BONSAI SPRING FESTIVAL, WASHINGTON, DC MAY 10-12, 2024

Also FWIW, the potter in the background of the vendor area pic is Forest Inn Pottery out of Pensylvania. Hadn't seen them before, but bought a very nice pot from them. High fired, well constructed with bonsai know-how--tie down holes with recessed channels under the pot, multiple drainage hole where they're needed. She was selling out fast...
 
Also, make a swing by Okie (as In Oklahoma) Bonsai in the back of the indoor hall. When I was there (and buying the winged elm), they were setting out some awesome stones. Real stone slabs (for $150 or so, but BIG and Heavy) only had a couple of those. I passed because of the elm. They had boxes of larger stones for $10 or a little more for accent plantings. Nice guys, though, Made the drive from Oklahoma to be here.
 
rockm said:
Nick Lenz' Penelope (larch) (on loan) FWIW, the inside exhibition area for the juried competition wasn't open. It opens tomorrow. I did get nosey and poked my nose through the sliding glass doors and asked a lot of questions. The quality of the trees in that exhibit are pretty fantastic. Thinking of going back up tomorrow at some time--IF I can make time.

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I was also going to post a photo of Penelope! A really cool tree.
I also met Jelle (@ Leatherback) who is hoping to do a video tomorrow.

I had seen the JRP in the permanent collection before, but it really made a big impression on me today.
 

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that’s why Jelle sounded familiar! great to connect Bnut names with faces - @leatherback I met you and @PerryB in the visitor’s lobby at around 4.

on a separate note, I picked up some awesome kusamono pots from Justine @ Forest Inn Pottery and Kit Ruseau (pic below). bonus find was a lodgepole pine collected by Randy Knight that passed from Bjorn’s garden to the guys at Bonsai Learning Center in NC.

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WEI said:
that’s why Jelle sounded familiar! great to connect Bnut names with faces - @leatherback I met you and @PerryB in the visitor’s lobby at around 4.

on a separate note, I picked up some awesome kusamono pots from forest inn pottery and Kit Ruseau (pic below). bonus find was a lodgepole pine collected by Randy Knight that passed from Bjorn’s garden to the guys at Bonsai Learning Center in NC.

View attachment 545689
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heyhey, quarter dropped !
 
rockm said:
Also FWIW, the potter in the background of the vendor area pic is Forest Inn Pottery out of Pensylvania. Hadn't seen them before, but bought a very nice pot from them. High fired, well constructed with bonsai know-how--tie down holes with recessed channels under the pot, multiple drainage hole where they're needed. She was selling out fast...
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I saw her at MABS both this year and last year. She did well both years.
Bought a couple of pots from her last year.
They are really nice, well made pots. She also makes big pots which is nice to see someone doing.
 
Bummed life intervened and I couldn’t make it today. It was in a good way but hated having to postpone the opportunity to meet so many of the folks here. Sometime down the road.
 
rockm said:
Also FWIW, the potter in the background of the vendor area pic is Forest Inn Pottery out of Pensylvania. Hadn't seen them before, but bought a very nice pot from them. High fired, well constructed with bonsai know-how--tie down holes with recessed channels under the pot, multiple drainage hole where they're needed. She was selling out fast...
Click to expand...
I saw that she had quite a few large pots, might reach out to her for a commission.

So many breathtaking bonsai, to see so much dedication to the art is very humbling.

This has been in training for 399 years... :oops:
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Sergio imparting wisdom...
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gooeytek said:
I saw that she had quite a few large pots, might reach out to her for a commission.

So many breathtaking bonsai, to see so much dedication to the art is very humbling.

This has been in training for 399 years... :oops:
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The other interesting thing about this tree I that it survived the bombing of Hiroshima.
It was protected by a wall from the blast.

The tree was gifted to the U.S. in 1976 in honor of our 200th birthday. No one here knew its complete story until 2 of the grandsons of the guy that donated it visited the arboretum and told them the story
 
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gooeytek said:
I saw that she had quite a few large pots, might reach out to her for a commission.

So many breathtaking bonsai, to see so much dedication to the art is very humbling.

This has been in training for 399 years... :oops:
View attachment 546293

Sergio imparting wisdom...
View attachment 546302
Click to expand...
Worth watching.

https://www.pbs.org/video/bicentennial-bonsai-emissaries-of-peace-r4ckni/

The short film is all about the initial gift of 53 trees from Japan and includes the story of the Yamaki pine. The son of the Masuru Yamaki (Who gave the bonsai to the U.S.) shows how close the nursery was to ground zero of the blast using a map--about two miles. The description of the discovery by the museum staff is quite moving. Yamaki gave the tree, which had been in his family for 350 years, without telling the recipients of the gift's history. That was intentional and in the spirit of friendship. There are quite a few of the interviewees that reinforce the notion that bonsai isn't really about trees. It's about people, their histories and relationships with one another.

And I was depressed that I missed Sergio:(
 
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gooeytek said:
I saw that she had quite a few large pots, might reach out to her for a commission.

So many breathtaking bonsai, to see so much dedication to the art is very humbling.

This has been in training for 399 years... :oops:
View attachment 546293

Sergio imparting wisdom...
View attachment 546302
Click to expand...

Good to meet you!

The jade behind me was probably one, if not the best I have seen.
 
Vinnie Charity said:
Next year we should have a designated meeting spot and a time so we can all meet up face to face, Sergio and Jelle included!
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I totally agree. It's always nice to meet people in person even if briefly. I got the chance to say hello to Jelle and Sergio. Hopefully many more next time!
 
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