A serious discussion about building intrest in bonsai for the 15-35 crowd

[10-brink]

I'll chime in as a 28 year old who started doing bonsai two years ago when I was in my last year of undergrad. luckily, at the time, I lived in a house with a big patio where I could keep my trees-- and had roommates that would water when I was away. I found a local club and picked up a few trees for cheap at their auction.

I'm the youngest member of my club by far. a few of my friends are interested, but it's mostly to the extent of- "that looks cool," not "I want one".

I have about 50 trees that I'm growing out, since I don't want to spend the money on buying a developed tree, I'd rather buy a bunch of seedlings for $1/each and try to be creative with what I do with them (like my loop-de-loop broom zelkova).


I think for most younger people, if they have the interest, the issue is finding space-most young people live in apartments. and watering; for me watering everyday is not a problem, takes 10 mins max, its finding someone to water when I go away for a weekend or go on vacation.


I think the "instant gratification" issue is overblown. how many times have we seen a demo where someone created an instant bonsai from a bush? anyone can find a juniper at a nursery and chop/wire it up. I think that's a great intro to doing bonsai.

 

[A Random User]

[EDIT] The problem with moderating threads that go off the rails is when everyone copies the original post I have removed the original content. [/EDIT]

 

[crust]

Come on crust! I just watched Nigel here take out 7 larches from a frozen bucket of water, do a root job on them and throw them back in...man up. What one man can do another can!

Heck, if I lived in zone 6 like this corn-dog Canadian does it would be like in a tropical paradise--a little snow means nothing. Zone 3 is my land.

 

[A Random User]

[EDIT] The problem with moderating threads that go off the rails is when everyone copies the original post I have removed the original content. [/EDIT]

Thank you!

 

[mcpesq817]

I can only guess the 20,000 rambling response lol

 

[MichaelS]

Just thinking outside the box for a moment. Why the need to promote bonsai? People who are of that mind set will discover it in their own time and way just as we all did.
Bonsai practice will not die as long as even a handful of people continue to practice it. It does not matter in the end if that is 5 people or 5 million. It won't die as long as I'm alive. If it dies at some later stage, Why should I care? I have no personal need to insure others take it up. What difference will it make to the world? There will always be people who appreciate natural beauty. You don't need to do bonsai for that. Of coarse, if some asks me to talk about bonsai, I would be happy to talk until their ears bleed but I'm not going out spruiking it. I just don't see a reason for doing that.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Library display. At about 12 years on trip to library in late April/early May saw a couple of Bonsai, was intrigued and eventually hooked. Did not hurt that personal interest in growing things already existed. One of these was Vine Maple and still have soft spot for this beautiful little tree 58 years later.

 

[Owen Reich]

In my experience, the best response came when I volunteered to give a bonsai talk at an Anime Convention in Nashville. I was contacted for a Japanese garden talk by the planners, and did both.

The kids (ages say 8 to 40) there were definitely into the notion, but their money went directly to costumes and travel to other conventions. I do think it's a great venue to reach out and plant seeds; orgs on the West Coast have been doing it for years based on people I've spoken with.

The key factors that have been mentioned before are:

Available Time
Space to keep trees
Persistence
Discretionary $

Those factors drive away not only young but older people from bonsai. Peoples' first tree dying falls under the third factor, but is likely a huge hinderance to more widespread appreciation.


Why not work locally or regionally with your money?

On second thought, run an ad campaign against the common misconceptions about bonsai being junipers that magically live indoors, only a single type of plant, defoliated trees are not dead, etc.

I will send in money.

Please update when you implement a plan and have some results to share.

 

[AZbonsai]

"Why the need to promote bonsai? "

3 reasons I can think of:

More demand means better plant material being sold and more of it.

More demand means lower prices for tools, supplies, and material.

Most importantly, new blood brings new ideas and ways of doing bonsai better.

 

[MichaelS]

"Why the need to promote bonsai? "

3 reasons I can think of:

More demand means better plant material being sold and more of it.

More demand means lower prices for tools, supplies, and material.

Most importantly, new blood brings new ideas and ways of doing bonsai better.

So your first reason is purely self interest
Your second reason is purely self interest
Your third reason ..... How can bonsai be done any better than they already have been? There are no ''new ideas'' and there never can be. All we are doing is creating trees as best we can. There is only good, mediocre and bad. You can make them look as artificial as possible - which some people seem to be doing - or you can make them look as natural as possible which I happen to prefer. You can't add a new idea to that.
Sure, bonsai promotion helps me for example, as I will sell more material, and so will everyone else in the market but that's a purely commercial interest and means nothing to anyone else.
The only thing I can think of is the notion of somehow saving the 15 to 35 year olds from a lesser life of not doing bonsai. Maybe they will be ''happier or more satisfied or more enlightened ?
I think that's a bit fanciful.

 

[sorce]

There are no ''new ideas''

Oh...there are new ideas.

I was listening to a radio show where we have twice as many fire trucks as we do ambulances....
But twice the medical calls as fire calls.

Why?

Tradition.

Tradition, and "Thats how we always have done it".

Tradition blinds progress.

So.

The "fire safety" program we instilled years ago, for a purpose, worked!

But what good is it if we do not take advantage of the change it created!?

(Deja Vu Note.)

Anyway.....

I am trying to set up a small show or something at a park and pavilion down my block.

It's not perfect, but some large trees can be displayed on the left, while smaller trees can be displayed at roughly eye level aross the right.

I think I can fit 3 vendors and a refreshment stand under the roof.

They do a Halloween Party out here which may be cool to hitch onto.

I don't know if you can see the wax.....

But maybe I'll do a "Ollie a Bonsai contest"
For the skater kids!

