President’s Message

May 1

May 2023

As I sit down to write this message to the club, my thoughts are focused on our Cherry Blossom Festival taking place this coming weekend. Much of my week has been centered around getting the bonsai trees I plan to exhibit ready to be trimmed up and the pots oiled for their proper presentation. Trying to figure out which trees I'll present and which trees I plan to work on at the Festival is on my mind. Even though these type of events are time consuming up front, the rewards are truly great once everything is set up and the festival is in progress. What a joy it is to have the opportunity to share our love of bonsai with the hundreds of attendees that filter through the show. There are so many people interested in our presentation of the art of bonsai.

Even though you may not have a tree to exhibit this year, everyone should make a special effort to stop by, say “Hi!”, get a chance to see the event, and see our bonsai trees on display. All the information you'll need to know regarding the event can be found in our April newsletter. It would be great to see everyone, and I know you will enjoy the many festivities going on throughout the park.

Spring is when many bonsai clubs in the Bay Area are putting on their annual shows. These are great opportunities for club members to see the best of bonsai the West Coast has to offer. Please, make plans to attend these important bonsai events, there is so much to learn and see, and trees, tools and pots to purchase — it’s all there free for your enjoyment and appreciation. Check out the posting this newsletter for these special shows in the Bay Area.

Our Programs for the Month of May

Working with pre-bonsai material that can be found at local nurseries is a hunt that we always enjoy since the upfront cost is very low, and treasures are readily available. This May, our own John Thompson will be exploring and helping Midori club members to investigate how good material can be found and developed. JT, as he is called, plans to share material he found at Calaveras Nursery regarding a certain variety of olive tree that grows in a more miniature bush form. Little Ollie® is the cultivar name of the plant, and JT will be sharing his thoughts about this type of olive that can be transformed into a very interesting bonsai form, in a very short time.

Olives make wonderful bonsai. In addition, they are very hardy, able to withstand the type of treatment many plants we work on can't. And this more miniature bush form of olive, over time with JT's help, can make for a lovely smaller tree everyone would love to have.

So we're encouraging everyone to be there our first Thursday meeting in May, taking in this program and learning how you can personally develop and make the right decisions for this tree.

Our Third Thursday Meeting

May is a month where we see lots of new growth on our trees, bringing up the question: “What should we be doing now regarding this growth?” Based upon what type of tree we have, should we be pinching, cutting areas back, or just leaving this new growth alone until it hardens off? These questions that will be answered when you bring in your trees for help from our senior member at our monthly workshop. So Club Members, bring in your trees for this expert help!

June Nursery Tour

Everyone loves a road trip, especially if it involves looking for bonsai material that’s affordable and usually in larger quantities which offer a greater selection. Our nursery tour is now scheduled for the month of June. We still need to work out which nurseries we plan to visit, and the distance we'll be willing to traveling to. So stay tuned for further developments.

Have a great month doing bonsai everyone! 🌳