Stages.....in wich are you now?

[Fidur]

In the little time I have been into bonsai, I have discovered we are all in different (sometimes overlapped) stages.
I have already writen about "nursery madness", that first stage in wich you only think in buying sticks, in my case overlapped with the stage "seeds and layers are free", and now entering on "yamadori is the way".
I guess most of you have gone through this stages, and are now enjoying new stages. To me those are yet unknown.
So can you identify what stage you are now or have been in the past?

PD: I would like to be in the stage, "bonsai has few secrets to me, now I can give advice"

 

[QuantumSparky]

The order of stages I went through, bolded are my current ones:

1) Babysitting a Home Depot bonsai
2) Addiction & Research
3) Nursery Madness
4) Sapling Yamadori
5) Seeds in the Fridge
6) ALL THE CUTTINGS feat. Mike Kincead
7) Nursery Madness pt. 2 (investing only in trees with potential @ proper nurseries)

 

[sorce]

I think we all have a stage where we learn a "bonsai"(the plant) is just a tree, however, this is not always liberating.
I believe some folks get stuck into a place, where the actions of "bonsai"(the art) become the method of dealing with this "bonsai"(the tree).

In this way, we manipulate 2 external things, the plant and the actions, selfishly trying to make it become something. I think this is where the feeling of "staleness" of a "green helmet" comes from, wether you appreciate them or not. It also perpetuates our impatience, because here, the impatience never disapates, we just get used to it, so we continue to manipulate these 2 external things and "force".

If we truly realize the plant is a tree, we begin to "allow". We become a mere caretaker of a piece of the Earth's energy. No ego. This humbleness allows a tree to be what it wants to be, as we care for it. Impatience doesn't exist here, it can't because we are wanting for nothing. This is Liberation.

In this Liberation, this want for nothing, love becomes beauty and beauty becomes love. We realize we are no longer a caretaker for the tree, we ARE the tree. So no matter what "stage" you are in, the enjoyment is present. The happiness of being alive on Earth perpetuates.

They say "do something for the love, not the money, if you do it for the love, success follows".

The problem with bonsai is, it hides this idea better than most other things. Drawn out, similar to most of our bonsai education, in the unchangeable fact that is "time". This time allows poor ideas to take hold, the perpetuation of impatience.

So the reason @Shogun610 (it's not @ing), is correct in his recent statement about prebonsai and those selling them is accurate, is due to all of the above.

Want+Fast=Failure.
Failure+Love=Fast.
Fast+Humble=Success.

We must both Reject Want and Accept Failure.

You see it in this....
"Starting from a seed takes forever."
Yet every tree was once a seed.
There is a valid "start with better material" advice in this understanding, which makes for success.
And a "start with better material" argument due to ego.

It is this stage, the one where you move from negative to positive, which makes the idea of any other "stages" irrelevant, because nursery material was once a seed. Yamadori was one a seed. Pre-bonsai, finished material, the pile of dead trees, all were once a seed.

It is not the seed of tree that needs planting.

It is the seed of humility.

The understanding that Time does not Exist.

Sorce

 

[HorseloverFat]

We (our hands/our work) are nothing more than “stages” to trees.

We should ask them.

 

[Paradox]

I am in the stage of not buying many new trees..
I am trying to develop what I have and wishing I could retire so I could spend more time on my trees

 

[Cadillactaste]

I can go to a local nursery...for only landscape items without looking at their material for bonsai potential.

I can have a sizeable birthday pot of greenbacks from turning 50...and not spend a dime of it on a tree. Didn't so much as even put feelers out.

But...I can break my resolve at an exposed root that a friend had for sale...and bid/win at a later date. Because the tree belonged on my bench.

 

[Carol 83]

I bought a few things early in the spring, but haven't seen anything since then that I just had to have. A sharp contrast from my "I gotta' buy everything" philosophy in my first years. I'm aiming now towards quality not quantity.

 

[Forsoothe!]

