Pest of the month: Brown Soft Scale

I recently found a new pest on one of my Ficus microcarpa bonsai. This time it was a scale incest. In the lab at work, I identified it as the Brown Soft Scale (Coccus hesperidum) (see images above). This is a common cosmopolitan pest which attacks many plant species used for bonsai. Figs, citrus, stone fruit trees, apples, quince and even orchids are just a few of them. Unlike other kinds of scale insect, soft scales don’t secrete wax, and they retain their legs, antennae and eyes throughout their life. You can’t see those body parts with a naked eye, but they are there (see the arrows pointing at eyes). Adult females are wingless and sedentary. Adult males are either winged or wingless and look similar to aphids. Control of Brown Soft Scale infestations is tricky. The infestation in my garden was small and I removed all scales with my fingers. When there are too many scale insects, you have to spray the plant thoroughly with a systemic pesticide or with one of those pest oils, but be careful  because these chemicals can injure the plant. Some of my bonsai lost leaves and even secondary branches. So, make the pesticide solution weaker than specified on the label and spray twice two weeks apart. Personally, I prefer one of the systemic pesticides, but other bonsai practitioners believe that an oil spray is more effective as it smothers the scales and they suffocate. 

Yakshagana performance in Sydney

This post continues my blog’s ‘Asian performing arts theme’. I do it in a 'bonsai blog' just because I want to. I love traditional Indian theatre with my absolute favourite being Kathakali. While living in South India I got to see it only once. So, when I found that a similar south Indian dance-drama called Yakshagana will be performed in Sydney, I felt lucky. Yakshagana is less stylised and more folksy than Kathakali, which makes it is easier to understand for an outsider. Apparently, Yakshagana appeared as a distinct art form as early as the 15th century and currently exists in various styles across all south Indian states. This particular show was performed by Yakshagana Kendra theatre from Udupi, Karnataka. The performance consisted of two plays – ‘Jatayu Moksha’ a story from the epic Ramayana and ‘Nala Karkotaka’ a story from the epic Mahabharatha. All performers were of high calibre. The musicians were good. The singer, who in a way narrated the story, had an incredibly powerful voice. The costumes were stunning (see images below). The actor’s movements were precise and graceful, their acting was believable and poignant.  All this combined created an overwhelming feast for my eyes and ears.
  

Pest of the month: snails and slugs

Some of the most annoying pests in my garden are snails and slugs. Sure enough they damage bonsai (seedlings, young shoots), but the most disappointing incidents relate to accent plants. Before an orchid is about to bloom, they would chew through the base of the inflorescence stalk. They would eat an entire pebble plant (Lithops sp.), and they would cause severe damage to my carnivorous plants (Sarracenia and Venus Flytrap). The culprits are two species the Common Garden Snail (Helix aspersa, image above left) and the Leopard Slug (Limax maximus, image above right). Both species were introduced to Australia from Europe. An interesting thing about the Leopard Slug is that a stretched body of a fully grown individual can be upto 20 cm long. Control of snails and slugs is very easy – snail pellets sold in most garden centers and hardware stores.
 

The Garden Snail is one of the edible species. It is ironic that superficially it is very similar to the endangered Cumberland Plain Land Snail (Meridolum corneovirens, image below right). The only place on this planet where you can find the Cumberland Plain Land Snail is western Sydney. Ironic again, you may find this rare snail under a pile of rubbish in your backyard (if you live in western Sydney). If you do, don’t worry - Cumberland Plain Land Snail doesn’t feed on living plants. To tell the pair apart see images below. The diameter of adult Garden Snail shell is 2.5 – 4 cm, while the diameter of adult Cumberland Plain Snail shell is 1.5 – 3 cm. The Garden Snail shell has a blotchier pattern and has fewer turns than Cumberland Plain Snail’s shell.

Not a pest of the month: praying mantises

This post is about a group of beneficial insects – the praying mantises. I occasionally see mantises on my bonsai trees, but last month I spotted immature mantises of two different species in a span of few days. They were the Garden Mantis (Orthodera ministralis image above left) and the False Garden Mantis (Pseudomantis albofimbriata image above right). I have photographed these species before and images below show how adult females of these two species look like (Garden Mantis is 4 cm long, False Garden Mantis is 6 cm long).