And it's Berwyn...
So @thams I'm gonna need some of those Concha pots!

But seriously.....

If anyone is interested....

Let me know.

A plan is thundering.

Sorce

 

[AZbonsai]

So your first reason is purely self interest
Your second reason is purely self interest
Your third reason ..... How can bonsai be done any better than they already have been? There are no ''new ideas'' and there never can be. All we are doing is creating trees as best we can. There is only good, mediocre and bad. You can make them look as artificial as possible - which some people seem to be doing - or you can make them look as natural as possible which I happen to prefer. You can't add a new idea to that.
Sure, bonsai promotion helps me for example, as I will sell more material, and so will everyone else in the market but that's a purely commercial interest and means nothing to anyone else.
The only thing I can think of is the notion of somehow saving the 15 to 35 year olds from a lesser life of not doing bonsai. Maybe they will be ''happier or more satisfied or more enlightened ?
I think that's a bit fanciful.

I am assuming I will not be the only one buying the new material or supplies or benefiting from a better and wider range of plants to work on. How many times have you heard poor material or to expensive on this site relating to bonsai?
New and interesting ideas are being shared all the time about bonsai. I just picked up a book by Kenji Kobayashi called Keshiki Bonsai in which he talks about a new form of bonsai created to appeal to new converts to the art of bonsai to name one example of innovation in bonsai.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I was watching Bonsai Mirai last night and they were talking to the curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum. He said something that I thought was really insightful. The key to opening the door is to teach bonsai APPRECIATION. His example was that just because you go to an Art Museum doesn't mean you are immediately going to start oil painting. However if you educate people on the art form, what they are actually looking at, how the pieces all go together, etc, you will start to get a few people here and there who will say - tell me more, I'd love to take a class. The rest will just appreciate it as art, and that's fine.

 

[AZbonsai]

I was watching Bonsai Mirai last night and they were talking to the curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum. He said something that I thought was really insightful. The key to opening the door is to teach bonsai APPRECIATION. His example was that just because you go to an Art Museum doesn't mean you are immediately going to start oil painting. However if you educate people on the art form, what they are actually looking at, how the pieces all go together, etc, you will start to get a few people here and there who will say - tell me more, I'd love to take a class. The rest will just appreciate it as art, and that's fine.

There is a lot of truth to that. All you have to do is look at the corner "bonsai" seller and see what an impact that has had on American bonsai. We have all heard "I thought bonsai was a type of tree" because that is what they are exposed to. If there were more opportunities like Sorce is trying to create in his neighborhood where people can experience good trees and learn a little something about bonsai it would have a great impact I believe.

 

[MichaelS]

I am assuming I will not be the only one buying the new material or supplies or benefiting from a better and wider range of plants to work on. How many times have you heard poor material or to expensive on this site relating to bonsai?
New and interesting ideas are being shared all the time about bonsai. I just picked up a book by Kenji Kobayashi called Keshiki Bonsai in which he talks about a new form of bonsai created to appeal to new converts to the art of bonsai to name one example of innovation in bonsai.

I just had a look at this ''revolution''. They are little trees in little pots.

 

[AZbonsai]

I just had a look at this ''revolution''. They are little trees in little pots.

I did not say it was revolutionary, just new ideas presented was my point. Little trees in little pots=definition of bonsai.

 

[JJshives]

One thing that I would add to this conversation is to piggy-back with other related hobbies / activities.

For example, there are county fairs where people who are interested in nature and crops and gardening attend in the thousands... and I have never seen a bonsai pavilion at one.

There are garden shows, orchid shows, etc, where you will often get "interested" people. In one case out here in California at a big orchid show there was one small bonsai vendor selling inexpensive trees - and I think he was doing 10x as much business as the orchid vendors!

To me, this would be the most effective means of creating an interest in the 15-35 crowd. Except, I would call it "cross-promotion" and not limit it to gardening related hobbies. I'm 35 and even though I liked the idea of bonsai when I was much younger, the idea to try it for myself came from my interest in planted aquariums which in turn came from reef aquariums. I had my first aquarium when I was about 8 years old and it had too many fish with plastic decorations (equivalent of mallsai). The aquarium hobby has a huge presence online. In particular the salt water reef hobby. There is a good portion of that community from the 18-35 age range. On the website reefcentral.com, as I type this, there are over 8300 users online. There must be other hobbies or interest groups that, if exposed to what bonsai has to offer, a portion would find interest or at least plant a seed of interest they may come back to later. The 15-35 crowd is online and social media is how you reach them. There are a good number of youtube users who cross-promote their interests and gain followers. I think that would be the best use of time and or money. For example, if on YouTube Bonsai Empire cross-promoted with AquaDesignAmano, there would be a mutually beneficial exposure for both hobbies.

 

[sorce]

However if you educate people on the art form, what they are actually looking at, how the pieces all go together, etc,

I always wondered why they don't come with a written long game plan.

Real Instructions beyond, "water once a week and apply this tube of green fluid".

Of course it would be a floating schedule, but it would definitely keep the.....
"What should I do with this?" 's down.

Anyway, when I start offering prebonsai, one of the many benefits will be something along those lines.

Sorce

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Anyway, when I start offering prebonsai, one of the many benefits will be something along those lines.

Perhaps a starters booklet? Something along the lines of "how to keep your bonsai alive".

Include a huge section in the back with a list of "recommended reading" and links to online resources.

There are many great bonsai books out there, but people need to read them. And then, even if you read them, there is room for misunderstanding or misinterpretation. Nothing beats hands-on experience.

 

[Anthony]

Bonsai are the toys of the very Rich by I have gardeners to grow my trees.
Should be a big seller.

couldn't resist.