Page 16 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2018Q1

During his pruning process conduct demonstrations and workshops. A favorite the Banyan at the National Cheng Kung University
on this black pine, Michael species for bonsai in Israel are Olive trees, which can grounds. He outlined the five stages of Ficus creation
Hagedorn explained his styling be as old as four thousand years. Moshe has hundreds and the techniques required to reproduce this form
process in detail and provided of olive trees in development. He showed photos of in bonsai, as well as the role of Chinese patining and
a lot of information on this
species and how to work some of his prize specimens, very old trees that were calligraphy in his design process.
with it. rescued from a fire. Outside the lecture hall, fourteen large posters with
Michael Hagedorn’s country report focused on mis- text, progressive photos, charts and illustrations, could
information about bonsai practice that persists in the be studied by the participants. These were presented to
USA. Early bonsai pioneers in the US developed styles the audience at the Poster Presentations on the final
and approaches that were very different from what was day of the Symposium. Some of the research infor-
practiced in Japan. Later as Americans who studied mation presented for peer-review included Flowering
bonsai in Japan, disseminated their knowledge in the Control Techniques for Bougainvillea; Cultivation
US, two camps emerged. One holds on to the self- Management and Prediction of Flowering in Potted
created knowledge in the US, the other takes its lead Azaleas; Effect of Pruning Degree on Shoot Growth and
directly from Japan. Some of this misinformation is Flowering of Guava; and Application of Horticulture
technical, some is aesthetic. He explained that misin- and Music Therapy for Dementia in Elderly People, to
formation is tenacious and takes a long time to dispel. name a few.
His long list of myths includes the erroneous belief The Symposium was well attended, mostly by
that junipers need constant pinching throughout their young people, as were the demonstrations which
growing season, a practice that could actually kill were concurrent with the speeches and presenta-
them. Another myth that comes from the gardening tions. Demonstrators Lindsay Bebb, Australia,
and forestry world, is that water drops burn leaves in Moshe Emergui, Israel, and Michael Hagedorn, USA,
the sun. He reported that a Scandinavian research provided insights and expertise as they demonstrated
team recently disproved this belief. Michael’s list of their techniques, knowledge and creativity on some
myths was all too familiar to members of the audience top-quality specimens; a Juniper, a Ficus and a Black
from Australia, who admitted that bonsai down under pine. The audience ranged from a core group of
also suffers from some of the same misconceptions. about 50, who watched from start to finish, to several
Ditto for bonsai in Canada. hundred when the crowd would swell at peak times.
In his country report, Twang-Keng Boh chronicled It was an intimate atmosphere where the demonstra-
bonsai history in Singapore and emphasized the tors could easily interact with their audience, which
importance of bonsai as a spiritual necessity of they did. In fact, one participant from Australia, Kim
life, particularly for residents in steel and cement Rochelle-Brown, jumped in to help Moshe Emergui
Lindsay Bebb, environments. and his assistant. Her task was to help wire a fig, grown
Australia, Michael One of the four invited speeches was delivered and trained in the Taiwanese form which needed a
Hagedorn, USA and by Professor Amy Liang, a key figure in Taiwanese lot of detailed work in the short time allowed for the
Moshe Emergui, bonsai, who focused of the artistic qualities of bonsai demo.
Israel, provided art, drawing comparisons of bonsai creation to a Lindsay Bebb’s demonstration tree, a Juniperus
insights as they three-dimensional painting and to wordless poetry. chinensis with remarkable movement in the trunk,
demonstrated The Symposium presented six oral sessions that were deadwood, jins and copious foliage, needed a lot of
their techniques, very technical. In the first one, Min-Hsuan Lo, BCI refinement. Working with borrowed tools, Lindsay
knowledge and Director and major contributor to bonsai innovation methodically and calmly pruned the tree into a
creativity on in Taiwan, reported on the history of Ficus microcarpa manageable form, while he described the choices
some top-quality bonsai in his country, the general traits that define the he was making, and how they would affect the final
specimens: a Juniper, early stages of creation and development of the present composition. When it came time to wire the unruly
a Ficus and a Black forms. He talked about how the inspiration for the branches, Lindsay was offered help, which he politely
pine. Taiwanese style of ficus came from an exceptional tree, refused, saying he would wait for his wife, Glenis Bebb,

14 | BCI | January/February/March 2018