Page 54 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2016Q3

Creating icus or Balete, as it is commonly referred to in the
Philippines, has always been a favorite material to
train as bonsai for its resilience, strength and will-
Ficus Bonsai Fhave trained several varieties of ficus as bonsai and,
ingness to grow. For years, Filipino bonsai artists
at one point, it was one of the most common materials preva-
lent in collections. After years of growing ficus and other spe-
Trunk cies as bonsai, in 2008, I was fortunate to attend the National
Bonsai Association of Taiwan (NBAT) annual exhibition and
competition; The Hwa Fong. Marveling at the fabulous trees
and in the exhibit, I noticed the uncanny character, appearance of
age and flawless training of their Ficus Microcarpa Bonsai.
While in Taiwan, I managed to visit some nurseries where
I witnessed ficus bonsai being worked on, at various stages
Branch of training. Some of them were available for purchase, but,
restricted finances at that time did not allow me to take one of
these marvelous materials home. Sad to admit, but my pocket
Fusing was limited! After gathering my thoughts, I dedicated myself
to carefully observe the trees, study them and, as my Chinese
speaking ability in very limited, try to decipher how these trees
Method were trained.
After returning to Manila, the image of these marvelous fi-
cus bonsai stuck in my mind. As I always strive to better myself
and push the limits of my technical capabilities, I saw this as
an opportunity to learn and create my own trees. You might
say, this was the beginning of my Ficus journey. Fortunately
By Angel “Ogi” Uyehara, Philippines, and and at that time, I had the presence of mind to document the
José Luis Rodríguez Macias, Puerto Rico process of creation, for my own benefit and to assist future
bonsaists in their own creation process; as an educational tool.

52 | BCI | July/August/September 2016