Smoke
Ignore-Amus
It's no secret that I am a people pleaser, so in an effort to allow anyone that wishes to work on a tree, this is the new parameters. Many of the original thoughts have been axed in an effort to simplify and curb so many questions. Lets fully understand that this above all else is a way to stimulate the posting of work towards a goal, the goal being to create a bonsai from less than perfect material.
The first goal is to allow as many people as possible to tag along in this quest. How best to do that? Get rid of the many roadblocks that people always try to include in other contests to make it fair. Much like our Government does, and you see how well thats currently working.
One rule still remains, the maple, any species of Acer must have a trunk diameter of 3 inches across one inch above the soil. Thats where you measure a trunk. Its not at the soil, does not include flare into the soil and does not include nebari or root spread on top of the soil. We measure at the waist of the tree. (cool, see you all learned something already, I told you I was a pleaser!). Those that tell their girfriend the circumference will measure 9.45 around the trunk. If you use the metric system, your on your own.
Thats it, now the good part. Most everything else has been removed.
Got a maple you had for ten years, use it.
Got a tree in the neighbors front yard, dig it out at night and use it.
Seen a tree on the freeway, forest, National Park, county park, school and you want to use it, go ahead.
Buy one from a nursey, cool, bonsai nursery, even better.
Remember: This is a progressive contest and the judge will be looking for what you start with and what you manage to do with a year to improve it. If you use a tree you have had for ten years and it does not change much, no matter how beautiful it is will merit less score than someone who manages to put a complete set of branches on a tree in a year, and look great in the process. Conversely, doing gobs of bad work is not the path to winning either. It has to look good, look like a bonsai, whatever that is in the eyes of the judge. Buying a great tree and trimming the ends and showing us no work all year will be a waste of $5000.00 with the exception you will have the honor of showing the forum your 5000.00 purchase.....you lucky devil!
So all the pre entry rules are removed, use any maple from anytime, starting in March and work the tree adding monthy updates of work that has been done. If you did no work, then post you did no work and show us the picture of you washing the windows for your wife...or husband or partner!
Whats the deal with Progressive ~Progressive?
Ending date will remain the same. The contest will end March 15, 2016 and finished photos will be submitted by March 25, 2016. Winner to be announced April 1, 2016. Nothing significant about that date. But wait..there's more. The contest will continue into the next year. Same ending date. But some of those people that have those damn short growing seasons and did not really get the growth on those branches they wanted will get a second chance the following year. Possibly same judge or a new one, I have several bonafied people I can go to on this trust me. progressive~progressive could go on for years till that damn tree is finally a bonsai even if it takes ten years!!!!! I'm willing to go the distance if you guys are. Start a thread for your tree and call it something creative, but put something in the title that denotes you have thrown your hat in the ring. I will collect pictures from the posts and put numbers to them and store them until next March and affix a number at the end of your thread with your final entry for the year with the same number. The numbered photos will be sent to the Judge, hiding out as we speak, and a winner chosen from the blind judging not knowing anything except a before and after one year apart.
Thats as inclusive as I can make it and as fair at the end as can be. Trunk size is a limiting factor for some but hey, this is a bonsai contest not a stick in a pot contest! I hope Walter enters, there are not many places on the net that you can watch what Walter Pall does to a maple over a year. That alone is worth the yearly salary of Justin Case.
BTW, pictures of all my employees can be seen here
The first goal is to allow as many people as possible to tag along in this quest. How best to do that? Get rid of the many roadblocks that people always try to include in other contests to make it fair. Much like our Government does, and you see how well thats currently working.
One rule still remains, the maple, any species of Acer must have a trunk diameter of 3 inches across one inch above the soil. Thats where you measure a trunk. Its not at the soil, does not include flare into the soil and does not include nebari or root spread on top of the soil. We measure at the waist of the tree. (cool, see you all learned something already, I told you I was a pleaser!). Those that tell their girfriend the circumference will measure 9.45 around the trunk. If you use the metric system, your on your own.
Thats it, now the good part. Most everything else has been removed.
Got a maple you had for ten years, use it.
Got a tree in the neighbors front yard, dig it out at night and use it.
Seen a tree on the freeway, forest, National Park, county park, school and you want to use it, go ahead.
Buy one from a nursey, cool, bonsai nursery, even better.
Remember: This is a progressive contest and the judge will be looking for what you start with and what you manage to do with a year to improve it. If you use a tree you have had for ten years and it does not change much, no matter how beautiful it is will merit less score than someone who manages to put a complete set of branches on a tree in a year, and look great in the process. Conversely, doing gobs of bad work is not the path to winning either. It has to look good, look like a bonsai, whatever that is in the eyes of the judge. Buying a great tree and trimming the ends and showing us no work all year will be a waste of $5000.00 with the exception you will have the honor of showing the forum your 5000.00 purchase.....you lucky devil!
So all the pre entry rules are removed, use any maple from anytime, starting in March and work the tree adding monthy updates of work that has been done. If you did no work, then post you did no work and show us the picture of you washing the windows for your wife...or husband or partner!
Whats the deal with Progressive ~Progressive?
Ending date will remain the same. The contest will end March 15, 2016 and finished photos will be submitted by March 25, 2016. Winner to be announced April 1, 2016. Nothing significant about that date. But wait..there's more. The contest will continue into the next year. Same ending date. But some of those people that have those damn short growing seasons and did not really get the growth on those branches they wanted will get a second chance the following year. Possibly same judge or a new one, I have several bonafied people I can go to on this trust me. progressive~progressive could go on for years till that damn tree is finally a bonsai even if it takes ten years!!!!! I'm willing to go the distance if you guys are. Start a thread for your tree and call it something creative, but put something in the title that denotes you have thrown your hat in the ring. I will collect pictures from the posts and put numbers to them and store them until next March and affix a number at the end of your thread with your final entry for the year with the same number. The numbered photos will be sent to the Judge, hiding out as we speak, and a winner chosen from the blind judging not knowing anything except a before and after one year apart.
Thats as inclusive as I can make it and as fair at the end as can be. Trunk size is a limiting factor for some but hey, this is a bonsai contest not a stick in a pot contest! I hope Walter enters, there are not many places on the net that you can watch what Walter Pall does to a maple over a year. That alone is worth the yearly salary of Justin Case.
BTW, pictures of all my employees can be seen here
, I'll take pictures tonight and be the first to start a thread. My tree is a yamadori and not much to look at BUT it will be nice to get critiqued on everything I'm doing wrong or could do better.
