"I rose, and found the shining dew ..."

     (With thanks to Robert Louis Stevenson.)

     This morning I made it up to the deck shortly after the sun was up. My attention was captured by the dewdrops on the leaves of one of my willow-leaf figs (Ficus salicaria:) they caught the sunlight in a way that was simultaneously subtle and fascinating. I hope you enjoy these pictures, even tho I admit they can't do full

Bonsai and Good Food; "What Could Be Finer?"

Dick, Jeff, Murph and Ed discuss one of Dick's pines.

    I think all the members of the Fort Wayne Bonsai Club look forward to our annual picnic. It's always a great time with plenty of delicious food, plants and pots and bonsai paraphernalia for sale, and a few hours enjoying the company of others who also think that, yes, fertilizer regimens and techniques to encourage back-budding are fascinating topics of conversation, thank you! This year and last, we have been joined by some members of the Michiana Bonsai Study Group in Elkhart. They're always welcome!

The club provides the meat, prepared by Jerry Kittle, our all-around man-behind-the-scenes. The rest of the food is carried in, and since we have some fine cooks among our members, there's always plenty and it's always plenty good.

Elevation, Light, and Bonsai

     By elevation, I mean altitude, elevation above sea level. At first there would seem to be little connection between altitude above sea level and bonsai care; but in fact there is something to keep in mind. (Actually, two "somethings;" but I'm focusing on just one here.)

Sun Screen, RPF (Root Protection Factor) 98.

     If you've been in bonsai for very long at all, you've heard and read warnings about allowing pots to get too hot. For any who don't know, a hot container means a hot root run: the heat is absorbed into the soil, and with the limited amount of soil in a bonsai pot, the temperature quickly climbs. Roots are not designed to resist heat like the above-ground parts of a tree; they're meant to live in the cooler environment of the soil. A dark-colored pot in direct sun, on a hot summer day, can easily get hot enough for root tips next to the pot's interior wall to be killed.