CUTTINGS

The Newsletter of the

                                   Bonsai Society of Greater Cincinnati

January, 2001                                                                                                                                                                        www.cincinnatibonsai.com

 

From the Editor

 

 

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year? Ugh! I heard on the news that November and December were the coldest since 1898, and it sure felt like it.

And then, there’s this whole snow thing.

I can honestly, with no qualms or reservations, go on record with the following statement:

I hate snow.

Now, before you say anything, let me tell you that I’ve done the whole outdoor winter adventure thing, and while I enjoy skiing, sledding and skating, there is no equivocation when it comes to this one particular topic:

I really hate snow.

Snow means salt. Salt means filthy cars. Filthy cars mean work. Snow also means shoveling. More specifically, it means I’m shoveling. Snow means white-out conditions when I travel north.

So, I hate snow.

Of all things, though, Bonsai has given me a new appreciation of snow. For while I curse at the way it renders my driveway useless and forces me to wear clothing that is neither attractive or comfortable while I push piles of it around, I now understand that all this snow is also a blessing.

Because my bonsai love snow.

They love the way it acts as a blanket while they sleep away the winter. They love the way it waters their roots. They love the way it works to help keep them alive and strong when Old Man Winter would love to claim them for his own.  So, while I rant and rail futilely at the clouds for their unrelenting, and largely successful efforts at making my miserable life even more miserable, I do so now with a little less verve than in years past.  Don’t get me wrong. I still hate the stuff. But, now, with my bonsai tucked in with their blanket of snow, I’ve come to think that my relationship with snow is maturing a bit, a kind of love/hate thing now.

Still, I’ll take Spring over Winter every time.

- Jim Turney

 

 

From the President

In the depths of winter, I finally learned there was within me an invincible summer.

-Albert Camus

This thought helps me get through this unusually cold winter. I can see my deciduous trees in little more than two months. Keep thinking about the fun of seeing the buds break.

In spite of the cold, perhaps because of it, I need to do an inventory of my springtime needs and write up a list. Ask Florence or Jim this month, if they can order what you need, or ask some of us where

Goods can be ordered. Dave Radlinsky has good copper wire for us. Our friends who advertise in our newsletter may have what you need, plus our library has many publications listing advertisers. Be ready for the early spring rush of repotting and repair and styling. Many years ago, Mary Gert told us that she marked trees with a ribbon, reminding her to repot the ones needing it the next year. I’ll bet that, even if you are prepared, there will be some trees that do not get repotted. If a ribbon doesn’t suit your fancy, find something else that will remind yourself for next spring. One of the quicker ways to kill a tree is to keep it in the same soil for too many years, so mark them this year!

If you keep old newsletters, look at the 2/97 newsletter, with Doug’s excellent article on repotting.

This will give you a leg up.

Again, to Mary and Joe, thanks for a fun Christmas dinner—I am waiting for next year, you two!

As of this writing, Dan Faught is in the hospital. Dan, we are thinking of you. Hope to see you soon.

-Don Shricker

 

 

 

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