Prairie State Bonsai Society Show

Hey all,
Last weekend was the Prairie State Bonsai Society Show. I was a nice smaller show with great people and some very nice trees. I apologize for the photography as I am no photographer and my camera is not great, but it will give you an idea of the trees there. I missed a few but got most of them. Enjoy.

Todd







This was one of my favorite trees but its was difficult to get a photo the really shows how nice it was due to the window and position of the sun.

Thanks, Todd. Looks like a nice show. The Bougie was yours, right?

No, I used to have a smaller one that looked similar but I sent it off to Florida with a friend. I didn't have any trees in the show. I'm also not a member of this club as I can't get to their meetings. Most of my trees are are rough around the edges so I like to contribute to the forum how I can.

Todd

Thanks a bunch Todd, for posting all these photos. What is the large blue pot tree without leaves? It almost looks like silver wire...

Judy,
I really loved that tree as well. The photo really doesn't do it justice. It is a corokia cotoneaster, and I want one now. The branching was super fine with tiny threadlike leaves and it had this wild zig-zagging style of growing.

Todd

The Ficus forest is exceptional. Is that Benjamina "too little"?

-Jay

Some nice trees there! Thanks for taking the time to post all the photos.

Jay,
I'm not sure if it is "too Little". The tag just said Benjamina.

Todd

There are some fairly nice trees, and then there are some trees that clearly are not mature enough to show. Sorry for the criticism, but I think most of us (including me) need to understand that showing should be a privilege, and so prepare only those trees for shows that are not only your best efforts but also mature enough (that includes little to no scarring and wounds, foliage filled in completely, little to no defects, and so on).

- S

Agreed, some of the trees were far more developed than others, but also remember that it is a club show and not all members are at the same stage in bonsai. I think that encouraging members to show their trees helps to push them to the next level. Having the chance to compare your own work side by side with others can help you to recognize what needs to be done to further your trees. Not being a member of this club I don't know what or if there is a criteria for showing. I think that giving members the opportunity to show their best work is a good thing even for more novice members.

In my first 3-4 years with bonsai I hid in my yard pruning away on my trees, now having joined a club and gotten outside perspective on some of my work my trees have begun to improve quite a bit.

Todd

suburbia wrote:There are some fairly nice trees, and then there are some trees that clearly are not mature enough to show. Sorry for the criticism, but I think most of us (including me) need to understand that showing should be a privilege, and so prepare only those trees for shows that are not only your best efforts but also mature enough (that includes little to no scarring and wounds, foliage filled in completely, little to no defects, and so on).

- S

I noticed you list Chicago in your profile. Your criticism is fair enough, factually correct. However, you are spoiled by the concentration of talent in the Chicago area, (as am I). I have visited a few shows across 'fly over country' and the Prairie State show is a little better than average. I would list some "Most Trees Really Not Ready for Prime Time" shows I've been to but I'm not sure that is really productive. There are a handful of really knowledgeable and talented people in Prairie State. The best tend to get siphoned off into the Chicago club, and if they don't have time to be members of two groups, their membership in Chicago group tends to be a loss to the Prairie State group. This show is typical of what you see in most middle size towns away from 'hot spots' for bonsai.

I think part of the problem is the botanic garden or arboretum, and most other show venues for that matter. The show venues want enough trees or what ever the theme of the show is, be it bonsai, orchids, roses, or dahlias, whatever, the venue demands that the show at least meet a square footage requirement, forcing the club to shift from accepting only the best to 'lets get some trees in here, you can't have a show with only 3 trees".

A venue could have a display with only 3 trees, or even only one, but it would not get the "Top Billing" and be given the free meeting spaces, space for vendors and demonstrations and all the other activities that go on with a bonsai show. So the club is inclusive. Members bring in trees that really aren't ready, because otherwise they know there will be empty spaces, and the show goes on. A difficult to avoid problem once you are away from places like Chicago/Milwaukee, California, Portland/Seattle, Rochester NY, and other areas with collections of talented artists.

And Prairie State does have the extra problem that some potential members with talent and mature trees choose to drive an extra 60 to 90 minutes and go to the Chicago club instead of staying nearer to home or having dual memberships. So all in all they put on a good show all things considered. Yes, you are correct, only a small handful were really ready for a show, but a bonsai show is about more than just the trees on display. It is about opportunities for education, recruitment to the club, vendor sales, and public outreach. Also most botanic gardens and arboretums give free meeting space to their member clubs, but the requirement is that the club puts on a show that the garden can use as an event for their institutional reasons. (demonstration of public outreach which is cited in grant proposals, etc). So the motivations to bring in not ready yet trees is strong, and go beyond the tree owner.

Well put Leo. I attended (didn't show) my first show this year, and saw the same issues in my locale. But without those trees, it would've taken the average (non-bonsai) person 5 minutes to walk thru the show. So I can understand the reasoning. It was a bit disappointing to me, but I'm not sure the general public sees it in the same light.