Thoughts on Peter Chan? (Herons Bonsai)

[FinnLakk]

At the risk of digging up a thread that might be better left buried I wanted to add my thoughts as essentially a beginner, one that has just attended a group workshop run by Peter.

I have no doubts he has the skill to make high quality trees, as evidenced by the collection at Wisley. He getting on in life and as with all who have hobbies that can be time and energy consuming you become lax.

He is extremely friendly, open and honest, as a person I really like him and get on with him well. However I do feel almost everything is overpriced but he has his market and it obviously works well for him.

I picked up a deshojo maple "semi trained" in a regular nursery pot for £40, the deshojos sitting next to it that were far younger, far less refined BUT in a bonsai pot (and awful substrate) had price tags between £140-£300

I understand he's running a business but the sheer volume of trees he has and Chinese elms, ficus etc that he still imports and sells at ridiculous prices for what they are have seriously put me off.

He is a great YouTube educator but does not educate well in a group setting, I also believe paying £120 for two people for a two hour workshop (consisting of another 8 people on top of myself and my partner) AND being expected to pay for your cheap nursery stock and plastic pots is a bit greedy in my opinion.

But I have a lot of respect for the man, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have discovered the love I have for bonsai. And as stated at the beginning, he certainly knows what he is doing.

 

[Zerobear]

At the risk of digging up a thread that might be better left buried I wanted to add my thoughts as essentially a beginner, one that has just attended a group workshop run by Peter.

I have no doubts he has the skill to make high quality trees, as evidenced by the collection at Wisley. He getting on in life and as with all who have hobbies that can be time and energy consuming you become lax.

He is extremely friendly, open and honest, as a person I really like him and get on with him well. However I do feel almost everything is overpriced but he has his market and it obviously works well for him.

I picked up a deshojo maple "semi trained" in a regular nursery pot for £40, the deshojos sitting next to it that were far younger, far less refined BUT in a bonsai pot (and awful substrate) had price tags between £140-£300

I understand he's running a business but the sheer volume of trees he has and Chinese elms, ficus etc that he still imports and sells at ridiculous prices for what they are have seriously put me off.

He is a great YouTube educator but does not educate well in a group setting, I also believe paying £120 for two people for a two hour workshop (consisting of another 8 people on top of myself and my partner) AND being expected to pay for your cheap nursery stock and plastic pots is a bit greedy in my opinion.

But I have a lot of respect for the man, if it wasn't for him I wouldn't have discovered the love I have for bonsai. And as stated at the beginning, he certainly knows what he is doing.

I have made this comment in the past. Bonsai is a very expensive hobby. Almost as bad as fishing, hunting or racecar driving. (Smile)

 

[FinnLakk]

I have made this comment in the past. Bonsai is a very expensive hobby. Almost as bad as fishing, hunting or racecar driving. (Smile)

Yeah I do understand that, and I must admit I'm my opinion is most likely jaded by being a young person maturing in a world where everything is becoming more and more unattainable.

I just believe in practice what you preach. At close to £100 per person to be shown no more than he does freely on YouTube, wire into an S and clip into a conical shape just didn't feel like good value to me, that's all

 

[FinnLakk]

Yeah I do understand that, and I must admit I'm my opinion is most likely jaded by being a young person maturing in a world where everything is becoming more and more unattainable.

I just believe in practice what you preach. At close to £100 per person to be shown no more than he does freely on YouTube, wire into an S and clip into a conical shape just didn't feel like good value to me, that's all

Saying this though I do believe I quickly progressed past the stage where a beginners class would have been suited perfectly for myself, it was originally scheduled for over a year ago but due to Covid the classes were cancelled. And essentially all I have done with my free time is immerse myself in bonsai.

I think my biggest issue was being charged full price for the saplings and cheap plastic pots we used.

 

[keri-wms]

Saying this though I do believe I quickly progressed past the stage where a beginners class would have been suited perfectly for myself, it was originally scheduled for over a year ago but due to Covid the classes were cancelled. And essentially all I have done with my free time is immerse myself in bonsai.

I think my biggest issue was being charged full price for the saplings and cheap plastic pots we used.

Are there any clubs near you? They are the best value support you can get normally (often you can go further to other clubs as a one off to see particular demos), Bonsai Today mags and youtubers who have done apprenticeships are also a solid source of facts

 

[leatherback]

facts

 

[FinnLakk]

Are there any clubs near you? They are the best value support you can get normally (often you can go further to other clubs as a one off to see particular demos), Bonsai Today mags and youtubers who have done apprenticeships are also a solid source of facts

Unfortunately not! Currently living in the NE of Scotland however will be moving down to Edinburgh in the summer however there's nothing I can find online about any clubs in Scotland, not that still seem to be active anyway.

