For New Year's Day, 2024 I was lucky to have a partner and dog willing to put up with some winter nippiness and muddiness to hike a nearby trail that promised a cave at the end. While there, I documented several things including the abundance and distribution of invasive plants, the plants with wild bonsai ("yamadori") potential, the details of the natural deciduous deadwood decay patterns here in Ohio, and some rock formations that were interspersed in the forest. In today's article, I share the observations from there focused on Ohio i ..read more

 Integrating Native Vegetation And Stopping Invasive VExations aka the Columbus Bonsai Society INVASIVE Alliance. The next evolution of our CBS Yamadori (Wild bonsai) Study Group.  Read on for the origins and goals of this idea. In Vivo / Central Ohio Bonsai Announcements: CBS Japanese Brush Painting/Scroll-Making Workshop on 3/17! Sign up here. You do not need to be a member to sign up. CBS Club Dig Days for 2024 are out! - See the list and RSVP here to be sent the addresses of the events. Options include 4/6, 4/13, and 4/14/2024. All are welcome. Contact me with any question ..read more

            How can you learn to keep a bonsai alive to enjoy for generations to come? There's no magic, really, but there are a few bonsai tricks to learn. Some basic skills serve you well when growing any type of plant, but the first thing you should think about is how to pick a plant that can tolerate the conditions you will provide it. I'll share 4 tips here to help you get started for those thinking about entering bonsai or thinking about trying to add new species to your collection, but if you're in Columbus, Ohio, check out my upcoming beginn ..read more

            While seasons come and go the exact when of their coming and going is always an unpredictable and complex question. Predicting these events is important for people who work in natural seasonal cycles with plants and animals such as farmers, hunters, gardeners, bonsai artists, bird watchers, and other sorts of nature enthusiasts. Many people don't know this but within us all there are internal biological clock proteins - this is where circadian rhythm comes from. So this may be one way that critters and plants can tell the progression of ..read more

Dear Puget Sound Bonsai Community,           Many of you know me as the guy who nags you to put a tree in our annual Spring Show, others may know me from working together at Elandan Gardens, and few of you even took me on my first yamadori collecting trips before I even had a car. My deep gratitude to the friendly and knowledgeable bonsai community here in Seattle makes my leaving all the more difficult, but unfortunately, my next step has arrived. I am excited to share that month I'll be starting a microbiology Ph.D. at The Ohio State University! The Gnarly B ..read more

 ⁠I. Episode Summary & Links             In this episode of the Bonsai Time Podcast, your hosts Ryan, Kelly, and Kevin continue the New Year episode tradition of reflecting on how we have been doing on the podcast and in our bonsai lives last year and what we resolve to continue or improve for 2024. The future is bright! We hope you will continue enjoying the Bonsai Time ride with us. Have a happy holidays to you and your family! The video version is available here: ⁠ The podcast version is available here.  Guest Info: (no guest ..read more

         Like the rest of the world, I was shocked and saddened to watch the invasion of Ukraine unfold in the last 11 days. Although exact numbers are hard to pin down in such a rapidly-evolving situation, early reports indicate that at least 10,000 soldiers on both sides and untold hundreds of civilians have already fallen in this war; meanwhile, over one million people have fled the country in this brief time (Miami Herald, Axios). Putin's self-interest cannot be placed above the rights of the Ukrainians to their lives, their democracy, and their freedoms ..read more

Source material: November 21, 2021         While we're on the subject of my latest Youtube ventures such as the Todd Schlafer demonstration I posted on the Columbus Bonsai Society's new Youtube channel last week, I wanted to also take a moment to share another recording from a recent CBS Meeting. Last November while the final few deciduous leaves were falling in Ohio and the first nightly frosts were appearing, CBS held a meeting focused on preparing trees for winter. One of our seasoned members lectured on how to protect outdoor bonsai over winter and I volunteered to ..read more

Source material: 10/17/2021         Hello all! Just wanted to share quickly one of my recent online bonsai projects. Similar to what I did during my time with the Puget Sound Bonsai Association's DVD archive, as part of my role as the librarian for the Columbus Bonsai Society, I'm starting a CBS Youtube channel and uploading their meetings for all to see! Please enjoy the first video on their channel featuring a demonstration by Todd Schlafer of First Branch Bonsai. Based out of Denver, Todd is now one of the most in-demand traveling bonsai artists due in part to ..read more

        Last time I gave y’all a thorough review of 6 different kintsugi methods you can choose from based on the needs of your pot-mending situation. After completing this review, out of respect for my current situation as a graduate student with limited time and funds, I opted to try one of the simplest methods - the "2-in-1 Step Method: Oozing Colored Epoxy". As I previously described, this method requires the least supplies, hands-on steps, and wait time while providing a durable end product. Because this method had concerns regarding control of the ..read more