The annual Auction meeting was called to order by President Roger Gaede at 7:30 p.m.

The group welcomed a new member, Madeline, who is a volunteer at MBG, became interested because of her experience with the Garden's bonsai collection.

Committee Reports
Hugh Danville, show chair, thanked volunteers who helped publicize the show, set up and take down displays and vendor materials, and donated food for show staff and vendors. Approximately 500 people attended the August 2004 show. Members brought 97 trees, of which there were seventy different varieties representing 40 genera. Although full income and expense totals were not available, it looked like the “break even” goal for the show was met.

Bob Thatcher, Librarian, let members know that surplus bonsai related magazines were on sale.

Paul Kulesa, chair of the Nominating Committee, asked for another volunteer to help him and John Parks develop a slate of candidates for the AABS 2005 Board. All positions except for a two-year director term need to be filled. Paul encouraged members to assist the committee in its important job of recruiting individuals who will give direction to the AABS and make it successful and prosperous in the next year.

Program Chair Bill Heston reminded members that Dean Bull of Traverse City will be bringing some of his trees and talking about his bonsai development and styling techniques at the October 27 th meeting. This will be the last program of the year, as the November meeting is a pot luck social event and there is no meeting in December.

Show and Tell
Bill Heston brought a Virginia Creeper in a Dale Cochoy pot. The vine was already showing fall color. Bill commented that it was partially defoliated by frost in the spring and the result was more berries and smaller leaves.

Annual Auction
John Parks served as auctioneer for this event. As usual, everything from propagated cuttings with lots of potential to aged, show-ready trees were available for members to adopt. John helped find a home for just about every plant, pot and accessory with good humor and gentle persuasion. Tamara Milostan and Donna Gaede organized the seller and buyer paperwork and kept pace with John's patter recording bids. Thanks to everyone who brought, bought, and participated the auction was success.

Kathy Powell, Recording Secretary.
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Members, Family & Friends - Annual Pot Luck
Monday, November 22
6:30 p.m.

Members old and new are encouraged to bring families, friends and food for the annual pot-luck. This last, and only social meeting of the year, will be held at the MBG in our usual meeting room on Monday, November 22. The buffet style meal will start at 6:30 . The AABS will supply a ham, beverages, and tableware. Please bring a dish to share and a serving utensil if needed.

We hope members will enjoy a chance to relax, enjoy some good conversation and food and maybe a surprise or two. Members, who wish to participate in a gift exchange to kick off the Holiday Season, please bring a wrapped item, preferably bonsai related, with a value of $10 or less.
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Bonsai for Better Health
According to NASA scientists, plants absorb toxins, such as formaldehyde and benzene, and may be the answer to solving sick-building and sick home syndrome. Dr. Bill Wolverton, formerly a senior research scientist at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center , Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, has carried out research into the use of biological processes as a means of solving environmental problems, both on Earth and in space habitats.

When humans move into closed environments, they must take along plants, nature's life-support system. It is important to have living plants in our homes and work environments. Plants absorb toxins and produce oxygen. Ficus is a listed variety that helps clean air in closed environments. Ficus are indoor hardy and will do well under less than perfect surroundings.

The benefits of having plants in the house are well worth the effort (some would call it a labor-of-love) to nurture them along. Many of our most popular houseplants come from tropical climates and are well suited for bonsai.

Houseplants not only convert carbon dioxide to oxygen but also trap and absorb many pollutants. Many of these chemical compounds are released into our air through a process called "off-gassing" and often come from everyday items present in our homes and office. NASA discovered over 300 organic compounds aboard the space shuttle and, in its endeavor to conquer space, began testing common houseplants for their capacity to purify indoor air.

As a rule of thumb, one houseplant per 100 square feet of living area is needed. The more vigorous the plant, the more air it can filter. Keep in mind that plants will not do much to alleviate tobacco smoke in the air.  NASA's studies concluded that common indoor plants can dramatically reduce toxic chemical levels in buildings with poor ventilation. NASA recommends placing 15 to 18 plants in a 1,800 square foot home to clean and refresh the air. You can maximize the effectiveness by placing plants where air circulates and it keeps plants fresh and healthy.

While more research is needed, Dr. Wolverton says the study has shown that common indoor landscaping plants can remove certain pollutants from the indoor environment. "We feel that future results will provide an even stronger argument that common indoor landscaping plants can be a very effective part of a system used to provide pollution free homes and work places,” he concludes.

