Do bonsai demos have value?

[W3rk]

As most comments seem to have indicated. The value is very subjective. What does the viewer want to get out of it? And more importantly what does the demonstrator present?

I think that seeing work done has value, but that it is far greater if and when the presenter explains not just *what* they are doing - but *why*. If they back up the visual work/demo with a lot of really good relevant details and information then that's more of a best case scenario.

 

[Vance Wood]

Right.
How many people that come to our show just stand there and watch you or I work on trees.
What we do is almost like a show long demo.

All or most of them. I guarantee you if we did not have people working on trees we would not have shows.

 

[Vance Wood]

Most of this crowd have been doing bonsai for five years or more and some may think they have it all together and have no need of the instruction of watching skilled professionals style a tree. They know it all, already and should be teaching the classes and giving the demos. Problem here is that no one wants to see them style a tree. Then there are the legends in their own minds crowd that think Demos, and workshops are beneath the efforts of their club and will not participate. It is beneath them and their I am better by osmosis attitude, refuses to realize even a stoped clock is right once or twice a day, and studying with this guy does not make you this guy.

 

[Cable]

I find people shout way too fast that a tree will die. Especially by juniper there seems to be this myth that if you remove more than 50% of the foliage it will die.

So far I have to still see the first juniper in my care die of too much trimming. And some of my trees I have taken over 90% off in the first styling.

I suppose it could depend on the type of juniper but I also think aftercare and strength before the work matters a lot. I have removed a LOT of foliage and had people say "ope, it's gonna die" only to have the tree shrug it off. I also have a juniper that was the subject of a demo in February of this year and it is doing just fine.

FWIW, for me, watching demos can be like watching sports. Even if I don't learn something I enjoy just watching the tree take shape.