Highlights from the Northwest Bonsai Rendezvous exhibit

The Bonsai Society of Portland and Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Association presented the 2018 Northwest Bonsai Rendezvous this month in Milwaukie, Oregon. The event was a big success! Three days of workshops, critiques, and demonstrations made the time fly by. Just steps away, a high quality exhibition featured some of the region’s best trees. Here are some of the highlights accompanied by notes from the exhibit guide.

Ponderosa pine

Collected by Randy Knight. Winner: Best Conifer, 2010 U.S. National Exhibition.

Deadwood detail

Japanese black pine

‘Courage.’ This tree was acquired in about 2002 and subsequently back grafted with its own foliage and developed into a mature bonsai. Winner: National Award (Best of Show), 2012 U.S. National Exhibition.

Subalpine fir

The unusual styling of this specimen represents the high alpine krummholz of the Cascades. This tree was collected in 2004 and finally styled with the direction and encouragement of Ryan Neil in 2015.

Washington hawthorne

Korean hornbeam

This tree was shown at the 2015 Artisans Cup and recently at the 2018 National Exhibition.

Japanese maple

This maple was purchased in 2002 as an established air layer in a 10″ pot with the basic shape. It has been in trunk development and branch refinement for the last 16 years. The companion is a heuchera and sedum.

Subalpine fir

Collected from the Cascades by Lee Cheatle, this yamadori is planted on a layered slab by Erik Krizovensky.

Western hemlock

Collected from a road cut on the Oregon coast in about 1995 and developed by the owner. Winner: Best Conifer, 2008 U.S. National Exhibition.

Japanese beech forest

This forest planting was created in 2002 from mature specimens planted on a hand-shaped sandstone slab with the assistance of Alan Taft. It was re-imagined to include the rock formations in 2015, again with the assistance of Alan.

Bougainvillea

Trident maple forest

Dennis Vojtilla started the forest from seed more than 40 years ago. Has been grown on the slab for over 35 years. The trees were placed in clumps, rather than individually, to imitate a dense forest.

Detail

Tsukumo cypress

This tree was grown from a cutting approximately 45 years ago. Long time propagator and artist, Tak Yamaura had brought the parent tree from Japan when he settled in the Vancouver, B.C. Area. Initially this tree was field grown before entering refinement during the past 10 years.

Shimpaku juniper

This tree was the feature demo by John Naka at the 1992 PNBCA convention. Because of the difficult foliage, it was later grafted over to itoigawa by Bob Laws between 2004-08.

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