Ten Commandments of Bonsai
by Bill Will

Thou shalt devise thine own potting mix. Thou mayest seek advice and help from others but must formulate thine own mix according to thine own microenvironment and watering and fertilizing regiment.

Thou shalt determine the ph of thine own water and adjust it to slightly acidic.

Thou shalt immediately, or as soon as possible, remove any new plant from its original potting mix and place it in thine own.

Thou shalt abhor, despise, detest and hate all such vermin as squirrels and mayest not go to the local feed store and buy the 50 lb. bags of corn to feed them because “they are so cute”.

Thou shalt take care of thy bonsai as though they were thine own children - for indeed, they art Thou shalt water them, feed them, groom them, love them and keep them from all harm.

Thou shalt do thine own repotting and trimming. Thou mayest seek advice and assistance but must do the acual work thine own self.

Thou shalt not bow down and worship “The Rules” of bonsai and shalt recognize that they are naught but “guidelines” - albeit excellent guidelines. Thou shouldst learn them and abide by them - when applicable and possible.

Thou shalt seek diligently for potential bonsai, they; being available whence and where found.

Thou shalt not covet they neighbor's bonsai, nor his pots, nor his tools - lest ye be willing to pay him at least 10 times its maximum true value.

Thou shalt do everything in they power to promote the Art of Bonsai.

Reprinted from Texas Bonsai, Summer, 1991

Editor's note: This was the former editor of Texas Bonsai and in his editorial he added, “I realize that Americans are a law abiding people and MUST have a codified set of laws or a constitution by which to abide lest they become helpless and lost As bonsai has become a religion to most of us, I have given you something higher than mere laws They were given to me in a vision as I ascended Mount Fuji and are graven into a slab of Shimpaku wood with a jin graving tool.” 
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The ABS Stolen Bonsai Registry
Like everything else, there is no way to absolutely prevent the theft of your bonsai. No matter what methods, devices, or locks you use, a determined adversary still has a reasonable chance of successfully stealing your valuable trees.  So let's consider some reasonable things you can do to make stealing less likely and more difficult for the “bad guys”, keeping in mind that we love our bonsai and want to show them in attractive surroundings easy to view. We can however, take a few measures to decrease the likelihood of theft.

To consider how to prevent stealing we should consider the reason or category of stealing.
Here are a few various categories of thieves:

Those who steal:

1. On impulse

2. For personal collection

3. For profits

4. For others

5. "Street Sign" thieves (trinkets for their room

6. For revenge

It is very hard to keep your bonsai a secret. People learn what you do, and not without a little bragging and showing off. If you have really good bonsai it is likely you are qualified and called upon to teach. Any class can contain people of each of the above categories noted above. Officers of clubs, persons placing their bonsai in club shows for the public, newspaper articles, and so on increase the visibility of who has bonsai.

Do

• Enjoy your bonsai
• Block the view from the "street"
• Present bonsai to the public
• Let people know there is a lot to it
• Display in exhibits and shows
• Encourage people to try
• Have gated access
• Have someone watch when away
• Keep up-to-date with the SBR
• Keep current photos of your bonsai

 

Don't

• Brag so much
• Display for public view where you keep them
• Don't make high value an issue
• Don't advertise extreme values
• Don't hand out your address
• Stop telling them it is so easy/no work/anyone can
• Don't leave the gate open
• Don't advertise you are gone (newspaper, mail in driveway)
• Don't let the Registry waste away becoming unimportant

Do, let people know that without daily care by knowledgeable people they die fast. It has intrinsically value only to you-the creator.
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Jerry Mieslik, now living in Montana , is a well known AABS life member who has a long time interest in tropical bonsai. Jerry has published a new book Ficus: The Exotic Bonsai.
Signed copies of the book are available for $32.25 + $4.70 for shipping. Write to Devonshire Gardens Ltd., 161 Ridge Run Drive , Whitefish , MT 59937 USA . More information about the book is also available at www.bonsaihunk.8m.com


Send new memberships to:

