During the past 60 plus years I’ve seen and used a multitude of watering wands, nozzles and watering cans. These have ranged from expensive copper Japanese watering cans to very inexpensive Chinese green plastic watering nozzles once imported and distributed by Brussel Martin.

In a hurry, I’ve even used my thumb over an open-end hose. The green Chinese plastic watering nozzles were great, but unfortunately, did not hold up through daily use in my bonsai garden, as the plastic ring holding the rose (nozzle) kept breaking and Superglue would not work. ALL of these, and others will surely get the job done watering bonsai. However, in my pursuit of excellence of correct bonsai watering techniques I’ve had several which were pretty good. But there are some differences and, in my quest, to find the ideal watering nozzle at affordable inexpensive prices has taken me over 60 years. 

I’ve had several watering wands which have worked well for my use: Masakuni, Taiwan metal, American Dramm watering breaker nozzles (1,000 holes per rose but now discounted) and Melnor. There are hundreds of models to select from depending on your use and pocketbook. Here are my personal reviews of a few watering nozzles.

Masakuni

The Masakuni nozzle was my first choice because of the fine spray and high quality. They come on a 15-inch metal wand with a removeable rose for easy cleaning. However, when dropped on a hard service the rose would get dented and water would go all over the place which is not good. Currently they are difficult to locate and cost about $50.

Taiwan

After a few years a Chinese knock-off model appeared on the foreign market with a 15-inch Metal Wand. The holes in the rose are quite large and do not produce a fine spray. When dropped the rose was protected from damage with a deep ring which extended over the rose. This worked, however when they switched from metal to a plastic ring, they broke. When available they cost about $25.

Dramm Water Breaker

Dramm is probably the most used watering nozzle used in both gardening and large nursery productions. They have about 15 different nozzles in different colors, each having a different number of holes. The standard plastic nozzle, silver color, has about 400 large holes and a stainless-steel rose. They come in different models and the best I’ve found is red with 1,000 holes. However, it this model is being discontinued. They cost $13 to $23 for the red nozzle. Dramm also makes a large assortment of wands from 15 inches to 60 inches. Several have a built-in shut off in the hand grip.

Melnor And Orbit

For the past several seasons we have been using two great watering wands with eight adjustable water flows from fine to strong made by Melnor. The manufacturer, Melnor, offers an extensive assortment of 80 gardening watering nozzles (adjustable, fixed and pulsating), 21 gardening watering wands with nozzles (long/short handles, multi pattern, shower, and rotating adjustable heads). That’s quite an assortment I never heard of before, and somewhat confusing.

Each wand handle has an adjustable shut off and be regulated on the strength of water flow. Diane discovered these sold in the garden department of Lowe’s and even prefers them over the Masakuni nozzles. The Melnor RelaxGrip Watering Wand has a 33” wand. These have been quite useful with a high-water output yet will not generally blow out the soil in nursery pots and bonsai containers. We have been using them for several seasons now. A watering wand is important so water can be easily applied behind the trunk of a bonsai and reaches difficult small areas, especially when pots are on the ground. 

We have also been using the 36-inch Orbit Max Multi-Pattern Wand. Both have worked well. The nozzles are identical, Melnor is yellow, and the Orbit is Blue. However, looking carefully when watering the water does not flow from the center of the nozzles. There is no rose. Both come with a built-in water flow regulator and shut off built in the wand handle. The basic difference is that the blue Orbit has an adjustable watering head which can be easily rotated to reach tight areas, or bonsai on high posts or hanging baskets.

Last season we forgot to protect the watering wands during the freezing winter and most split the metal wands and needed to be replaced. We usually use nine watering wans in my garden. A few days ago, we went to Loew’s to pick up new watering wands. After selecting the Melnor and Orbit watering wands I was looking around and found a new model which seems to be the best. 

Melnor RelaxGrip Ultra-Fine Shower Head 15” Watering Wand 

This seems to be the best watering wand for bonsai because of the fine even spray. The rose boasts 1004 holes and distributes water in the center of the flow. The Orbit and Melnor do not because they have nozzles not a rose. I have been able to carefully water bonsai with a fine spray three feet away without disturbing the soil. This summer my crew and I will be using the new model for watering the bonsai and nursery stock.