..."bonsai has few secrets to me, now I can give advice"

A bridge too far! There are far too many different species and you really need successful hands-on experience to advise others. "Generalities" are what lots of books are filled with (not all), and pretty pictures, too. There is no substitute for doing and learning by doing. I think most people are like me, I have a lot of similar species even though I like to think I am attracted to "new, and different". There is a lot of overlap in the care of the species that I am drawn to, whether that is due to their real needs or my own bias, but I understand the species that I can be said to specialize in. That said, there is no absolute certainty that my way is either correct or the best way of handling "my species". Add to that the vagaries of disease, pestilence, weather, micro-climate, media, watering habits, ad infinitum. Who can be expert in all ways in all things?

That doesn't even speak to styling which is greatly influenced by tastes and, "The Eye". Some people, -many of which are trained in Japan, have the ability to look at a plant and see all the bonsai and non-bonsai parts and like Edward Scissorshand can reach in and eliminate all the un-bonsai and reveal the beauty inside. These people have, "The Eye". We all know some people who have one year's experience for twenty years. They are unable to see anything. There are posts here that cover years and years and ponderous years without any progress in the tree. These people have no eye and no plan so they just change the tree from time-to-time without any connection between the cumulative "was" and "is". The "was" needs to be a step on the way to the final "is". Without a plan, there is just a string of "was" after "was", step and repeat, but no real progress because there is no stated goal. These people still give advice to others.

Then comes "tastes", a very subjective term with very personal definitions. Treeblers and 'Taters are just two ends of one spectrum, and depending upon how far out on the scale, one direction or the other a person is, they are more or less rigidly fixed in their view of what a tree should look like. For example, collected trees are rarely styled as formal uprights. We are probably drawn to teachers that have tastes like our own, even when we are new to the endeavor and know nothing about it. In the same vein of thinking, we probably advise others to do what we like, as opposed to what they like or what is "correct" whatever that means. I may have digressed too far from the OP.

 

[Wires_Guy_wires]

I'm at all stages at the same time and I refuse to leave any of them.
I learn something new every season, refinement techniques on one tree, grafting on another, planting seeds and ground growing on some others.
I have too much energy to spend, can't sit still for too long.

Somebody please bodycheck me when I reach the point where I say "I'm too advanced to do that.".

 

[BrianBay9]

My stages went something like:

Kill most trees
Most survive
Nursery sticks
Bigger is better
Smaller is better
Spend money save time

 

[AcerAddict]

What stage am I in? Hmm...well, like I mentioned in @Fidur's earlier thread "Finally, peace", I'm thankfully past the wallet-draining "buy every half-decent thing at the nursery" stage. If I had to give a name to exactly where I'm at right now, it would be the "hurry up and wait" stage. Let me elaborate.

This is a Japanese Maple...


However, these are Japanese Maples as well...


Both are the the same thing (tree in a pot), but they're not the same thing. One has been meticulously trained and shaped over many years and lives in a shallow, traditional bonsai pot. The others are thin, poker straight "landscape trees" in basic nursery pots, free to grow however they like without guidance. The former is what the general public thinks of when you say "bonsai." The latter is a representation of what I have at the moment. That's not a pic of my house, but all I've got right now are 20-ish plants in nursery pots. So then, what am I at the moment? Am I what you would call a "bonsai hobbyist", or am I simply still a "gardener?" It's a good question that I don't know the answer to.

I mentioned to my neighbors that I have taken my hobby of horticulture, and branched out (pun intended) into bonsai. If I was to show them all my plants right now though, the response would probably be "OK...where are your bonsai trees?" They don't get it. They have that first image above in their heads, or a picture of Mr. Miyagi from "The Karate Kid", and think that "bonsai" means I should have these elaborate display shelves loaded with ancient trees that have been shaped for decades.

