Past weekend the International Bonsai Academy 2013 took place in Kastela near Split , Croatia. There we have Mediterranean climate. This means no frost in winter, palm trees on the beach. The climate is similar to southern California and northern Florida. Therefore everything can be done on the trees right now, like repotting, cutting, styling, collecting etc.. End of November is a very good time to repot there. Warning: most things can NOT be done now in colder climate.
Marija and Andrija have this mazing collection there and do everything together. During the seminar without much ado we take one tree after the other from more than 100 specimen bonsai and do whatever can be done at that moment. We do a lot of subtle artistic corrections. First thorough tree discussion among there people who have strong opinions. Then a consensus. Then hands on doing what has to be done.
#34: Philirea, Philirea latifolia. This looks more like a bonsai than most trees of the collection. It will appeal to many folks exactly because of that. Great care was taken to make the cronwn transparent. We want to avoid the 'broccoli effect', to make the foliage pads look like plastic. The two dimensional images usually don't do justice to any bonsai. But especially the ones which are styled like this one appear too dense and untidy often on a two dimensional photograph. In reality the transparent crown is stunning. As most of M&A's trees this one has two good fronts. This tree will also be shown at the Split Bonsai Art Exhibit in the Diocletian Palace from April 10 to 21 (?), 2014. The Diocletian Palace is around 1,800 years old. We will report of the event, of course.
