I'm grateful for the TH-cam algorithm that brought your channel my way😄 You have an amazing cadence and a clear passion for what you do - your efforts are definitely paying forward to many through this forum. Thank you!
I remember still my first time seeing a Bonsai picture at are local nursery. I was eight. Went to the library and found one book on the subject. Convinced Mom to buy a juniper and I built a pot out of redwood fence boards. Hedges were my biggest source of material. I became friends with a couple of landscapers and they would call me to help out and I could pick out the ones I wanted. I worked at the Flea Market for a book salesman and would get more Bonsai books when he found them. My first class wasn't done until 15 years later. I traded some of my trees to offset the cost of the class. My Mom and Aunties were into ceramics and purchased a kiln from the local ceramic class. I still have it. I made pots of ceramic and wood and sold them to locals. Life happened, marriage, two disabled children and my wife's health was not the greatest. Fishing and Bonsai keep my grounded. My style is closest to the Chinese and very informal. Like you said, learn the basics and go from there, the life you have lived will be a part of every tree you work on. Imbrace who you are and go for it. More typing than I was planning on. Take care and stay safe.
Your video here got one key element, for me, in experiencing and understanding this wonderful living art form we enjoy. The “breaks” and time away from the everyday things in our lives gives me a calming and relaxing time. It could be 20 minutes, up to hours, looking learning, and figuring out what is going great, or what happened to cause a problem or failure in my bonsai. Thank you for your beautiful and educational bonsai videos. Having fun in the Pacific NW. 😃
A great video with much insight to the art of Bonsai, if there is one thing I have learned through my Bonsai journey is that if you are not prepared to cut, you will not advance very far in Bonsai creation.
Honestly as a bonsai artist myself, very enjoyable presentations sir. Also, a real pleasure to be able to associate, even from far away as a mere viewer, with a winner and high achiever is a great thing. To your health sir.
Thx for this video Dr Chang! this video is very helpful in my journey with Bonsai. Upon trying to learn traditional/classic methods of Bonsai from dad is *Very Stressful* and robs me of the tranquility i have when i can "Do My Own Thing"! i enjoy following your style & methods EG: trim & grow vs wiring and also THIS particular episode about the Art of Bonsai by Dr Milton Chang! I can't thank you enough for this point of view!
Love your work, Milton. All the other bonsai hobbyists I have seen on TH-cam turned me off the idea. The wiring was so time consuming and laborious. The trees and tools, expensive. E.g.- "Don't use nursery trees for bonsai- the roots will never be right". But I heard you explain again and again that if it isn't right, you can change it. That you can work with the tree, not against it. You've made me feel like I have a chance to maintain bonsai with the limited time and energy I have available. I understand you probably face criticism from within the community about some of your less orthodox advice- but you have explained it perfectly here. Don't listen to the critics. You make a big difference to people like me.
Bonsai can be done with inexpensive gardening tools. You can prune a tree to shape it without wiring. This is called ',clip and grow technique ". Wiring takes time and practice to learn. As with many things, the more you do it the better you become at it. Wiring makes it possible to position branches in the best positions and shapes. Many bonsai begin as nursery stock trees. Some people will say that you must only use expensive collected trees but that is not true. It is better to learn on inexpensive materials and use more expensive ones once you learn the techniques. Also later you may wish to purchase good quality bonsai tools to make your work better. Getting one tool at a time makes it easier on the budget.
Great takeaway! Thank you for the kind words. My shortcuts and methods may not be "traditional" but they are things that I've learned through trial and error over the past 50 years and they work. I call it the "lifestyle bonsai method." It's shortcuts and techniques that will help fit bonsai into your busy lifestyles.
Wonderful video sir and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I love my bonsai trees and like yourself I can relax in the garden. We are heading into winter here in England so it’s time to protect our trees and let them sleep until it’s time to wake up and start all over again 🙏🏻🧘🏼♂️🍂🍁
Thanks for your words. Bonsai is helping me with a big issue in my life right now that I don’t have any control and affect me. It give me peace and patience. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
I’m so glad that I just found your channel! It is so great to get advice from someone who has been through the same things that I have and still persevered to create beautiful bonsai! I have killed every tree I’ve started. Hopefully one day I will be successful too. I’m happy that I was able to subscribe as you are getting so close to 100k subscribers!
I have killed many trees when I first started bonsai as well. However, I learned a lesson from each of those trees and eventually developed my own methods and techniques through trial and error. You will be great!
