2008 Southern Spring Home And Garden Show

Photos below show general shots of the 8 trees on exhibit at the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show held at the Merchandise Mart in Charlotte, North Carolina from February 27 thru March 2, 2008.  The exhibit is produced by the membership of the Bonsai Society of the Carolinas.  Additional information about this show or future shows is available by contacting Spring Show Chairman, Randy Clark at 704-392-9244 or randybonsai@carolinal.rr.com

 At Left: A sign listing the exhibitors in this year's show is accented by the springtime display of a Japanese Quince (Chaenomeles japonica) exhibited by show chairman, Randy Clark.  The center photo is a detail shot of a Japanese White Pine shown by John Geanangle. 

 Each of the eight exhibitors received a tokonoma like box in which they staged their bonsai along with any accent plantings, figurines or scrolls of their choosing.  Visitors to the show were asked to vote for the display which they liked the best. 

Photo below:  As a part of the exhibit, club members who staffed the show used this area in conduct "mini" bonsai demonstrations.  Wire, tools and small Shimpaku junipers were used.  The activity served to stimulate interest in the art of bonsai by visitors. 

For the first time this year, The Bonsai Society of the Carolinas produced four new exhibit boxes with an educational theme.  Club member Rusty Harris was in charge of the project and did an excellent job as can be seen in these photos.  Visitors to the show often commented to staff members on how informative and well done the exhibit was. 

The first of the four boxes defined the art of bonsai and gave viewers some idea of the types of plant material which were suitable for use in bonsai.  An uncut Japanese Garden Juniper and a Dwarf Kingsville Boxwood were displayed in the same condition in which they might have been obtained from a local nursery. 

The second box showed another Juniper and boxwood in a partially styled condition.  Wire was placed on the trees and signs explained what the wire was used fore as well as what aspects to look for in creating a bonsai. 

The third box illustrated the procedures for root pruning and planting a bonsai.  Samples of bonsai soil were included in the display as well as a ceramic bonsai container showing the placement of screens in the bottom holes and the correct insertion of a tie down wire.  

The fourth box showed what the trees might look like when placed on formal exhibition.  Moss was added to the now completed plantings and each tree was given a bonsai stand.  A Japanese scroll was added to complete the composition, as well as a sign telling viewers how to become involved with the BSC 

Exhibitor #1

Martin Sweeney exhibited a group planting of five Korean hornbeams (Carpinus coreana).  The oldest trees in the grouping is 15 years.  This bonsai forest planting has been in training for seven years.  The scroll depicting the winter moon and the accent planting were supplied by Randy Clark at the Bonsai Learning Center.  

Exhibitor #2

Kitty Craig displayed this informal upright Powder Puff Tree (Calliandra).  The tree is eight years old and has been in training as a bonsai for the past two years.  The accent planting is composed of spiral rush and dwarf violet.  

Exhibitor #3

Steve Pilacik of Matsu Momiji Bonsai Nursery in Raleigh displayed this almost perfectly formed Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii "mikawa").  The accent planting is a white flowering Japanese quince.  The pine is more than 80 years old and has been in training as a bonsai all of its life.  

Exhibitor #4

John Dixon displayed this Japanese maple (Acer palmatum).  The tree is 30 years old and has been in training as a bonsai all of its life.  Leafing plants are often displayed in wintetime without their foliage so that the fine, lace like, branch ramification can be enjoyed. John's tree was one of three in the exhibit which were sans foliage.   

Exhibitor #5

Mike Brawley displayed this informal upright Japanese Garden juniper (Juniperus procumbens nana) on a slate slab.  The tree is 30 years old and has been in training for the past 20 years.  The accent planting of English ivy and the scroll painting were provided by Randy Clark at the Bonsai Learning Center.  

Exhibitor #6

Club member, Ken Duncan from Columbia, SC staged this Chinese style penjing planting of Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia).  The oldest tree is approximately 25 years and the composition has been in training for the past 12 years.  The tray is made of white marble in the Chinese manner and the stones are known as "ying tak" collected from the mountains of southern China.  The accent planting is a strawberry begonia.  THIS TREE WAS THE WINNER OF THE 2008 PEOPLES CHOICE AWARD. More than 1100 ballots were cast by show visitors over a 3 day period and Ken's forest was selected as the most popular by those voting.     

Exhibitor #7

Arthur Joura, curator of bonsai at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville staged this five tree grouping of Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) planted on a stone slab.  The oldest tree in the composition is 16 years.  It has been in training for the past 12 years and is part of the North Carolina Arboretum's bonsai collection.  

Exhibitor #8

Possibly the most outstanding bonsai on display at this years show was this informal upright Japanese White Pine (Pinus parviflora) exhibited by John Geanangle from Columbia, SC.  The tree is more than 25 years old and has been in training by Mr. Geanangle for the past 7 years.  

A very large twin trunk planting of Shimpaku juniper, (Juniperus chinensis "shimpaku") was displayed for exhibit only by Randy Clark of the Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte.  The accent piece is a Chinese scholar stone in a blue water suiban. The juniper is more than 30 years old and has been in training for about 20 years.    

Bonsai Day At The Spring Show

On Wednesday, the opening day of the Southern Spring Home and Garden Show, all the emphasis was on bonsai.  The Discover Stage in Freedom Hall featured noted speakers from throughout the area giving talks and demonstrations all day long.  At left:  Steve Pilacik from Matsu Momiji Bonsai Nursery in the Raleigh Durham area discusses bonsai basics with show visitors.  

Randy Clark, owner and instructor at the Bonsai Learning Center in Charlotte, presented a morning program and an afternoon program on the basics of bonsai. 

A Tree In Bad Need Of A "Haircut"

Arthur Joura (left), curator of bonsai at the North Carolina Arboretum in Asheville and Ken Duncan, owner of Tall Pines Bonsai Nursery in Columbia, SC presented a joint program together.  This photo shows a large, badly overgrown Ficus Benjamina before the restyling process began. 

An hour later, this was all that was left. It was a pretty drastic "haircut," but one the fast growing Ficus needed badly.  Now its very interesting roots clinging to the rock can be enjoyed more fully.  The tree will fill out very quickly.   

A Parting Shot.

This photo shows a detail of the main tree in a forest planting of  Korean Hornbeams shown by club member Martin Sweeney.  The bare branches of the tree in winter form present a chilling contrast to the scroll painting depicting a winter moon peeking from behind the nightime clouds.