Guidelines for Entering Trees in an Exhibition

[dansai]

I am still new to Bonsai and due to where I live and my commitments (work, 2.5 acres of steep country and 6 kids) I don't get to my local club (twice in 2 years) and have only been to a couple of shows. I am, however, going to the Native Symposium in Canberra in march as it coincides perfectly with some work I am doing for my sister in the week following.

As can be seen here, there has not been many entries received for the Exhibition and I would encourage anyone that can to do so. As for me I would love to enter some trees but have a few questions I would like to ask first. I thought this thread could provide a wealth of information to any budding Bonsai artist as to what is expected of trees that are entered into shows and exhibitions.

..... Firstly, at what stage should a tree be before exhibiting? All of my tress are in early development or just growing on stage. Is a tree with basic branch structure and little refinement OK to show?

..... An obvious one is that it should be in a Bonsai pot. Is it OK to have it in a cheap training pot (read Bummings variety)? For me I don't have access to a range of pots as my nearest Bonsai Nursery is about 5 hrs away.

..... Wire. Is it Ok to have wire? And if so how much? I have a tree that is heavily wired at the moment including the trunk. Is it enough just to remove the trunk wire (I think it should be set by now) and leave branch and twig wiring?

..... Top of Pot. Is it important to have a decorative soil surface, like moss or decorative pebbles?

..... Does it depend on the Exhibition? Would a local club show have lower expectations than a National or larger club show?

..... And for the individual display, should there be a mat or stand and an accent? Or is it OK to just have the tree?

Anything else that can be shared would be appreciated.

[Isitangus]

Hi dansai whilst I'm no expert I believe there are a few "guidelines" that should be followed-it also varies depending on the exhibition as some will be stricter than others:
1: I think any tree you consider to be of enough quality. Obviously the more structure/refinement=better visual aesthetics but there is also a fine line as to not having any trees in an exhibition!
2:pot-personally I think as long as the pot matches the tree/display than cost and where you got it from shouldn't matter-the pot however should be in good condition-no big chunks/cracks etc.
3: wire is generally not displayed but if it is it should be applied well and not distracting from the overall aesthetic. I think a tree which has extensive wiring is probably not at an exhibition level-perhaps a club show etc.
3:top of pot again should not
Detract from aesthetic-moss/decorative gravel is fine if it adds to the overall look. If you have kilos of coloured aquarium pebbles, pandas, temples, men, then that's probably not going to fly.
4:The larger the show=the greater the access to quality trees=the stricter the rules/guidelines. Also there may be a "novice" section which may be appropriate.
5:should be both an accent (be it plant or otherwise) and both should have their own stand-but again this depend on the individual show. I know at our club show not everything is on a stand and not everything has an accent. But a formal show probably will.
In general the trees should be in good health, a big one for me is free from pest and disease (as they can quickly spread and make you very unpopular), have good growth -that is not defoliate da week ago and only have a few leaves.
Again I think talking to the convenor/show organiser is a good idea, I would much rather go to a show and see a range of trees than only 3-4 "show quality" trees.
All of the above are just my opinions-some maybe wrong-I hope some are right and helpful!!! I'm sure there will be other members who will share their experiences/opinions

[dansai]

Thanks Isitangus for your input. Your thoughts are along the same lines as mine.

I have contacted the person who posted information on this forum about the Symposium in regards to their exhibition, but I was also hoping for input in general terms from members here as to their experiences as well. I have been to 2 of my local club shows and the quality is quite mixed with some stunning tress and many trees that although are better than most of mine, I feel would not necessarily stand up in a show with very high quality of trees. I know mine are not high quality, but I am still enthusiastic to share them and hopefully get some feed back.

[BonsaiRob]

Hi Dansai

Have a look at http://www.bonsailearningcenter.com/IMA ... ration.pdf. It contains a wealth of information on just about all aspects of preparing trees for an exhibition or show. I am sure that you will find it very useful

Rob White
Treasurer and Web-master, Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

http://www.bonsai-southern-tasmania.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonsai-S ... 4507299015

[dansai]

Thanks Rob. Some great info there.