There's this saying: Master the rules and techniques of an art form to break them. A bit off-topic maybe but I have noticed that people don't use the American Aspen trees as bonsai. They are one of my favourite trees because of the circular leaves, tall white trunks and golden yellow shade they get during autumn. Are they not suitable for bonsai? Do you think that importing seeds to grow in another country will be successful just as other trees get imported and grow just fine?
I have seen Quacking Aspen used in bonsai recently. It has only been in the last 20 or 30 years that there has been a push to use North American natives as bonsai. Bonsai artists are learning to grow these trees successfully and shape them well. Dr. Chang mentioned collecting California junipers and killing them. Now we know much more about what those trees need and the soil type to use. Bonsai artists are experimenting and using more native species to see how they work as bonsai materials. The more traditional Japanese species will always have their place but more and more natives are being seen in shows.
Lmmfao!!! Sorry. I'm just amazed you've suggested a "hanging tree", and no one else brought it up! I am "black" and actually think it's an awesome idea. Not necessarily to make a statement...But more to reinforce that art has no limits, and is usually trying to invoke an emotion.
I keep hearing you talk about sandy loam. Would that be the same as top soil? If I were to go to Lowe's or Home Depot to buy some sandy loam, what would I look for?
![[TH] 2024 PMSL SEA W2D1 | Fall | ต่อเนื่อง ในสัปดาห์สอง](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/ElcO9uC_Dbk/mqdefault.jpg)
I'm grateful for the TH-cam algorithm that brought your channel my way😄
You have an amazing cadence and a clear passion for what you do - your efforts are definitely paying forward to many through this forum. Thank you!
Welcome to bonsai community! Thank you for the kind words!
Oops I responded to the wrong post.
I remember still my first time seeing a Bonsai picture at are local nursery. I was eight. Went to the library and found one book on the subject. Convinced Mom to buy a juniper and I built a pot out of redwood fence boards. Hedges were my biggest source of material. I became friends with a couple of landscapers and they would call me to help out and I could pick out the ones I wanted. I worked at the Flea Market for a book salesman and would get more Bonsai books when he found them. My first class wasn't done until 15 years later. I traded some of my trees to offset the cost of the class. My Mom and Aunties were into ceramics and purchased a kiln from the local ceramic class. I still have it. I made pots of ceramic and wood and sold them to locals. Life happened, marriage, two disabled children and my wife's health was not the greatest. Fishing and Bonsai keep my grounded. My style is closest to the Chinese and very informal. Like you said, learn the basics and go from there, the life you have lived will be a part of every tree you work on. Imbrace who you are and go for it. More typing than I was planning on. Take care and stay safe.
Thank you for sharing! I'm glad to hear that bonsai has remained a part of your life all these years!
Very inspiring words, Milton. You are helping us a lot. Keep it up!
Thank you for the kind words! It means a lot to me.
Your video here got one key element, for me, in experiencing and understanding this wonderful living art form we enjoy. The “breaks” and time away from the everyday things in our lives gives me a calming and relaxing time. It could be 20 minutes, up to hours, looking learning, and figuring out what is going great, or what happened to cause a problem or failure in my bonsai. Thank you for your beautiful and educational bonsai videos. Having fun in the Pacific NW. 😃
Well said!
Very nice , keep up the good work & video's, greetings from Belgium 🌳
A great video with much insight to the art of Bonsai, if there is one thing I have learned through my Bonsai journey is that if you are not prepared to cut, you will not advance very far in Bonsai creation.
Very true. Doing pruning and repeating it as needed is essential to bonsai creation and maintenance.
Yes! As I always say, don't be afraid to make drastic cuts!
Thank you for all the knowledge you share with us. I love your videos 🇦🇺
Thank you!
Great tips!
Thank you for sharing your experiences and expertise with us.
Thank YOU for watching!
Honestly as a bonsai artist myself, very enjoyable presentations sir. Also, a real pleasure to be able to associate, even from far away as a mere viewer, with a winner and high achiever is a great thing. To your health sir.
Thank you! Best wishes to you and your bonsai!
Thanks a ton for inspiring session
Sir The best thing about you is that you always point towards a time line.
Nothing is quick fix here
Love from 🇮🇳
Nope, nothing is a quick fix! Bonsai takes time and patience, but is well worth it!
Thx for this video Dr Chang! this video is very helpful in my journey with Bonsai.
Upon trying to learn traditional/classic methods of Bonsai from dad is *Very Stressful* and robs me of the tranquility i have when i can "Do My Own Thing"!
i enjoy following your style & methods EG: trim & grow vs wiring and also THIS particular episode about the Art of Bonsai by Dr Milton Chang!