Available at Lowe’s:

Melnor RelaxGrip Watering Wand, (33” Yellow head) $15

Orbit Max Muti-Pattern Water Wand, (36” with rotating head, blue) $21

Melnor RelaxGrip Ultra-fine Shower Head Watering Wand, (15 inches) $13

These are my current personal opinions and I have no connection or loyalty to Lowe’s but do have a 50 plus year relationship with Masakuni. I hope this review does confuse you in selecting the best watering nozzle for your use as you lovingly water and care for your bonsai. By the way, I have discovered that each bonsai is examined when carefully watering. But, not when in a hurry to water, especially when rain is fast approaching.

The February meeting of the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York, based in Rochester, had an interesting and full meeting last evening. About 35-40 members from Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Ithaca, as well as a couple of new visitors gathered to learn all about cascade style bonsai.

President Mark Arpag was joined by past presidents Harvey Carapella and Bill Valavanis who presented an unusual program drawing from their 150 combined years of bonsai study. We had three formal displays, one by each artist representing a different form of cascade style, and all different species. For this special display the society rented three sections of pipe and drape background. Looking at the demonstration photos one can see empty cups. Those are “tip jars,” not a contest between the three seasoned artists who work well together, help each other and have mutual respect for each other’s artistry. It was just for fun, members deposited folding money in the three tip jars. Those tip jars paid for the rental cost of the background.

Each artist was allocated a six-foot wide display area and presented a cascade bonsai from their personal collections. Mark Arpag displayed his award winning Dwarf Japanese garden juniper trained in the two-line cascade style where the lower trunk was longer. It was displayed with a suiseki and scroll suggesting a winter snowy landscape scene.

Next Harvey Carapella showed his pink Japanese flowering crabapple bonsai trained in the two-line cascade style where the upper trunk was longer than the cascading trunk. This bonsai has brilliant pink flowers in spring. Since it is winter (although the high record-breaking temperature reached 73 degrees for the day) the bonsai had no blossoms. However, a photo of the tree in full flower was placed in front of the bonsai. Since the bonsai was not blooming Harvey displayed a scroll featuring spring flowers. To complete the atmosphere he used an antique figurine of an old man enjoying the beauty of the display.

Bill Valavanis displayed a unique one-line cascade style Blue Rug juniper with deadwood highlights. This tree has been container trained for more than 50 years and originally was in a private bonsai collection in Pennsylvania. The artist had his bonsai collection near a river. When the river overflew and flooded the bonsai area, he found this tree in good health down river. It was displayed on a very tall cascade table to emphasize the beauty of the weeping branches. The accessory used was an antique incense burner, complete with aromatic smoke gently rising from the chimney. A member later came up to Bill to tell him “his house is burning!” Not quite what he wanted to hear… again for the third time. An antique scroll was used to provide the seasonality of this display, a full moon with white snowflakes falling. When used again in a couple of months later they would suggest cherry blossoms falling.

By the way, this entire display was not quickly thrown together. It took considerable effort and time to feature three different species, (two evergreen and one deciduous tree), all in different forms of cascade styles. Finally, the eye movement of the entire display was focused on leading they eye towards the enter deciduous tree, of course all the bonsai were of different sizes and heights as well and all the display tables and accessories were not duplicated.

Two other tables featured an educational exhibit featuring different styles of cascade style bonsai and how they are classified. Finally, Bill Valavanis had two issues of International BONSAI magazines on cascade bonsai which were given away free. One issue featured Yuji Yoshimura’s comprehensive article on his style of cascades complete with his original drawings. The other issue featured an educational illustrated article on cascade bonsai by Bill Valavanis.

Harvey Carapella

Then each artist as provided with an identical dwarf Japanese flowering quince, Chojubai for the demonstrations. Each were formed in different cascade styles. A larger developed white Chojubai dwarf flowering quince was displayed, in the cascade style of course, on the educational table. Finally each artist brought a cascade bonsai from their private collections to work on. Harvey brought a large collected (Eastern white cedar, also called Arborvitae) tree which needed thinning out.

Mark Arpag

Mark brought a small collected Eastern white cedar which he began carving the dead wood and finally potted it into a tiny container. Bill talked about an old Winter hazel bonsai which had died over 20 years ago and was rebuilt from live adventitious shoots. Then he wired a straight trunk young Japanese larch in a one-line cascade style, maybe. It also presented a unique appearance as an upright tree, but the final determination depends on the container and how it will be potted.

Bill Valavanis

All our members and guests seemed to enjoy and learn from this educational program which was quite detailed but not evident to the average bonsai member.

