11th February Meeting at Defence Colony Club

- By Vijaya Rao

It was 2.30 in the afternoon. As the car curved into the gates of Defence Club, we saw some boys playing cricket in the open ground and there was so much chitter chatter heard….no no no it was not the boys but our enthusiastic club members chatting away to glory enquiring about the health of each other’s plants

Some kusumono /accent plants displayed were so cutely placed in pretty containers. One of them was the lid of a closet tank and another was a `chatti’ (a cooking clay pot) that had cracked and can’t be used for cooking anymore. Shall we call it an accentuated creativity?

The upturned lid of the closet tank

The chatti that was and now a Bonsai

Rumphi after repotting

Single Tree Penjing - Then it was demo time and Dr.Yogesh explained Penjing style. While we were all ears and eyes, he very deftly pulled out a Ficus Jaquinifolia that had braids n braids of aerial roots and very artistically placed it in a tray along with rocks and soil. We learnt that there were 3 types of Penjing where either the plant or the rocks/soil or the water is dominant. Whatever the dominancy is, we should make sure that all the 5 elements (space, water, tree, rock and earth/soil) are present. The Japanese usually had a scroll placed behind to depict the season. To maintain this Penjing we need to spray water regularly and apply rose mix once in 3 months.

Single tree Penjing in the making

Suseela then went chop chop around this over grown Fukien Tea plant that had its branches grow hither n thither while their boss Sheila was away for a few months. Will it be a cascade or an informal style and the later was decided by the owner. There needs to be some gap between branches for the trunk line to be seen. So then there was more chop chop chop while some members picked up a few thick twigs to try rooting them…..and VOILA….what a transformation into a slender curvaceous model.

Over grown Fukien Tree at the parlour

Another plant that was worked upon was a Baobab of Molly Cherian. The unnecessary roots were sawed away and the cuts were to be treated with fungicide and allowed to dry for a day before repotting with a soil mix of sand, gravel and leaf mould.

Next Malini placed her Ficus Pilcan on the table pensively looking at Dr.Yogesh and all eyes were on doctors hands while he kept shifting this way and that way sculpting the tree into a Bonsai form.

Malini's Ficus Pilcan

Huddled Together

While we were mulling over the points gathered our hands held a cup of tea and a plate of yummy snacks. Tummy was full and brain activated, our green fingers were itching to go home and get soiled. We bid a hearty and content good bye, looking forward to our next meet ……

Bodhi- The Chennai Bonsai Association' presents Bonsai exhibition on September 17th &18th in Chennai

 

Chat, Chill and Learn

 By Vijaya Rao

It was a Saturday morning and while the sun was up, we at Bodhi were fully charged to meet all our friends and exchange notes. We did not have to check our Wi-Fi or call the more tech savvy ones at home for help to scrunch our faces into the screen to get a partial view of people and plants. After entering into the open armed club house of Defense Colony Institute fully masked, shaking our sterile hands we gently slipped into hugs, pulled our masks down and dug our hands into mud. Corona was not permitted to enter where Nature lovers ruled the roost.

Getting down to business it was demo time and notes were jotted down either on paper or into our memories to be put to good use. The first was by Dr.Yogesh and Suseela on designing a raw material into bonsai. The basics were brushed up by the seniors while the new commers intently observed the steps to be followed. We saw a wild grown Fukien tree transform into an upcoming bonsai of beautiful trunk curvature with all the unnecessary branches knocked off. The cuttings won’t survive so some young shoots that had roots were quickly picked up by us.

The next demo was by Sheela who brought a few tall Ashoka saplings which were picked from the wayside and made to catch root in a pot. These were placed in forest style with the thick trunked ones in front and the others behind in a slightly asymmetrical manner on uneven ground to create depth. What was missing is Sita pining for Rama under one of the trees - a scene from the epic Ramayana?

Tanuki by Ramkumar and Vijaya was quite a challenge as the master here on this subject was sitting pretty before us. Help! Help! and Suseela appeared with a treated casuarina root and a leggy ficus that was fixed into it to create a beautiful Tanuki. Vijaya did the talking while Ram and Suseela brought the Dead wood to life - Phoenix Graft is what the westerners aptly named it. This was auctioned in American style in a very interesting way by Ram for Rs.2850/- The proceeds went to the club while our new member Lalitha was the lucky winner. Ram had a Tanuki made by him in a different style where he had fixed 4 to 5 Premnas into holes and hollows in the wood which was displayed along with the exhibits of our members.

We were unstoppable with eyeing what to sell or buy from our own supplies when Raja entered with a truck load of flowering Adeniums. Crazy pick and choose happened while our hearts took over our brains and while we kept mouthing ‘enough’ our hands grabbed a few.

 Did we get hungry? Of course, we did! After having polished Sangeetha’s supposedly mini meals in a mega box we chatted some time away planning our next meet until the arrival of Chocolate cake and thattai followed by tea. We huffed and puffed and carried our loot and exhibits into our respective transports and left gleaming away to glory.

Cheers to our defense colony friends Molly, Sheela, Alice and Nirmala for their passionate and warm hospitality.

FLAT TOPPED BONSAI : by Sheela Babu

When we think about African savannahs, what comes before you is large stretches of grasslands dotted with the iconic flat topped Acacia trees. There are several species of this. 

They are tall , flat canopied and small leaved in structure. The scientists who have studied these trees are not totally sure how they get this shape but they do come to the conclusion that environment has played a major part in this. 

Three major reasons they say is 

1) the frequent fires of the dry grass, 

2) the herbivores like the giraffe which feed on the leaves and 

3) the abundant sunlight in these regions which the wide canopies capture for their growth. 

These factors have made these trees to adapt and grow tall with the canopies on top for their survival. 

Trees most suitable to mimic this flat topped style are 1. Brazilian rain tree 2.premna 3. Feuken tea and 5. hedge plants like Duranta

Bald cypress and Japanese black pine are also suitable for this style though it is not easily available here.

The Baobab trees also known as upside-down trees are also flat topped by nature. They can also make good bonsais. 

Any way you get rid of mealy bugs in soil ?

 Compiled by Thomas George.

Best I think to do change the soil. Add fungicide to the new soil. Wash out the roots and spray  monocrotohos and also wash the pot if you are using the same pot. This is what I would do... in case you want to use the reuse the soil later date, sun dry for a week spray

When should'nt I fertilize my bonsai?

 Compiled by Thomas George.

Good Morning... some pointers to bonsai lovers

 Compiled by Thomas George

Placement of plants:

1. Ideal area where to place your plants is south facing  as you get plenty of sunshine

2. Round and square pots, place your plant in the center of the pot.

3. Oval and rectangle pots, place your plant to the left or right end of the pot say one third length of  container. This would add beauty to composition.