- Issue No. 3
- APRIL 15, 2002
- By David W. Fukumoto
- Founder & president
- Fuku-Bonsai Inc.
- 1962-2002
- The Fukumotos celebrate
- 40 years of pioneering
- True Indoor Bonsai™!
- ______________________
- 1972-2002
- FUKU-BONSAI celebrates
- 30 years of being committed and growing for the future!
SPRING 2002 CONTENTS
- LOREDANA'S PAGE: Meet one of the study group and follow her progress! Learn to root Dwarf Schefflera cuttings and train it as a gift to a special friend!
- ANGELA'S BONSAI COURSE: The last newsletter introduced the course. Here's Chapters 1, 2, 3 and more to come!
I invite others who are interested in sharing their experiences with Fuku-Bonsai products to participate and submit articles for this website.
- SPRING!
- ALOHA! It's a wonderful time of the year as we emerge from a cold winter. Icy winds combined with torrential tropical monsoon and the night temperature at Fuku-Bonsai plunged all the way down to a bone-chilling 55°F for a few hours and we layered on sweatshirts and two extra blankets to survive. In the morning the sun was up and we were treated to a beautiful Mauna Kea!
Gil Unilongo was at Coconut Island in Hilo at 8:30AM on February 28, 2002 to capture the scene framed by the twisted knarled trunks of a Kamani tree. He's part of the family that owns and operates Photo Imagining Center of Hilo who does our photo processing. The skies were relatively clear and it was a stunning sight! That afternoon, the temperatures had risen into the 70's and the clouds came in. Within a few days the skiing season was over and the tropical winter was history. A month or so later, I shot the tree from the other side and it's posted as part of our growing story of Hilo, the beautiful Hawaiian city by the bay.
Federal Express did a great job for us this year and plants seemed to have arrived safely. We ship only when reported low temperature of a state is above freezing and we seemed to have received more nice comments about the quality of our plants and the way our plants are packed. We appreciate the feedback and compliments.
- ELEMENTS FOR SUCCESSFUL BONSAI TRAINING! is an entire new section that discusses in greater detail the factors related to True Indoor Bonsai care. This is presented with the hope that there is a greater likelihood of success when you more fully understand the horticultural requirements of our plants.
- Temperature sets apart our tropical plants from other bonsai. Because they are recognized houseplants that will grow well in the temperature range of 65°F to 85°F and they will grow vigorously enough to make training possible. But be sure not to allow temperatures to drop or plants will be damaged.
- Light is the second major factor as our plants were selected for their ability to grow indoors. But that does not mean it can grow in dark caves! The more light the better!
- Water, Watering, Humidity & Moisture are similar terms with large differences. This is probably the most difficult to learn. Not too much . . . not to little. How much is "just right"?
- Fertilizing Most people either don't fertilize or fertilize too much or incorrectly. It's better not to fertilize at all! Here's why.
- Problems, symptoms, & first aid Here we take a stab at resolving problems, to share what I've learned in trying to help as many as possible, this section includes the best "first aid" procedure that is often miraculously successful.
- Bugs, Insects & Other Critters A common sense battle plan and our secret weapons.
- To date, over 60 bonsai articles have been published locally, nationally, and internationally. The latest in
- BONSAI CLUBS INTERNATIONAL
- March-April 2002 issue of Bonsai Magazine tells the story of Saburo Kato's "Peace Forest" and its sister "Aikane" group. A similar story is Restoration of "Peace Forest"
FOCUSING ON EDUCATION
We appreciate the compliments on the comment sheet following Premium Keiki Bonsai Workshops led by Edison and the other staffers. There's no charge other than the workshop materials. Reports and positive comments from those who had the workshop package shipped to them verify that most have no problems. In the beginning, we had concerns that we made it too easy, but the common response is always, "EASY IS GOOD!"
I'm still very surprised to know that some customers have grown Juniper bonsai indoors for years. As each died, they bought another. They enjoy bonsai even though they can keep the juniper alive for only a few months. When these people are introduced to TRUE INDOOR BONSAI and the tree actually grows, they're astounded and ecstatic that they can now experience bonsai training!
There really are no bonsai secrets. Grow only plants that grow well in your environment, start with trees that already have character, and create optimum growth! Customers who have problems are often those who don't read directions or who insist that plants should adapt to the care they are willing to provide. Fortunately there are fewer of these each year. We still have too many who don't send enough information and it takes a few email exchanges to understand the situation.
- In 1969, as a Honolulu Bonsai Kenkyu Club member, I first saw the book MAN LUNG GARDEN ARTISTIC POT PLANTS. I later learned that Yee-sun Wu of Hong Kong personally borne the cost of publishing and distributing 10,000 copies free of charge to leading international libraries, universities, bonsai organizations, and other lovers of the art. The first edition featured more than 200 photos of his trees.