I have gathered most of the info I have from folks like Peter in the beginning, moving onto Harry Harrington's and Ryan Neil's content aswell.

Once down in the city I do intend on trying to get some folks together if I can't find a club that exists as is, however I will be studying and working aswell so finding the time may prove difficult

 

[keri-wms]

Yup - am trying to be diplomatic about accurate vs inaccurate information ;p

 

[keri-wms]

Unfortunately not! Currently living in the NE of Scotland however will be moving down to Edinburgh in the summer however there's nothing I can find online about any clubs in Scotland, not that still seem to be active anyway.

I have gathered most of the info I have from folks like Peter in the beginning, moving onto Harry Harrington's and Ryan Neil's content aswell.

Once down in the city I do intend on trying to get some folks together if I can't find a club that exists as is, however I will be studying and working aswell so finding the time may prove difficult

Worth added Bjorn Bjorholm and Peter Warren to your list I reckon

 

[FinnLakk]

Worth added Bjorn Bjorholm and Peter Warren to your list I reckon

For sure! Thanks for the suggestions, working thru the back log one person at a time

 

[leatherback]

Yup - am trying to be diplomatic about accurate vs inaccurate information ;p

I think putting it as facts is actually undiplomatic, as well as incorrect. In bonsai, there are very few facts. And that is a fact

 

[Taste]

I think putting it as facts is actually undiplomatic, as well as incorrect. In bonsai, there are very few facts. And that is a fact

except for the horticultural aspects. those are generally fact

 

[Paulpash]

Unfortunately not! Currently living in the NE of Scotland however will be moving down to Edinburgh in the summer however there's nothing I can find online about any clubs in Scotland, not that still seem to be active anyway.

I have gathered most of the info I have from folks like Peter in the beginning, moving onto Harry Harrington's and Ryan Neil's content aswell.

Once down in the city I do intend on trying to get some folks together if I can't find a club that exists as is, however I will be studying and working aswell so finding the time may prove difficult

You should have booked yourself in at Willowbog and got Caz Bonsai to teach you. Way better and cheaper.

 

[leatherback]

except for the horticultural aspects. those are generally fact

what works in your garden, does not need to work in mine due to differences in local climate, care, understanding etc. So .. No..

 

[Lorax7]

what works in your garden, does not need to work in mine due to differences in local climate, care, understanding etc. So .. No..

Also, the scientific literature is focused on horticulture in the context timber production, landscaping, turf grass, production for the commercial flower trade, etc. Trees in bonsai culture are just not studied much (because it’s such a niche market and, in the grand scheme of things, effectively no money in it compared to the rest). Sure, many of the things discovered about trees grown in another context are fundamental botanical truths equally applicable to bonsai, but that’s not always the case.

 

[Clicio]

what works in your garden, does not need to work in mine due to differences in local climate, care, understanding etc. So .. No..

Yes.
@leatherback grows jaboticabas and BRTs in northern Germany.
Impossible! Some people shout.
I grow pines, prunus and acers in Brazil.
Impossible! Others cry out.
But...
The facts of horticulture for a jaboticaba in Brazil don't work the same in Germany, and so on.

 

[FinnLakk]

You should have booked yourself in at Willowbog and got Caz Bonsai to teach you. Way better and cheaper.

Somehow in all my searching I've entirely missed that! If they are open tomorrow will definitely pop in past on my way back up the road! A helluva lot closer for me aswell!

Thank you!

 

[TN_Jim]

I have made this comment in the past. Bonsai is a very expensive hobby. Almost as bad as fishing, hunting or racecar driving. (Smile)

Bonsai is as expensive as you let or want. Given the initiative, is extremely affordable and can be pretty much free.

 

[BonjourBonsai]

Bonsai is as expensive as you let or want. Given the initiative, is extremely affordable and can be pretty much free.

Bonsai is like building a house, you can only have 2 of the following 3: cheap, fast, good.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Bonsai is like building a house, you can only have 2 of the following 3: cheap, fast, good.

Yep, bonsai will cost you in time or money.

I like Peter Chan, but I have only one small thing that bothers me. He does like to blow his own horn a bit............ "The famous Peter Chan tree, technique or whatever"