Praying mantises in your garden is good news for your bonsai. Bonsai are small plants, which makes them more vulnerable to attacks by herbivorous insects. In the invertebrate community of your garden, praying mantises are alpha predators standing at the top of the food chain. Their presence indicates a healthy and functional ecosystem. Mantises mostly prey on herbivorous insects, which means fewer herbivores damage your bonsai. Garden Mantis and False Garden Mantis are not the only mantis species I’ve seen in my backyard. Below are images of two other species I have seen in the past. The left image shows the Purple-winged Mantis (Tenodera australasiae) probably the largest species in Sydney area (adults 10 cm long). The right image shows a very small species Kongobatha diademata (2 cm long). 

  

More bonsai pots

Since I already started dribbling about bonsai pots in the previous post, I will continue on. I talked about bonsai pots I bought in Japan, but completely forgot about the pots I bought in Singapore last April. They are much more interesting (see images above). On the left is a Cultural Revolution pot made in Yixing Zisha Factory No. 1 between 1965 and 1975. During that period Yixing craftsmen were disallowed to sign their pots, hence my pot has no marks. It is handmade. Each foot, each side and each rim corner of this pot has subtle differences. At the same time it is very well made (I know it because I am a potter). The clay colour, as far as Yixing clays go, is not too bad and it has some dark patina on its feet and the rim. The dimensions of the pot are 32 ✕ 20 ✕ 10 cm. The top right image shows a small Canton pot (9 ✕ 5.5 cm). The collector I got it from said that it was sold to him as a late Qing Dynasty pot (before 1912), but he reckons it was made in the 1920’s. I like this type of Canton ware more than the usual green. It is colourful, but somber.

Images below show a couple of round pots made by me. They came out of the electric kiln only last week. The left image shows a pot decorated with black underglaze and a copper mat glaze. Its dimensions are 20 ✕ 7 cm. The right image shows a pot with the same glaze measuring 23.5 ✕ 8 cm.

Little pots from Kyoto

Until this month, I haven’t owned a single Japanese bonsai pot. So, this trip to Japan I was determined to fix that. After visiting two of Kyoto’s bonsai nurseries and a number of ceramic shops, I realised that Kyoto is not the best place in Japan to shop for bonsai pots, unless you are specifically after Kyoto ware pots (Kiyomizu yaki) used for small bonsai. I also had to make a mental adjustment when it came to prices. Japanese put high value on things made by hand. For me, the adjustment was easy. Being a potter, I can guess how many hours it took to make a pot. Once I divide the price by the number of hours, I could see that the hourly rate is quite reasonable. However, all these calculations don’t make handmade Japanese pots more affordable. Top left pot in the image below is a good example. It is a hand-formed and hand decorated pot by a Kyoto based potter Takao Koyo. The pot measures 10.4 × 8.2 × 3.3 cm and it cost me AU$145. As for the other small pots in the image, bottom left is a pot made in China to Japanese specifications (imported by Kinbon). I must admit that Chinese mass produced pots in Japan are of much higher quality than what we get in Australia. The pot on the right is by a Kyoto potter Syosai. It wasn't expensive, but I liked the glaze.

Both Takao Koyo and Syosai also make more traditional Kiyomizu yaki bonsai pots where white surface of the pot is decorated with thin line paintings. Those pots are usually more expensive and can cost anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars despite their small size.

The Raku Museum, Kyoto

The story of tile maker Chōjirō and tea master Rikyu was one of my inspirations to take up pottery. The word ‘raku’ is in the vocabulary of every potter and finally I was at the very place where it all started over 400 years ago – the Raku Museum (top left image). The home and the work shop of the Raku family are right next door just as they were in the 16th century. At the time of my visit the museum was holding a special exhibition titled ‘In praise of surfaces – Raku teabowls, iron kettles, lacquered tea caddies’ (top right image). Unfortunately photography wasn’t allowed in the museum. Their collection is awe inspiring. From the historical point of view the most interesting tea bowl in the exhibition was ‘Isarai’ by Tanaka Sōkei (1535-?). Tanaka Sōkei was the biological father of Raku Jōkei II who was adopted by Chōjirō I (d 1589). This tea bowl features the ‘Sōkei seal’ given by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which gave Raku family its name. There was also tea bowl ‘Murasme’ by Chōjirō and ‘Kansetsu’ by Hon’ami Kōetsu (1558-1637). The tea bowl that I liked the most was by Raku Chōnyū (1714-1770). Its glazed body was light pink with black crackle, while its unglazed hip and foot were reddish black.