Tamara Milostan
4228 Highcrest
Brighton, Michigan 48116

Make check out to Ann Arbor Bonsai Society
Dues are $25

View from Here by Jack Wikle What a show If you couldn't be there, you missed another very nice Ann Arbor Bonsai Society show in August. We had over 100 bonsai on display including what I believe was the greatest number of different species and varieties ever seen at one of our exhibits – some sixty-four different kinds of woody plants representing thirty-nine different plant genera. Clearly our members are working with and enjoying a great variety of plant material. My compliments to all who participated as organizers, workers and exhibitors. I hope you had as much fun and satisfaction from your show involvement as I did. Signs of Health vs. Symptoms of Decline Of course there are ups and downs in vigor for any tree, but the broad pattern is that what is strong tends to get stronger and stronger and what is weak tends to get weaker and weaker. There are exceptions of course but this overall trend is difficult to deny. Actually, careful observation reveals this is not just true for the tree as a whole but for individual branches, individual shoots and other parts as well. Being alert for evidence that one's tree is “on the way up” (gaining vigor) rather than “on the way down” (weakening), can help the bonsai grower greatly in his or her decision making. More often than not, the overriding question will be, should I do aggressive “work” (such as heavy pruning, wiring or repotting) on this tree or not? After all, experience tells us that what usually works best – progress is faster – is to get the tree healthy first, then work on it, then let it recover, and then work on it again in an ongoing cycle of work and recovery. In contrast, aggressive work on a weak tree is almost guaranteed to accelerate its decline and probably result in its death. So how does one distinguish strength from weakness? Here are some differences to watch for: Where are the leaves largest or the needles longest, and where are leaves comparatively small or needles short? (How does foliage size from current growth compare with size on growth earlier in the year or foliage produced last year?) Where are new shoots long and fat, and where are new shoots short and thin? (How do these new shoots compare in length and strength with shoots from the previous flush of growth?) Where on the tree do new shoots push out first, and where do new shoots appear reluctantly (only after strong shoots have been in active growth for some time elsewhere)? Where are leaves (or needles) retained longest, and where are they shed early? Where are buds (dormant structures that will produce the next cycle of new shoots) comparatively large and numerous, and where are buds small and scarce? Finally, where is foliage color rich and lustrous, and where is foliage color relatively weak and dull? Watching closely and thoughtfully, you can learn a lot about recognizing vigor from your trees. Tree or Shrub? Does It Make a Difference? The wording may not be exact but this is what I remember being told years ago in an introductory botany class. If it grows more than 20 feet tall with a single trunk, it is a tree. If it often has multiple “stems” and seldom reaches 20 feet in height, it is a shrub. It was much later I came to the realization that trees and shrubs are also distinguished by fundamentally different survival strategies. Quickly stated, trees are genetically programmed – it's all controlled by plant hormones – to push growth rapidly upward in their race for light. (Many in the bonsai world now refer to the plant with a tendency to grow up more than out as “top dominant.” Botany texts call this “apical dominance.”) Shrubs, on the other hand, are programmed to not compete in the race toward the sky but, rather, to spread laterally in all directions as far and often farther than they grow upward. (The plant with a tendency to grow out more than up is called “bottom dominant” or said to have “weak apical dominance.”) Yes, woody plant growth patterns including typical form, maximum size and life span are all heavily affected by inherited potential. The forsythia will never grow to the size and shape of an old apple tree and the oldest apple tree will never reach the size and age of a mature redwood. Being aware of inherited patterns, can help the bonsai grower in anticipating opportunities and challenges unique to the plant material he or she is working with. When growing shrubs as bonsai (azaleas are an excellent example), keeping low branches actively growing and healthy will be relatively easy. Maintaining a pleasingly vigorous apex may be a challenge. Working with species that are trees by nature, those parts highest up and farthest out will need to be restrained by extra pruning while the low growth and interior branching is allowed to grow relatively undisturbed to keep it from slowly weakening and gradually dying out. The simple but effective answer in managing both tree and shrub growth is to be alert to differences in vigor and to prune frequently and heavily on the strongest growing areas of one's bonsai while letting the weakest growing branches go undisturbed. Branches intermediate in vigor are pruned intermediately; that is, less than the stronger parts of the tree and more than the weaker parts. This kind of selective pruning is what the Japanese growers refer to as “balancing growth.” It works for them and it can work for us as we learn to recognize variations in vigor and the impact of heredity as we work with our trees. Jack Wikle return to top Please send articles, anecdotes, information, announcements, quotes, artwork or anything else of interest to club members to: Robert Bryant, 30685 Rushmore Circle , Franklin Village MI 48025, brybon_2004@sbcglobal.net or Chuck Omer, 4411 Stearns Hill Rd. Waltham , MA , 02451 , email cndomer@juno.com The deadline for submissions to the newsletter is the End of Preceding Month.

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