Page 40 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q3

An Exuberance

of Satsuki

By Michael Collins McIntyre, Canada

here are many collective nouns for trees: It resonated with the spirit and inspiration for the
“grove,” “forest,” “copse,” and “thicket” amazing spectacle that occurs with each spring’s
are common. A “stand” typically refers Kanuma Satsuki festival.
to trees of the same species while in an Kanuma is a city in Tochiga Prefecture, which
T“orchard” trees bear fruit. Webster’s is about an hour’s train ride north of Tokyo. Hor-
includes the lyrically evocative, “a stillness of trees.” ticulture is important in Kanuma not only because
The satsuki to be found at the Kanuma Satsuki soil and climate favor satsuki culture but also be-
Festival are myriad, but to refer to them as such may cause there is a deep interest in the role of bonsai
convey the sheer number of trees that can be found in Japanese culture. Bonsai artists the world over
on display or for sale but does nothing to express use Kanuma soil for trees that thrive in acidic soils.
the infectiousness and power of the thousands of The Kanuma Satsuki Festival is held at the Kaboku
satsuki assembled in full bloom. In thinking of how (translated as “flowering tree”) Center. The Center
to refer to these magnificent trees collectively, the contains facilities for the display, sale, and cultiva-
word “exuberance” came immediately to mind and tion of satsuki azaleas. Bill Valavanis takes groups to
resonated. “An exuberance of satsuki” just felt right. Japan twice yearly and visited the Kanuma Festival

38 | BCI | July/August/September 2014