The 2024 98^th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held in two parts this year (Part 1 February 9-12, 2024 and Part 2 February 14-17, 2024.) Again, (like most years) the exhibition was held in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan.

Each bonsai in Part 2 of the exhibition was outstanding. I personally thought Part 2 was better than the earlier Part 1.  I recognized many famous masterpieces and this part did have several Ezo spruce. A few unusual species were included which I enjoyed studying: Contorted Boston ivy, Forsythia,  Pemphis , Amalenchier, Creeping fig and Gardenia. Although the shohin bonsai were stunning, their display seemed not as good as those in Part 1. There were to shohin bonsai compositions that had two painted containers, one above the other. Realizing everyone has different tastes, many of the finer points of bonsai go on through and are not obvious. The provenience of the tree, past owners and rarity of the species is combined with your level of understanding of this art form.

Gardenia

Amelanchier

Forsythia

Loose flowering hornbeam- Red bud hornbeam

There were 12 bonsai displayed by owners from foreign countries: Germany, Sir Lanka, Italy, Spain, China and the United States. Of course, these were Japanese trained bonsai and I doubt if the owners ever watered.

Hemlock

2024 98^th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 2 Data:

146 display areas

2 Special Displays (Imperial bonsai collection and honorary President of the Nippon Bonsai Association)

6 Important Bonsai Masterpieces

3 Kokufu Bonsai Awards: Sargent juniper, Chinese quince and Sargent juniper. The Sargent juniper was in an unusual antique Chinese container, AND was displayed by a superb small size Japanese snowbell

Sargent juniper

Chinese quince

Sargent juniper

Japanese snowbell

6 Shohin Bonsai Compositions (30 trees)

27 Medium-size Bonsai Compositions (54 trees)

110 Large-size Bonsai

Total Displayed Bonsai (205)

Ezo spruce sinuous style forest

The 61^st Exhibition Of Suiseki Masterpieces was held at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, on February 14-17, 2024. This is the same venue as the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition, but in a different gallery on the 2^nd floor. Kunio Kobayashi and Seiji Morimae head up the Nippon Suiseki Association.

Displayed by Ronald C. Maggio

This is the main suiseki exhibition of the Nippon Suiseki Association. It has replaced the ten previous exhibition held in the past times.

Data;

28 Special Entries

20 Alcove Displays

74  General Exhibits

18 Foreign Entries

            Italy

            Germany

Phillipines

Viet Nam

Thailand

Australia

France

Denmark

U.S.A.

Adams Jones, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was teaching English in several Southeastern Asia countries. In 2011 his teaching led him to Japan and his boss suggested that he visit the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum in Omiya, Japan. Having heard of bonsai he decided to visit and instantly fell in love with bonsai. In the United States he earned his Master’s Degree in art from the Alfred State University in New York state.

Evergreen bonsai are grown in a location with more sun than deciduous species

His quest to learn bonsai led him to the Mansei-en Bonsai Garden in the Omiya Bonsai Village. The Kato family proprietors were pioneers in establishing the Omiya Bonsai Village in 1925. Adam primarily studied bonsai techniques with Takahiro Kato, the fifth-generation bonsai artist of the Kato family. He spent an intense successful five-year apprenticeship and was certified by the Nippon Bonsai Association after his apprenticeship.

Upon completion of his formal apprenticeship he worked at the Mansei-en Bonsai Garden. Eventually he married a lovely lady and they now have an active three-year old son. Adam and his wife were quite lucky to find a three and a half acer property in Ibaraki Prefecture about an hour and half from Tokyo and only 30 minutes from Narita International Airport. His new property had a magnificent house and even a large garage where he teaches and his first two apprentices from the United States and South Africa train. The surrounding semi-rural area is quite picturesque. Two Buddhist temples are adjacent to his garden. He continues to provide bonsai demonstrations and workshops at the Omiya Bonsai Art Museum.

His new garden named ‘Tree House Bonsai” offers classes, workshops, seasonal intensives as well as long term study training. His web s sells bonsai, containers, stones, books display tables as other appropriate bonsai related items. He has three regulation quarantine greenhouses and can ship bonsai around the world. Two of the quarantine greenhouses have been constructed for exporting to Europe and the final house for exporting bonsai to the United States. This quarantine has more strict requirements. Students can come, learn from Adam, work on their bonsai and have their own shaped bonsai sent home. This is the first professional bonsai garden in Japan owned by a foreigner and American.