I suppose the question of wether an individual tree is ready to show or not is quite subjective and really up to the owner and or committee/club official putting on the show.

[dansai]

This is a reply I got from Jennifer in the 2014 Native Symposium thread that I thought useful to post here for reference for others searching for this information. Thanks Jennifer for the info.

Hi Dan

Great to hear you're coming... and maybe one or more of your trees. Look forward to meeting you.

Answers to the questions you've raised are below. These really only relate to this exhibition, as we can't speak for other groups - but those who have greater bonsai wisdom and experience than I do have provided some general comments which might help people in relation to other events... but, it's always worth checking with the organisers to see if they have any specific requirements.

So...

At what stage should a tree be before exhibiting?
Sounds obvious (so apologies) but it should look like a bonsai, not just ‘a tree in a pot’, meaning it needs to have some styling. That said, it doesn’t have to be a finished bonsai. In fact, it is useful to have trees in the exhibition at various stages of development, for both the public and bonsai enthusiasts to see what a ‘developing’ tree looks like.

Many exhibitions include a separate ‘beginners’ section to allow for newly styled trees . We haven't decided yet whether to do so for the APaB exhibition... it will depend in part on how many newly styled trees are entered.

Should the tree be in a Bonsai pot? Is it OK to have it in a cheap training pot (read Bunnings variety)?
The tree should be in a bonsai pot - ie ceramic, rock etc. If by a ‘Bunnings variety’ training pot you mean a standard black plastic nursery pot – the answer would be no. However if you mean in a ceramic bonsai pot as sold at Bunnings that is fine. Also see my separate PM.

Is it Ok to have wire? And if so how much?
A very small amount of wire that scarcely shows is OK for this show. Generally wiring should not be on the trunk, and should be neat and tidy. See the attached guidelines we issue for the CBS annual show.

Canberra Bonsai Society Annual Show - Tree Preparation.pdf

Top of Pot. Is it important to have a decorative soil surface, like moss or decorative pebbles?
A finished surface is essential. If you can’t get either moss or gravel, we can have some here for you to put on (Watto has shown us a technique for preparing moss that will let you apply the moss on Friday and have it greening up by Saturday! ) .

Does it depend on the Exhibition? Would a local club show have lower expectations than a National or larger club show?
Yes there are differences depending on the context of the show...

Clubs generally encourage all members to show their bonsai, even recently styled ones, as part of the bonsai learning experience.

If you look under Native Show Galleries on the CBS website (https://www.cbs.org.au/index.php ) you will see that there is a great variety of trees on display and a quick scan of the 2012 catalogue shows some have been in training for only 1-2years.

As mentioned above many shows/exhibitions (mainly at club level) include a separate beginners section so those new to bonsai have an opportunity to show their trees

For the individual display, should there be a mat or stand and an accent? Or is it OK to just have the tree?
For this exhibition, all trees need a stand or mat. We will have some spare stands & mats and you can use one of these for the week-end if you need to. Accents are optional.

Anything else that can be shared would be appreciated

I've the attached guidelines on preparing trees for display that we use for our annual CBS show which provide some good tips for getting ready for to display your trees.

Things to look out for particularly are that:
* The trees should be free from disease and insect pests. In the case of the APaB Exhibition, all plants entering the Australian National Botanic Gardens have to be inspected by ANBG staff before 3pm on Friday afternoon to ensure they are not bringing any pests (particularly Myrtle Rust) into the Gardens.
* The pot should be cleaned of dust and other deposits. If oil is used to enhance pot colour, be sure that it is used very sparingly and does not make the pot slippery or accidents can happen.

Remember that the objective is to put something beautiful or interesting on display to show what you can do. It is more than a ‘show and tell’ session, but should still be a fun experience.

Thanks for these questions - I'm sure many first time exhibitors have similar queries. And thanks for encouraging others to exhibit, too.

We look forward to seeing you and your tree/s at the symposium/exhibition and we're very happy that you can take advantage of this opportunity to show your tree/s.

Cheers

Jennifer