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The Crape myrtle Workshop
On Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27, we held a workshop using some of our larger crape myrtle material.
On exposing the roots of the demonstration tree a remarkable, seemingly “liquid” nebari came to light:
Professionals Mike Rogers, Darwin Mouncey and Gerald Wilson graced us with their presence that day, too.
Of the several good jobs styled by the various participants, perhaps the most spectacularly unique was an exposed root style by Jay Beckenbach.
Before seeing the roots he labeled the material “pig” because it was such a short fat piece. After the roots were uncovered, he relabeled it “pig on stilts”.
Despite the humorous name, we believe that this tree will find its way into many shows, should Jay choose to display it. There is a remarkable harmony and power in the roots’ complexity.
Jay Beckenbach, the “pig-on-stilts” and Marian Borchers looking on
Beyond the work he did, Jay honored us with a brief and witty essay of his experience, which is appended here:
What I did on my vacation
By
Jay Beckenbach
I went to a fun place.
If you’re into bonsai, then a bonsai nursery is always a fun place. The sun (actually, I got a sunburn on the back of my neck), the plants, the anticipation of what is to come. And even more, the give and take with others. How could it not be fun?
I met new friends.
A workshop and detailed information from a bonsai expert or two will attract people who are also interested in bonsai. So, I met people from Inverness, from Lakeland and several from Tampa. All interested in bonsai so all fun people.
It was very interesting and I learned a lot.
If you can be at a workshop with knowledgeable leaders and other interested students and not learn a lot, you’d have to be brain dead. And to me, nothing is more interesting than learning new things about something which I enjoy, such as bonsai.
I got to play with my toys in the dirt.
First we looked at the roots. Right there gets everyone dirty. When the roots are there for all to see, then the fun begins. Should we do this or that? What’s the result if we did something else? “I’m right”. “No, you’re not.” After the “dust” settles, then out comes the trimmers and away we go! Some fun! And you get to see not only what you worked on but to share the excitement of the others working at the same time.
I took home some neat souvenirs.
I worked on two different trees. One will be medium sized and it didn’t come out anything like the initial impression lead me to believe it was going to. It turned out much better after the roots appeared. The other will be a large sized bonsai and did come out as I thought it would except it is on top of the most fantastic exposed root system! And of course, I had to take something else home, so I added a dwarf Crepe Myrtle to do later as a small bonsai and an even more dwarf Elm for future development into a tiny bonsai. No tee shirts for me! My bench is going to be so neat!
I want to go back again.
Let’s see; fun, friends, new things to learn, playing in the dirt and neat souvenirs. Who wouldn’t want to go back?
I got to run around and look at new things.
Maples, Crepe Myrtles, Yaupon Hollies, Chinese Quince….