I can't thank you enough for this point of view!
Appreciate your encouragement
@@MiltonChang ~ just stating the facts!!👍👍👍😉
Love your work, Milton. All the other bonsai hobbyists I have seen on TH-cam turned me off the idea. The wiring was so time consuming and laborious. The trees and tools, expensive. E.g.- "Don't use nursery trees for bonsai- the roots will never be right". But I heard you explain again and again that if it isn't right, you can change it. That you can work with the tree, not against it. You've made me feel like I have a chance to maintain bonsai with the limited time and energy I have available.
I understand you probably face criticism from within the community about some of your less orthodox advice- but you have explained it perfectly here. Don't listen to the critics. You make a big difference to people like me.
Bonsai can be done with inexpensive gardening tools. You can prune a tree to shape it without wiring. This is called ',clip and grow technique ". Wiring takes time and practice to learn. As with many things, the more you do it the better you become at it. Wiring makes it possible to position branches in the best positions and shapes. Many bonsai begin as nursery stock trees. Some people will say that you must only use expensive collected trees but that is not true. It is better to learn on inexpensive materials and use more expensive ones once you learn the techniques. Also later you may wish to purchase good quality bonsai tools to make your work better. Getting one tool at a time makes it easier on the budget.
Great takeaway! Thank you for the kind words. My shortcuts and methods may not be "traditional" but they are things that I've learned through trial and error over the past 50 years and they work. I call it the "lifestyle bonsai method." It's shortcuts and techniques that will help fit bonsai into your busy lifestyles.
❤❤❤
Thank you for sharing your wise thoughts with us!
My pleasure! Thanks for watching!
Wonderful video sir and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us. I love my bonsai trees and like yourself I can relax in the garden. We are heading into winter here in England so it’s time to protect our trees and let them sleep until it’s time to wake up and start all over again 🙏🏻🧘🏼♂️🍂🍁
Thank you for sharing. Best wishes to you and your bonsai!
Thanks for your words. Bonsai is helping me with a big issue in my life right now that I don’t have any control and affect me. It give me peace and patience. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
That's great to hear! Bonsai helped me though stressful times in my life too. It's a wonderful hobby!
Great information. 🎉🎉🎉
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for taking the time to share with us. I really enjoy your talks. 🙏🏽
Thank you, that means a lot to me!
Very encouraging
I’m so glad that I just found your channel! It is so great to get advice from someone who has been through the same things that I have and still persevered to create beautiful bonsai! I have killed every tree I’ve started. Hopefully one day I will be successful too. I’m happy that I was able to subscribe as you are getting so close to 100k subscribers!
I have killed many trees when I first started bonsai as well. However, I learned a lesson from each of those trees and eventually developed my own methods and techniques through trial and error. You will be great!
Thank you
🥰🥰👍
There's this saying: Master the rules and techniques of an art form to break them.
A bit off-topic maybe but I have noticed that people don't use the American Aspen trees as bonsai. They are one of my favourite trees because of the circular leaves, tall white trunks and golden yellow shade they get during autumn. Are they not suitable for bonsai? Do you think that importing seeds to grow in another country will be successful just as other trees get imported and grow just fine?
I have seen Quacking Aspen used in bonsai recently. It has only been in the last 20 or 30 years that there has been a push to use North American natives as bonsai. Bonsai artists are learning to grow these trees successfully and shape them well. Dr. Chang mentioned collecting California junipers and killing them. Now we know much more about what those trees need and the soil type to use. Bonsai artists are experimenting and using more native species to see how they work as bonsai materials. The more traditional Japanese species will always have their place but more and more natives are being seen in shows.
Aspen is worth a try…please share with the community on how it works out as bonsai!
Lmmfao!!! Sorry.
I'm just amazed you've suggested a "hanging tree", and no one else brought it up!
I am "black" and actually think it's an awesome idea. Not necessarily to make a statement...But more to reinforce that art has no limits, and is usually trying to invoke an emotion.
There I go, thinking I can be logical about art. Lol
I keep hearing you talk about sandy loam. Would that be the same as top soil? If I were to go to Lowe's or Home Depot to buy some sandy loam, what would I look for?
I don't think Lowes will have that…try landscaping suppliers.
Thank you!@@bonsaiheirloom
Always interesting fun and informative I always get a thrill when i see you have another presentation/video to watch. 🦘🦘😎
I'm glad you enjoy my videos! Thanks for watching!