When to join an exhibition

[leatherback]

Soo.. I am about 7 years in. And I feel like some of my trees are getting to the point to be seen in some local show.
And I decided to submit one of my trees for the one of the state exhibitions in September. I have however spent a lot of soulsearching for this. Still, I am worried of making a fool of myself for submitting a tree. The last thing I would want is people to pass my tree and make comments like, why is that thing here.

How do you know that your tree is ready for a show? Any generic thoughts?
Any advice on how to prep a tree for display? This will be a fall show (Late september). I have just removed all growth from this year, except for the first pair of small leaves, expecting a last flush of growth before the show takes place. If this happens I will remove all the old leaves and just have the first 2 leaves of the last flush on it. I have removed all the old cutting bits.. Anything else?

 

[defra]

Grow some moss to plant on the pot when it will go to the show ?

 

[leatherback]

Grow some moss to plant on the pot when it will go to the show ?

Check. Remove the wild growing moss from the roof and chuck it in the pot..

 

[defra]

Check. Remove the wild growing moss from the roof and chuck it in the pot..

Find a suitable display table
Accent plant perhaps
Thats about all i can think of lol

 

[sorce]

have just removed all growth from this year, except for the first pair of small leaves, expecting a last flush of growth before the show takes place. If this happens I will remove all the old leaves and just have the first 2 leaves of the last flush on it. I have removed all the old cutting bits.. Anything else

Pics!

Am I reading this that wrong?

Sorce

 

[leatherback]

Am I reading this that wrong?

I am not sure how you are reading it?

This is the plant I have submitted; Hope it gets accepted. This is a somewhat old picture:

 

[sorce]

I am not sure how you are reading it?

No leaves? Ever! (2 then 2.)

Is it going to live thru the showing?

What is it?

Sorce

 

[leatherback]

No leaves? Ever! (2 then 2.)

Ehm.. Nah. It was a ball of green fur this year too. I gave it a serious trim (Back to the first leaves of the season, to get it to flush; We had 6 weeks heatwave, and all leaves were scruffy looking). Then, once it flushes, I will remove the last old leaves. I left them just to make sure there is some foliage if it decides to go dormant and not reflush as we are well into late summer. Then, a few days before the show I would like to leave it with 2 fresh leaves per branchtip! So still a few hundred leaves!

What is it?

See above, a Lonicera Spp which I dug up some 5 years ago

 

[leatherback]

In 2013:

 

[Tentakelaertje]

You got it accepted yet? Congratz! Which show? The NBS?

There was a post/thread on show prep some time ago. I searched for it but no luck...

Show prep (from the top of my head) means
1. Having the tree to look exactly how you want it to.
2. Having the display as a whole to look exactly how you want it to.

No comments on tree techniques like trimming x weeks prior and stuff though, I haven't done those yet, so it's better if someone else answers that part.

1 means cleaning out shit, dead twigs and leaves, ratty leaves, surface area all mossed up(different species of moss preferably), pot clean and if unglazed oiled up, sprucing up bark (glue back pieces that have fallen off/sand off juniper bark if you go for the smooth look) and having the right (size, shape, colour, texture, quality and idea of age) pot under your tree.

2 means having the right (size, shape, style and colour) table/jitta/slab under your tree, tree position on fleek, different style jitta/slab/table for your accent piece (i.e. different elevations n stuff), accent piece hinting at tree location and season), different pieces pointing at eachother, suiting scroll if you want one, display telling a story, no repeating elements like stands, pots etc.

Hope this helps!

 

[leatherback]

You got it accepted yet? Congratz! Which show? The NBS?

Nah, nothing that fancy. It is for the NRW bonsai tage, so the show for people in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (https://alte-dreherei.de/event/nrw-bonsai-tage/). That being said, NRW is in population as large as the Netherlands, so it is still a substantial show. Deadline for submission was on Wednesday. So no response yet.

On Tuesday I will spend my evening in the car to see someone that has won several prices this year, and he will help me with stuff like tables etc. But as he is also in charge of the bonsai working group I am a member off, I am always worried that he is overenthousiastic when it comes to showing our trees. Concerned I will make a fool out of myself showing trees. But maybe they will just reject my tree and it is done.

 

[Tentakelaertje]

Nah, nothing that fancy. It is for the NRW bonsai tage, so the show for people in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (https://alte-dreherei.de/event/nrw-bonsai-tage/). That being said, NRW is in population as large as the Netherlands, so it is still a substantial show. Deadline for submission was on Wednesday. So no response yet.

On Tuesday I will spend my evening in the car to see someone that has won several prices this year, and he will help me with stuff like tables etc. But as he is also in charge of the bonsai working group I am a member off, I am always worried that he is overenthousiastic when it comes to showing our trees. Concerned I will make a fool out of myself showing trees. But maybe they will just reject my tree and it is done.

Awesome! Maybe some of that overenthousiasm is just what you need
Got a pic of the current tree? And let us know what you guys came up with and if it got accepted okay!?

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Good on you for submitting your tree. You’ve already pushed yourself to create something better and expand your comfort zone. Whether the tree is accepted is now irrelevant, IMO. Thanks for sharing and keep us posted!

 

[Lazylightningny]

I am not sure how you are reading it?

This is the plant I have submitted; Hope it gets accepted. This is a somewhat old picture:

View attachment 206327

First off, congrats on submitting. Whether it gets accepted or not, you've taken a big step.

Second, I like your lighting setup. Please take a moment to explain it to us.

 

[leatherback]

And let us know what you guys came up with and if it got accepted okay!?

The show is only 3hrs drive from your place mate..

Whether the tree is accepted is now irrelevant, IMO.

Hm.. Nah, I secretly want it accepted. But I also do not want to have the worst tree in the show. If I make it to second worst, I am a winner with my 5 year experiment on a species where the Dutch club made fun off. (You should have seen their faces; I dug the tree half an hour before clube meeting, so I litterally cleaned it out during a club meeting, and potted it there.

First off, congrats on submitting.

Thx!

Second, I like your lighting setup. Please take a moment to explain it to us.

I did try to put my thoughts on digital paper a while ago. I have since moved away from the cloth, and now have a piece of black plywood as background. But the rest of the ideas behind it still stand.. http://www.growingbonsai.net/taking-pictures-of-bonsai/

 

[Tentakelaertje]

The show is only 3hrs drive from your place mate..


Hm.. Nah, I secretly want it accepted. But I also do not want to have the worst tree in the show. If I make it to second worst, I am a winner with my 5 year experiment on a species where the Dutch club made fun off. (You should have seen their faces; I dug the tree half an hour before clube meeting, so I litterally cleaned it out during a club meeting, and potted it there.


Thx!


I did try to put my thoughts on digital paper a while ago. I have since moved away from the cloth, and now have a piece of black plywood as background. But the rest of the ideas behind it still stand.. http://www.growingbonsai.net/taking-pictures-of-bonsai/

Even closer from Tilburg. I'll see if I can make it. Would be cool! Are you coming to the NBS?

 

[leatherback]

NBS

??

 

[Tentakelaertje]

??

Nederlandse Bonsai Show in Hazerswoude-Dorp I think. 15&16 sept

 

[leatherback]

Nederlandse Bonsai Show in Hazerswoude-Dorp

I really need to become a member of a bonsai club that is member of the NBV. Had not heard of it yet. . Can't make it though.

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

Depends on the level off the show. Nice tree and nice you want to show it. Personally i would give it a couple off years more, more ramification.