Last year he designed and had a spectacular garden and gazebo built around his home. The stream, complete with two waterfalls are now turned off for the cold winter months but will soon be turned on where the waterfalls fill a large pond and as the water wanders around his home in a series of small waterfalls then travels under the driveway to continue on the other side of the garden.

Adam organized two private bus tours to visit Tree House Bonsai during the week of the Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition in Ueno, Japan. I was fortunate to attend one of the tours and was extremely impressed with scope, layout and construction of his new garden. It is amazing what Adam has accomplished in only six years. In addition to the beautiful garden it was immaculate and one could even eat on the floor it is so clean.

I look forward to seeing how Adam continues his bonsai garden and wish him the best of good luck. A visit to Tree House Bonsai is time well spent to see the evolution of a bonsai garden, with the fine taste of Adams Jones.

TREE HOUSE BONSAI

Adams Jones

1228 Wakaguri

Ami-Machi, Ibaraki Gun

Phone: 080-4868-1521

e-mail: info@treehouse bonsai.com

Web: http://www.treehousebonsai.com

The 2024 98^th Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition is being held in two parts this year (Part 1 February 9-12, 2024 and Part 2 February 14-17, 2024.) Again, (like most years) held the exhibition in the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Japan.

 

These are my personal thoughts; coming from a serious 62 year intense bonsai study. As a bonsai scholar I have probably attended more Kokufu Bonsai Exhibitions than any other foreigner. Although I was not present (or even born yet) at the first exhibition held in 1934, I have visited when the original museum was the venue. It was a grand building with lots of front steps outdoors. There were then two curved stair cases leading down to the ground floor where all the bonsai were displayed in one huge open room with a transparent roof which was great for allowing natural light which is desirable, for maintaining both evergreen and deciduous trees indoors for about a week. Trees must be kept at appropriate temperatures and humidity levels when displayed for health reasons. During the early days of this long-held exhibition, the shows were held both in March and November. Originally founded by Count Matsudaira and Toshio Kobayashi, this exhibition was organized and held by the Tokyo Bonsai Club, which subsequently evolved to the present Nippon Bonsai Association in 1963.

nEach bonsai in this exhibition was beautiful and most could be considered masterpieces. All the bonsai were traditionally and formally displayed. There are no “creative or modern” displays here, but can occasionally be seen in other Japanese bonsai exhibitions. Scrolls and suiseki are not used in the displays to allow the full beauty to be focused on the bonsai. In early daysyears Satsuki azaleas were not allowed to be displayed because they were merely “azaleas” not proper bonsai. But to be fair Satsuki azaleas in the olden years were not really refined as those currently displayed.          

Suiseki were not often seen in this exhibition, however there were a few. The appearance of displaying suiseki with bonsai seems to be increasing. This year there were over ten stones displayed alongside of the main bonsai.

This edition of the exhibition did not have ANY Ezo spruce. Perhaps this species will be included in Part 2 opening on Wednesday. The number of Shishigashira Japanese maples seemed to be increasing. There were about ten specimens and showed a tremendous variation on styling. But this topic will be discussed in a featured article. There seemed to be a low number of deciduous species compared to evergreen to the evergreen species. Also, the number of visitors was not as large as in the past years. The exhibition was never really full on the first day. Upon entering the exhibition visitors were welcomed by two, sometimes one, representative directors of the Nippon Bonsai Association. Both English and Japanese language listings of bonsai were distributed along with a “People’s Choice” ballot. The English version included botanical names for each main bonsai, while the Japanese version included much more information.

98th 2024 Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Part 1 Data:

146 display areas

2 Special Displays (Imperial bonsai collection and honorary President of the Nippon Bonsai Association)

10 Important Bonsai Masterpieces

3 Kokufu Bonsai Awards: Sargent juniper, Trident Maple and Japanese five-needle pine

10 Shohin Bonsai Compositions (55 trees)

32 Medium-size Bonsai Compositions (64 trees)

111 Large-size Bonsai

Total Displayed Bonsai (230)

Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Award: Sargent Juniper

Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Award: Trident Maple

Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition Award: Japanese Black Pine

Coming up next: Part 2 of the exhibition will feature a couple of hundred new bonsai. All the bonsai on display now will be replaced by a fresh assortment of different trees. In past exhibitions Part 2 often seemed to display finer bonsai than Part 1.

I look forward to Part 2 of this exhibition which will open on Wednesday.