Good Day to All,
Jeff,

I am hoping to put up a few images today.My
time is a bit short.I also owe a few replies.
I am busy building a 3 story 15x25' building down
on our eastern sea coast and having to correct
the plasterer's mistakes.

This evening,hopefully,I can repot the trees coming
out of the refrigerator.

The reality of Bonsai/Tree Penjing [ at least for me]
is that after all this time[over twenty years]all I have
is about 10 trees that I would say are up to mark.
Though I have about 50 other maybes.
[I spent a great deal of time in my earlier days testing
local trees and very few were worth the effort.]
So once I make 10 posts of images on the Gallery I
am done for the next 5 or so years.

Unless you want to watch inch by inch growth.

Last year I had the problem where requests for
me to post became silly as quite a few newbes and
not so newbies were unable to grasp this situation.

Simply - one can only tend to so many finished Bonsai/Tree
Penjing as a hobby.
Keeping trees tidy of weeds takes much time,especially
if you have the moss lawns.

Keeping a tree polished is dangerous to it's health.
So after a year of tight trimming,I leave the tree alone for
three to five years to grow relatively wild.

Additionally,after being on and off of this list for about
4 years[??],I haven't that much left to say.Once one masters
the horticultural aspect,you run into philosophy,if that's
your inclination.
Very few have enough Art training to really push the trees
to their highest level of design and so most peter out at this
stage.
It would take about 4 years of active study to get the Art
training and this is just a hobby for most,so it never happens.
[Critiquing someone with little or no art training leads only
to confusion.Most are still trying to figure out the why of
the 1,2,3 of the branch rule.
The other problem is the modern sense of individuality,it
is after all,their tree and their not going to chop it down
to make it better,it's too precious,or time is tooo short or
they get offended.
Or there just isn't enough tree to say much about it.]

I figure many of the experienced hands on the list have a
similar situation and so the list goes very silent for long
periods - but I can't definitively say this is so.
Khaimraj
West Indies/Caribbean

*I am also unable to send cash to support the list/archives/
gallery and must use much restraint with my posting of images
or replies.The idea is not to abuse the list members who do
donate.

-----Original Message-----
From: Isom, Jeff (EM, PTL)
To:
Date: 01 April 2004 13:03
Subject: [IBC] Really slow here AND on the gallery


So, is everyone out repotting for spring? I can't remember traffic being
this slow since I joined the list. I've also noticed that, despite the
fact
that I bought a digital camera specifically to post pictures on the gallery
and get feedback, I can hardly get any comments. Now just in case someone
out there desparately wants to comment, but doesn't want to hurt my
feelings
- don't worry about it. As long as the feedback contains some constructive
criticism, it can be as brutal as you deem necessary. I'm trying to learn
and I can't improve my trees if no one is willing to tell me what is wrong
(and/or right) with them.

Thanks,

Jeff Isom
Cleveland, OH / Sunset Zone 39

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