A couple of years ago I took a few photos of the early Raku ware in Tokyo National Museum (http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/yesterday-i-went-to-tokyo-national.html). Flash photography was prohibited hence the photos are a bit fuzzy. Nevertheless, they are below: left – teabowl named ‘Amadera’ by Chōjirō, middle – teabowl named ‘Suehiro’ by Jōkei, right – lion shaped incense burner by Jōkei as well.

Ryōan-ji, Kyoto

Ryoan-ji was the last place of interest I visited in Kyoto. I have seen photographs of it, watched documentaries and read interpretations of its meaning. I thought that all this prior knowledge would act as a spoiler, but I was wrong. Ryoan-ji still blew me away. I just sat there and did what most people do – look at it in contemplation. The image above shows the kare-sansui (rock garden) of Ryoan-ji as you enter the garden-viewing side of Kuri (the main building). The kare-sansui is about five hundred years old and its original designer is unknown. Its design may have changed over the centuries as well. The image below shows how the rocks are positioned in relation to each other.
    

Images below show close-ups of each group of rocks. These images also show the wall surrounding the garden. Apparently, the wall is made of clay boiled in oil and the patterns on the wall are formed by the oil leaching out over a long period of time.

The kare-sansui was built for viewing from the Kuri – Ryoan-ji’s main building. Images below show the entrance to the Kuri (image below left) and its interior with beautifully painted shōji (dividing screens) (below middle). There is a tea house called Zaroku at the back of the Kuri. Its roja (tea garden) adjoins the Kuri and featues a famous tsukubai (water basin) (below right). The tsukubai has four characters inscribed on it which can be translated as “I only know what I need”.

The rest of the temple grounds are quite charming with graceful buildings, moss laden parkland and stone pathways (images below).

Another feature of the temple is a large pond called Kyoyochi (images below). It offers delightful views, which I am guessing are even more spectacular in autumn colour or during cherry blossom.

Visit to Ryoan-ji certainly was a strong finish for my short stay in Kyoto.

Tōdai-ji, Nara

It would seem silly to complain about a trip to Nara, the ancient capital of Japan full of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Nevertheless, I didn’t work out the way I planned. First of all, it is infested with annoying and sometimes scruffy looking deer (image below left). One of them ripped my bag and scattered my belongings all over the street.

I wanted to go to Nara to see Todai-ji and Toshodai-ji temples. Todai-ji was a natural choice as Nara’s main attraction, while Toshodai-ji interested me as a presumed birth place of bonsai in Japan (although there is hardly any evidence of that). After visiting Todai-ji, I abandoned my Toshodai-ji plans in favor of visiting Shosei-en bonsai nursery. Todai-ji was majestic. Image above right shows Todai-ji’s main attraction - the Great Buddha Hall. Image below left shows the Great Southern Gate, while image below right shows the gate to the Great Buddha Hall complex.

The temple had a lot happening that day. There were processions, performances and lots of worshipers (images below).
  

There were a couple of interesting accessories outside the Great Buddha Hall. One of them was a very fine joss stick urn with beautiful patina (below left). The other is a large and very ornate lantern (below center). I was especially intrigued by one image on the lantern, which bore a remarkable semblance to Hindu deity Krishna (below right).
  

The Great Buddha Hall was as impressive inside. Images below show the giant idols housed inside it (left to right): Komoku-ten (Guardian of the West), Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), Daibutsu (the Great Buddha), Tamon-ten (Guardian of the North). All except Buddha are Hindu deities incorporated into Buddhism.



In retrospect, I wish I spent more time exploring Todai-ji grounds.

Shosei-en (bonsai nursery), Kyoto

Shosei-en was second of the two bonsai nurseries I visited in Kyoto. It should not be confused with the Shosei-en garden located in the vicinity of Kyoto Station. The nursery is tucked in a residential area and a bit tricky to find. However, it is only a ten minute walk from Misasagi Station (Tozai Line) and if you walked longer than that, you are probably lost. The entrance to the nursery is fairly nondescript with the exception of a small name board (image below left). Once you walk up to the gate at the end of a long driveway you can see the shelves with bonsai (image below right). At the time of my visit the nursery was minded by an elderly lady who I thick was one of the owners. My Japanese allowed me to have only a rudimentary conversation with her, so I just had a stroll around the nursery and took some photos.

