During the winter period, our temperate trees get their beauty sleep when they become dormant but bonsai enthusiasts don't have to. Sure it is convenient and even necessary to take a break or go on a vacation. However, while our trees are hibernating, we should be plotting. The winter break can be used to make plans for our trees by doing a little research.

Books and Magazines

We should try to learn all we can about our particular trees. A good source is the Toronto Bonsai Society (TBS) library. There is a wealth of information in the magazines and books. Some specialize on certain trees, others are more general. For example, one issue of the British Bonsai Magazine has had articles on Scot's pine and English hawthorn, both trees that are owned by members. International Bonsai, in publication for twenty-two years, must have covered most everyone's tree at least once and probably twice.

The Japanese bonsai exhibition books provide a wealth of design ideas. Sometimes we get stuck on what to do with our trees. Thinking about the design helps, but books can provide new ideas. The more books you look through, the greater the likelihood of finding something to inspire you.

For those who have already read those books and magazines and have seen the videos a while ago, it is amazing how much more you will get out of them the second or third time around. This may reflect the point Walter Pall made about the "generations" bonsai artists go through as they learn more about bonsai. The books and magazines which we have already read become clearer - sometimes surprisingly so as we leap from one generation to the next.

Plans and Sketches

Like any good student, books are not just read and then put back on the shelf. We could take notes, jot down references, formulate plans and make sketches of those plans. A bonsai record sheet is invaluable because it includes basic information about the tree in addition to an annual and monthly breakdown of everything you have done or plan do to your tree. This file can also include photos of your tree as it progresses and notes of any brilliant ideas you may have for your trees.

Drawing your tree (if they have been put away for the winter you could use photos) gives you a better feel for your tree. The drawing doesn't have to be a Rembrandt. A stick drawing is better than nothing. After drawing the tree as it is, draw the tree as you want to re-design it and possibly its future look. These drawings also have a practical application. Place them in front of you as you work on your tree next spring and use them like blueprints. One has less chance of going off the beaten track if you have a road map in your hands. I can vouch for that from personal good experiences and bad ones.

Concrete ideas and questions that emerge from your research can also be the basis for discussions with other members who can draw on the decades of bonsai experience in the TBS. Plans can also be made for spring wiring and repotting or matching a specific tree with a number of container options.

Clean-up

Winter allows for a general clean-up and preparation of your tools, wire, hardware, pots, soil and other accessories, chores that we neglect during a busy growing season. Tools get special attention although their maintenance should really be on a daily or weekly basis.

Plan your Work, Work your Plan

Our trees can only improve by taking positive action. Progress occurs on the basis of an informed opinion. A little research and planning can go a long way towards improving our trees. But if this planning doesn't answer all the questions, at least it will be the first step towards finding something you can begin to work with.

The separate "Bonsai Record" form from Norman Haddrick may be copied by members and used with their bonsai collections.