GGC, hopefully we will see you all there so bring any Bonsai Trees that you may need advice on or just pop-in to see what we are all about.

Take Care

Jim thelad Look after each other and your Bonsai Trees

Gordale Funday weekend 2011 -Saturday

Doug and Bill busy tweaking trees and when asked, answering questions from interested punters.

Yours truly's work involved giving this Buxus a short back and sides!

(this is after BTW!)

Lack of Posts

Sorry for the lack of posts, ive been trying to publish the post below for about a week but there has been 'issues' with blogger that stopped me. Hopefully they have been resolved now.

Gordale workshop June

the lads busy.........gossiping!!

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smell those privet flowers.

Dave explains why he's covering his pot in tape to Jill and Peter. (Im still unclear why he wa sactually doing this??)
it was obviously a daunting job!

A Hot day at Gordale's GC even though it rained for a little but that did not stop Society members enjoying working on various trees including Privets, Larch, Maples, Pines, Potentilla plus other trees. Also helping out a few members of the public with lots of questions about their own trees, but we all feel if they had brought the trees into the workshop it would have been more helpful to them and of course to members trying to give advice without seeing the tree

However on saying that a gentleman did arrive and ask a few questions about the why's and how's about his tree and asked if he could bring it into the workshop. After a little while the gentleman arrived back with his tree and members gave their opinions and advice how the tree should be looked after. Not knowing the make of the tree Andy H suggested it was some Species of Ivy.

During the Day the owners of Gordale's Mr and Mrs Peter and Jill Nicholson chatted with members Mrs Gordale (Jill) was asking Dave Y about his Large Beautiful Bonsai Pot (or as she called it a LARGE TUB so now Dave's pot is Affectionately Known as THE TUB by some members) and why Dave was Masking his pot so Dave explained everything to her. Also they both chatted about their trip to Japan and all the fantastic Bonsai Trees and display's they saw and later Mrs Gordale (Jill) came back to show member images of the Bonsai Trees they had seen.

All in all another great day with lots of banter and laughter with some chips and ice-cream being devoured whilst working on trees and the renaming of a Large Beautiful Pot THE TUB and helping a few members of the public plus Its amazing what a bit of sunshine does for everyone it was good to see people smiling.

W-B-S has also been invited to the Funday Week-end at GGC on the
Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th of July from 9am till 6pm.
So any members who can make it would i am sure have a great time if just for a few hours bring along your trees and work on them in nice pleasant company and i am sure you would enjoy the chips and ice-cream as well

A BIG thank you to all the staff at GGC and to Mr and Mrs Peter and Jill Nicholson for all their Hospitality and taking time to chat with members of our society

Take care and look after each other

Jim thelad

June Meeting- Members trees

A stunning Escallonia

It was left to your's truly To Select T-O-T-M and for me ALL the Trees and Accent Plants were worthy of the Monthly Award BUT being a Sucker for Artistic work, little Pink Flowers, PLUS The Wimbledon Style Lawn I decided that Ian W's Tree was my T-O-T-M (I was going to offer a 3 Figure amount for his Tree BUT I don't think he would part with the tree for £1.50P )

Ian's Tree is a Escalliona Growing from Cutting Over 20 years ago and in a Gordan Duffett Hand Built Bonsai Pot and is available from Ian W. but Not at my measly 3 figure sum.
Jim the Lad.

A lovely Cotoneaster...

...and a cute one.

a Maple...... before leaf pruning??

June Meeting- Leaf pruning Maples

Ian introduces the meeting

Andy covers the theory.......

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and the practise......

......while entertaining the troops!


........are you sure??

Wednesday Night's meeting was one that I was looking forward to and for me I was not disappointed with Ian.W. and Andy H.taking to the floor and stage to explain about Leaf Pruning on Maples and on some Deciduous Tree such as Beech and Hawthorns

Before that Chairman Iain W mentioned that "Wee Mary" our ever present Young Lady was not in the best of Health and ask Geoff to express the societies best wishes for a speedy recovery

Also Sad News that the Bonsai World has lost one of the Grand Masters of Bonsai. M.r Daizo Iwasaki who passed away On Early May 2011. He spent his life sharing his Love and Passion of Bonsai with the entire Bonsai Community. Takasago-an Bonsai Garden :and no words that could I say would ever match what has already been written about him and images of his work and garden plus The Great Man himself can be seen Here

http://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/t6651-sad-news-for-the-bonsai-world

The Leaf Pruning Session was very well attended with Ian getting to grips with the why's and wherefore of leaf pruning Maples and some Deciduous Trees then Andy doing what he does best getting stuck in with the Scissors and showing how to carry out this task on his Maple plus answering questions from the ever so inquisitive members

An Excellent night was had by all.

Jim the Lad