Good Day to All,
Ms.Kitsune,

thanks for the reply.Yes,it makes perfect sense.
I thought maybe there was some rule I had missed
on what is a bonsai.

Generally,I just go on the idea that it's a miniaturised
tree in a pot,though I have also seen shrubs,weeds and
shrublets that also carry the illusion very well.

I have no problems with Tropical trees as Bonsai,but
find deadwood on Tropical trees a bit much,as this tends
to feel like Juniper wannabe's.Most trees in the tropics with
deadwood do not have resin to protect their exposed wood.
They can become very hard,but seldom are insect resistant
and look very unnatural with driftwood.

With more time and effort,I believe,selected Tropical trees
will take their place in the Bonsai hierarchy.I can see Fukien
tea,Sparrow plum,Wild coffee,Pemphis,Casuarina[when they
stop trying to make it look like a pine],Tamarind,any of the willow
type Ficus trees,Gmelina,Murraya P,becoming classic specimens.
Yes,even the Serissas,because the list above and this shrub
all have the ability to handle refinement.
There are probably at least 50 more or so to come,as more of
the unknown tropicals are selected for training.

Unfortunately,these are choices to be made by the talented
individuals who can go past the standard shapes,be they amateur
or professional.Sincerity is a must in any profession or hobby.
Unfortunately,because these folk are rare.

I think with regards to Mallsai,the problem lies not in the presentation
of the tree/shrub,but in the reluctance to learn the craft and move
on to a better situation for the Mallsai.
Blame not the plant or supplier,but the owner/grower,for being
so insincere.
Stay Well,
Khaimraj [ who was born in the West and speaks not a word of Hindi
- chuckle.]
[West Indies/Caribbean,
the soggy lands.]


-----Original Message-----
From: Kitsune Miko
To: Khaimraj Seepersad ;

Date: 27 July 2003 11:54
Subject: [IBC] Not a challenge- [IBC] Hmmm was/ Is this a Bonsai?


My standards say that serissa is not a true bonsai because I have trouble
growing them outside in California. These are my standards. I don't
expect anyone else to meet them. I don't even expect them to be logical to
anyone else.

This is the point I was making. Who am I to say that someone in the
tropics shouldn't enjoy applying bonsai principals to what grows well for
them? Being blessed with a climate similar to the bonsai growing areas in
Japan, I can afford to be more traditional in my choice of materials.

There are traditionalists that say one must be able to master black pine
and juniper to have real bonsai. So does that mean if you don't live where
black pine and juniper grow well that you should not have the joy of
raising little trees?

What I am saying is that if you personally practice what you consider an
art and it brings you joy, why should you destroy that joy for yourself or
others by applying standards that come from some place else?

I have a mallsai chardonay grape that I rescued from sure death. It
actually had a nice fat trunk with curves and stood in contrast to the
straight skinny sticks near by. I brought it home, soaked off the glued on
rocks, and transplanted it. It is doing well and some year it may be what
I would call a bonsai. Right now I just want to see the single bunch of
grapes mature. I am playing with it to see how to control internode
spacing.

Namaste,
Kitsune Miko

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