Don't take my self-analysis as impatience or frustration. It's not like that. I won't rush what can't be rushed. I'm a product of Generation X, and didn't grow up with the Internet readily available through a smartphone glued to my hand, so maybe I have more patience than some. However, to anyone out there hoping for "instant gratification" in bonsai, I hope you have deep pockets. You're either going to waste a ton of money killing a lot of trees that you rushed along too fast, or you're going to pay a lot of money to get your hands on a tree that someone else spent decades growing.

As for me, I'm just gonna hurry up and wait.

 

[Fidur]

Forgot to mention the stage "I need to join others to show , see, or speak "bonsai"".
No clubs here, so I have been in this stage since I joined bonsainut, and I feel it was worth.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Forgot to mention the stage "I need to join others to show , see, or speak "bonsai"".
No clubs here, so I have been in this stage since I joined bonsainut, and I feel it was worth.

This is the best “resource” and “bonsai community” that I have stumbled upon. )

 

[LittleDingus]

My stages are seasonal.

Spring: Troll all the nurseries. Buy whatever catches my fancy.
Summer: Coast...admire/tweak what I have. Reduce extras/unwanted material. Dream about the days I can install an automated watering system so I don't lose so many trees when I'm out of town
Fall: Manic...year round I collect/order seed of species that caught my attention. Many species are from trees I saw on vacation. Some are just oddball/interesting species I've come across and wanted to try. As stupid as it sounds...fall is when I plant!
Winter: Coast...watch seedlings grow...it really helps chase away the greys! Maintain tropicals and evergreens, etc...winter also tends to be orchid season as most of my orchids are winter flowering.

Any season: if I see larger material I like: buy it.

Lather, rinse, repeat...

 

[badatusernames]

I’m kind of doing a little of everything I guess. Trying not to put too much emphasis on any one part. Being honest with myself about how long things take, so I look at the range of where a tree may have been and where it needs to go and then I decide if I really want to do it.

it’s easier to water some sticks and be patient if you have stuff further along as well, I think. Otherwise I think I’d find it a kind of exercise in futility, unless propagation and working with young material was my driving interest.

 

[Mike Corazzi]

I'm in the "Oh DAMN! More shoots to clip!" stage.
Age has stopped new acquisitions.
At least it's also the "aahhh, finally some peace while these things just grow." stage....

except for the occasional "dammit that wire is cutting in" stage.

 

[cmeg1]

ok so looks like 8 stages for me since I discovered dial up internet and pictures of Walter Pall trees and Wolfgang Putz’ trees and lets not forget AOL RADIO Soundscapes


: seeds in the window
: plant everything & any size in a grow bed
: the 2-3 year phase for appreciation of the passing seasons whilst having moderate success with some homegrown bonsai( also discovered that trees can lean towards me and be my freind….in good light,not stretching…..gaining energy…strong, slow growing…extending roots)
: THE BIG EXPENSIVE BONSAI AQUISITION———(in a bonsai pot)
: The return to homegrown

: horticultural science

: selling seedlings and cuttings/bonsai starters
: keeping some of the homegrown favorites to now rekindle the initial interest and solace I found when I started to observe these plants through the days.

 

[MalcolmMc]

I'm at the "I own too many pre-bonsai, sticks, seedlings and cuttings to properly care for everything" stage
I haven't been able to bring myself to down size at all, but I plan to refrain from buying need trees. However I'm also at the "You can never have too many pots" stage so I'm constantly keeping an eye out for new pots. I can see the problem with having too many but they dont take up time to care for them

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

A few in-between stages to add…
Online expert after a week of binging online videos.
Moments of understanding, while still trying to rationalize out of season work.
Went to first show and need to go home and burn everything.
Rebuild.
Bored with everything now.
Want the big stuff with big price tags.
Want the tiny stuff with even bigger price tags.
Addicted to pottery, would rather have pots than trees.

 

[Shogun610]

I mean I just went on a nursery crawl and found a whole pile of American hornbeam and American beech to complete my future forest / grow on own … so just depens you get better at what you’re looking for when you’re at landscape nurseries