Dallas Bonsai Photo Text Contest!!

[Bonsai Nut]

Once again, Dallas Bonsai is teaming up with BonsaiNut to offer a fun contest to keep you motivated during your hot summer vacations! Send in your photos with a great accompanying story, and win some cash!

Bonsai Photo Text Contest

We don't want to just see your favorite bonsai, we want to know where it has been. This month we are asking you submit photos of your most successful bonsai, accompanied with a short text describing the trees history (~300 words).

* Describe the tree

* Where and when was it acquired

* How long has the tree been in your possession?

* Who has worked on the tree with you?

* What are your plans for the tree?


Requirements:

* Tree must have been in your posession over 2 years or collected.

* You must own the bonsai and all rights to images you submit.

* Artists: Open category. Beginners: Under 3 Years Experience

* Up to 3 entries per person

* Provide an accompanying description of the bonsai.

* Advanced Photoshop modification is not allowed. You are allowed to make general image touchups including: Cropping, hue/saturation, levels, background cleaning, and removal of dirt/dust. You cannot manipulate your plants structure or form in any way with image editing.

* Entry period is from today through August 9. Entries must be posted to the site no later than 11:59 PM PST on August 9.

* Winners announced August 16.


Judging:

* We are not judging your photography techniques, but your photos should be clear and accurately depict your tree.

* We want to know your bonsais history and your involvement in it's styling.

* Dallas Bonsai will judge all entries.

* Professional artists not entering the contest may volunteer.


Beginner Entries:

* 2 Photo Maximum


Prizes & Categories:

Best Overall Bonsai ($100)

Best Artists bonsai (First Prize: $20, Second: $10)

Best Beginners bonsai (First: $20, Second: $10)


Any questions / comments about the contest can be posted here at the Dallas Bonsai sponsor forum.

Entries should be posted TO THIS THREAD. Please not that this is a moderated forum - you will post your entry and it has to be approved before it will go "live" on the site (which may take a couple hours). If you post an entry and do not immediately see it on the site, do not panic

 

[fredtruck]

Prunus Mume 'Contorta', or Contorted Japanese Flowering Apricot

This bonsai is a Contorted Japanese Flowering Apricot. I did it in the bunjin or literati style. It’s about 28 inches tall. The tree is in a Tokoname pot made by Bigei. It was in the 3rd National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester a year ago. It also won the Deciduous Division in the Iowa State Fair Bonsai show. I wrote an article on my ume that appeared in International Bonsai, 2012/No. 1.

I acquired the tree in 2005 from Forestfarm Plant Nursery in Oregon.

I have owned the tree since 2005, but when I bought it, the people at Forestfarm told me it was about 16 years old.

I did all the work on this tree myself. I began by removing almost all the branches of my 4-foot tree. Then I gradually let it grow out, pruning straight branches and keeping contorted ones. At the same time, I had to experiment with feeding and watering to get it to bloom consistently. Though it bloomed the first year I had it, it took about 5 years to get it to bloom with any number of flowers. It was very frustrating, but wonderful when I succeeded.

In the future, I want to refine the ume as much as possible. My ume occasionally throws straight branches. Pruning these out encourages contorted ones. Careful pruning is the best method of refinement.

 

[M. Frary]

Eastern White Pine Yamadori

I collected this tree this spring. I work in power line clearance. This was growing on the right of way that was to be mowed. The tree itself is only about 8" tall. The lower trunk is about 1.5" in diameter. This the way it looked when collected. I,he cut one dead limb off other than that nature gets the credit for styling this tree.
The pot I found in antique shop over 20 years ago. I'm not sure what it originally made for because it does have one large drain hole in it made when it was made.
Plans for this tree is pretty much keep it as it is. The biggest challenge I imagine will be to keep the foliage small. The needles are already shorter than most every other eastern white pine. Hopefully they can be reduced more. If not oh well. It's a pretty cool little tree as is.

 

[ericN]

Ficus Microcarpa 'Tiger Bark'

This tree is a 'Banyan Style' Ficus Microcarpa 'Tiger Bark'. Its about a 13" tall and 28" wide. Its in a shallow rounded corner rectangle pot by Sara Ryner.

I acquired this tree back in 2007 at the Mid America Bonsai show in Chicago from Dave Lowman of Dasu Bonsai.

It is grown and developed indoors exclusively for the past 6 years under regular T10 shop lights in front of a window.

I worked on this tree by myself since I owned it. I applied techniques that I have read from Jerry Meislk's book 'Ficus The Exotic Bonsai' and some tips from Jerry himself and other ficus growers through several forums to bring the tree to its present stage. I have baby every singe one of the aerial roots on this tree.

Since I grow indoors in cold Chicago, the process is slow. But I am very happy how this tree progressed over the years. I'm in the process developing the surface roots that ficus trees are known for, and slowly getting there.

The tree will be in the Chicago Mid-America Bonsai Show next weekend! This is my first time showing a tree and I'm very exited.

View attachment 39848

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

The stump

While this tree has never physically left the state...or even the area code, it's made it's way around the state via printed photo in the Birmingham News, around the country on the cover of last fall's Journal of the American Bonsai Society, and around the world via the Internet.


Before it won the 2012 John Naka Award, the little hip hawthorn spent its first few decades in relative isolation along an easement in Birmingham. I discovered it in 1999, chopped it to a 12" trunk (my wife, who kindly cares for it in my absence, still calls it "the stump"), and brought it home to develop all you see here over the next 14 years.


Peter Warren removed one shoot as he passed by it during his first visit here in 2011, but aside from that, design been fully my effort. I have been painstakingly looking for just the right old cream oval pot, and hope to show this tree in the highly anticipated national shows on both coasts over the next two autumns. Between now and then, the goal is to continue refining the secondary branches, developing better ramification, and improving the nebari.


Current height above the soil is 26", and the present pot is a 48x6 cm kinyo blue 3rd-generation Yamaaki.

 

[A Random User]

Conocarpus erectus (Buttonwood)


This Buttonwood was collected 4 yrs ago here in southern Florida.

It was allowed to recover for the next 2 yrs untouched. Last year
I eliminated branches that I felt were not needed, the ones that
were left were allowed to grow and thicken up for the season.

This spring I went through and fully wired the tree for it's first wiring.
Then began a regiment of leaf cutting, cutting the leaves in half to
encourage back-budding. It was just recently re-potted into it's
first pot.

 

[A Random User]

Durantra erecta (Golden Dewdrop)


This tree was dug from my folks yard and allowed to recover. I started
working it as a bonsai 2 yrs ago. The dead wood was carved by me, then
lime sulphur was applied. The post was hand painted by me.

This tree was displayed at Epcot (Disney World) this year at their Flower
and Garden Show. It was on display at our Florida Bonsai Society annual
convention, where it won the President's award. I currently has been picked
to compete in the John Naka Award competition, and thus be on display at
the American Bonsai Society's for the love of bonsai seminar in Saratoga
Springs, NY in September. It has since been wired and will be re-potted
before this event.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

The contest is now CLOSED for entries.