Unlike Koju-en, Shosei-en is larger and specialises in medium to large trees. It did have few shohin bonsai however. Both coniferous and broadleaved trees were equally well represented (images below).

Among conifers pines were the most prominent trees and images below may give you an idea of their quality.

Conifers other than pines dotted the shelves of the nursery. Images below show Cryptomeria, Podocarpus and junipers.

Broadleaved trees were dominated by Japanese and Trident Maples. I couldn’t see the branch structure of the trees very well because they were in full leaf, but many of them had nice proportions and some featured fantastic surface roots (see images below).

Finally, few images of shohin trees are shown below. I thought some of them were quite good.

The choice of bonsai pots at Shosei-en was somewhat limited, but overall I had a good time there.


For posts about bonsai gardens I visited in China see these:
Tiger Hill Penjing Garden, Suzhou: http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/tiger-hill-penjing-garden-suzhou.html
Penjing Garden at Shanghai Botanic Gardens: http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/penjing-garden-at-shanghai-botanic.html
Penjing Garden at the Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou: http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2015/01/penjing-garden-at-humble-administrators.html

Nijo Castle, Kyoto

I had limited time to see Nijo Castle and decided to focus on seeing its gardens. The parklands and the gardens of the castle exist in harmony with its buildings. The castle is surrounded by a water filled moat and a wall. Inside it has a fortified keep surrounded by a similar moat. The top row of images in the panel below shows the outer wall, while the bottom row shows the fortifications of the keep.

Nijo Castle’s gardens are situated between these two fortification lines. They provide scenic surroundings for the palace buildings. Images below show two of the most prominent buildings of the castle. Left image shows Ninomaru Palace and right image shows Honmaru Palace.

The buildings were impressive enough at a distance, but a closer look reveals exquisite detail too. Image below left shows a carved wooden panel above the Kurumayose entrance to Nimomaru Palace and image below right shows beautiful timber on the exterior of Honmaru Palace.

I already mentioned that castle buildings are well integrated into the parkland. Ninomaru Place is a good example of that. Images below illustrate how well it looks among the trees.

Nijo Castle houses two gardens of note. Both feature a pond with lots of rocks. One of them is Ninomaru Garden designed by tea master Kobori Enshu (images below).

The other garden is called Seiryū-en and it has been constructed only in 1965. It features two tea houses which are partially seen in the images below. Unfortunately, the tea houses were closed to public.

Most of the Nijo Castle grounds however are covered by parkland consisting of well-tended trees, shrubs and lawns. The park designer used lawns to create expanses of negative space, which frame trees and shrubs in a very pleasing way (see images below). This effect makes the landscape look bigger than it is.

I would definitely go to Nijo Castle again, especially because I haven’t seen the inside of its palaces. It must be spectacular during cherry blossom, the turn of maple leaves or in snow and would make it a completely different experience.

Noh and Kyogen at Kongo Nohgakudo

Seeing Noh performance at Kongo Nohgakudo theater was one of the main highlights of my stay in Kyoto. Images above show the theater building and the stage. Photography during the performance was prohibited. Getting tickets was easy. The programme was in Japanese, so I asked the box office lady to write down the play name in romaji. This allowed me to google it. The name of the Noh play was Ataka, and to my surprise, I was familiar with the story and its background. The play was about one of the incidents in a tragic conflict between two brothers Yoshitsune and Yoritomo in the 12th century Japan. One thing about the performance surprised me. The part of Yoshitsune, a seasoned military commander and an accomplished swordsman, was played by a boy of about thirteen. I knew that Noh can be a bit abstract, but didn’t expect adult parts to be played by children. The Noh performance was preceded by a Kyogen skit titled Inaba-do, which was truly funny. I immensely enjoyed both Noh and Kyogen.

So far, I have seen a few traditional Japanese performing arts. They are Noh, Bunraku (http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/bunraku.html), Kabuki (http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2010/02/kabuki-za.html), Kyogen and Kamishibai (http://lomov.blogspot.com.au/2010/03/kamishibai.html). I can draw parallels between them and I must say that Noh and Bunraku are my favorites.