- Here is a man with an record of being the extraordinary patron that almost single-handedly introduced the world to the Chinese penjing. He exemplifies the Aristocratic Chinese Penjing philosophy that is celebrated at Fuku-Bonsai. He introduced the major bonsai training strategy of training by pruning which is especially applicable to the training of fast growing tropical trees. More than any other individual, he provided the technical information that was adapted for use at Fuku-Bonsai.
- "Man Lung Penjing" is the art of the "scholar-farmer" based upon fellowship and individual skills. His work has amongst the greatest range. Yee-sun Wu was born in 1904 and even as he is hospitalized, he continues to contribute!
- MAN LUNG GARDEN is a website being developed to make available and update the work of Hong Kong's Yee-Sun Wu whose 1967 book introduced the modern Chinese Lignam penjing to the world. It focuses on the "clip-and-grow" system and the use of outstanding natural and carved rocks.
- MAN LUNG PENJING is a new hardcover limited edition hardcover book available only by donation. I highly recommend it. See the special information for obtaining a copy at the bottom of the article: YEE-SUN WU; The Spirit of Man Lung Penjing!
- Although the Fuku-Bonsai Cultural Center & Hawaii State Bonsai Repository collections include some of the largest bonsai, we also grow a few small ones too. This Dwarf Serissa has leaves less than 1/16" long. It's 3 1/2" above the pot and trained in the style of a banyan with aerial roots.
- PREMIUM KEIKI BONSAI WORKSHOP PACKAGE!
- OR the same items but already established and described as PREMIUM KEIKI BONSAI Spring is also the time that we begin photographing and quoting CUSTOM COLLECTION. If interested, email a request for a photo with information as to plant variety, style, size and price range. Quantities this year are very limited.
SOME PARTING WORDS . . .
Myrtle and I were born 45 days apart. We went to the same elementary, intermediate, and high schools, have been married since 1962, and have been growing bonsai since. I trained bonsai at night and the next day Myrt rooted the cuttings. It's her nursery skills and our fine staff that accounts for the high quality of our products.
Although there have been huge improvements in the technical aspects of bonsai, I hope everyone never forgets that it's a peaceful hobby that creates honest friendships. Treat your bonsai as you would your children and in caring for them, become a better person.
Through the discipline required in building this website, I've set down a lot of words and taken a lot of photographs. But less than one fourth of the collection has yet been introduced. This past Bonsai Day, the treasured banyan bonsai of Harry S. Barnes, a past Big Island Bonsai Association president, was restyled and became part of the Hawaii State Bonsai Repository. The story will be in the next FBnews. Beyond sharing information and enjoying friendships, we're actively building a tradition and invite you to participate.
I'm very proud of Loredana and Angela who have begun to contribute to this website. I'm delighted that David Mouser has made a fine start and that Fuku-Bonsai East Coast is becoming a reality in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. I'm totally astonished that we're now talking about Teacher's Manuals, Fuku-Bonsai Certified Instructors, and a national source of inexpensive True Indoor Bonsai potting media!
For us, bonsai has been a way of life. Since 1973 when we moved to the Big Island, Myrt and I have been together almost every day and each year we're closer friends. We've had an opportunity to meet so many wonderful people throughout the world of bonsai. Some of our closest bonsai friends have passed on, but we hope that the spirits of Dr. Horace Clay and Haruo "Papa" Kaneshiro lives on in this website.
This is the "Golden Age of International Bonsai!" Like the phoenix, it rose out of the ashes of World War II to become a bridge for international friendship and peace. An extraordinary generation who were once enemies became good friends. My special friend Ted Tsukiyama helped Japan grand master Saburo Kato, California's John Naka, and other international bonsai leaders to form the World Bonsai Friendship Federation in 1989. Their efforts trace back to Expo 70 Osaka and includes IBC 80 Hawaii.
Now the Bonsai Torch of Peace is being passed to Felix Laughlin, the president of National Bonsai Foundation with responsibilities associated with the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington DC. As he becomes the president of the North American Bonsai Federation and the World Bonsai Federation, he'll guide the development of the WBFF website and host the WBFF 2005 Convention in Washington DC. I invite and request all possible participation in these activities.
Perhaps no single individual has had the desire, resources, and leadership of Hong Kong's Yee-sun Wu! He also single-handedly introduced the aristocratic Chinese penjing traditions and methods to the Western world. Born in 1904, he is now hospitalized. And yet he continues his contributions by creating an outstanding website and making available an updated edition of his landmark book. I urge you to obtain a copy quickly, to write a note of appreciation for his fine contributions, and to treasure his rememberance book!
As the generation passes, it's time for us to look within ourselves to determine whether we can measure up to the very high standards that they set . . . whether we will be willing and able to share with others the knowledge that they shared with us. Fuku-Bonsai has been a dream with now over 200 stockholders. We continue to be committed and growing for the future!
- ~~~David W. Fukumoto, president & founder, Fuku-Bonsai Inc.
- Editor, FBnews