Page 47 - BSAM 2015 Q4

Members of the Bonsai Study Group of the Indo-Japanese Association Mumbai, India attended the 4th African Bonsai convention aptly called ‘Under African Skies’ at Stellenbosch, in the Western
Cape province, between 22nd to 25th October 2015. Stellenbosch is a picturesque town about 50 kilome- ters away from Cape Town and is one of the most scenic and historically preserved towns of South Af- rica. Stellenbosch is a part of the Cape Winelands, famous for its viticulture and viticulture research. e architecture of the buildings, a combination of neo-Dutch, Georgian and modern-Victorian, bears witness to a proud and digni ed heritage. e con- vention was held in the beautiful Stellenbosch Town Hall designed in the neo-Cape Dutch style. We had the pleasure of meeting Alderman Conrad Sidego, the executive Mayor of Stellenbosch who also inaugurat- ed the event. e four-day event was one of the most well-planned conventions we had ever witnessed, with very good and informative demonstrations and interactive discussions with headliners.
During the convention we stayed at e Stellen- bosch Hotel, a classic and historic small boutique ho- tel very close to the Town Hall. e nearby area was lined with bistros, co ee shops, wine bars and art and sculpture galleries displaying works by internation- ally renowned artists.
e convention, for the very rst time in the con- tinent of Africa, was supported by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation (WBFF) and most of its direc- tors and consultants attended the convention. During one of the evenings, the WBFF Directors were invited for sit-down dinner with the Sports & Culture Minis- ter at the Lanzaerac Wine Estate that was established over 300 years ago. In serene surroundings with hills, pines, oak trees and vines, the guests were regaled with spectacular gourmet cuisine accompanied by their world famous wines.
The Demonstrations
The international headliners at the convention were Tony Tickle of the United Kingdom, Ryan Neil of the United States of America and Mr. François Jeker of France, all of whom are greatly talented and highly professional bonsai artists.
Tony Tickle kick started the event with a demon- stration on an old and mature Pyracantha angustifo- lia shaping it into a unique design owing e ortless from the first lower branch to the apex. He next worked on a mature Olea europaea ‘africana,’ giv- ing it a basic structure for future development. He also gave presentations on Crataegus monogyna (Hawthorne), explaining the design progression of three of his Hawthorne trees, and later gave another presentation on the European approach to growing wild olives. He explained about the black plastic bag technique of collecting and storing olive yamadori so that they sprout just a few weeks a er collection. Being an expert on deciduous trees, he provided a lot
of information on branch development and rami ca- tion of deciduous trees.
Ryan Neil impressed us all with his thorough hor- ticultural knowledge of trees especially pines and ju- niper. It was amazing to see the instant connection he developed with the tree he was working on, while simultaneously communicating freely and eloquent- ly with the audience. His expertise and immense
Top; A owering Pyracantha sp by Freddie Bisscho
Middle; ‘Friendship Forest of the World’ of Buddleja saligna trees created by WBFF representatives and headliners.
Bottom; The Indian delegation promoted the BCI and WBFF supported convention in Mysore in December 2016 with a video.
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