June 2023

I want to begin by thanking John Thompson for his informative program on dwarf forms of olives that are available to us at your local nursery. "Little Ollie" makes for a great plant we all can add to our bonsai collect and be sure it handles the hot summers we experience here in the Bay Area.

JT demonstrates how to work on a “Little Ollie” Olive in May.

What a joy it was to see our beginners program kicked off this past third Thursday’s meeting. There was a nice group of bonsai enthusiasts that attended. Juan Cruz made a nice beginners presentation using the large computer screen available that surely help to clarify the various subject he covered that first evening. I identified a few of the persons that signed up for the program at our Cherry Blossom Festival three weeks ago. We hope that all who attended will continue with their interest in bonsai, and eventually become regular active members to our club.

I just wanted to give everyone a heads up on the many bonsai club's shows that will be here throughout the coming months of summer. Our newsletter will list all the dates and Bay Area happenings, and keep you in touch with even a few statewide events. Seeing what other bonsai enthusiast around the Bay are doing, will keep you entertained and excited about bonsai, and how others are achieving great creative artistry.

Our own club show — coming this September 30th — is quickly approaching, now is the time to gather your thoughts and determine what trees you plan to show making sure you manage your trees details needed for the coming date. Keeping in mind that we will need everyone’s support and best efforts to make it a show that we all can be proud of.

Our June Frist Thursday Program

For most of you that attended our beginner’s program this past third Thursday will be a viable part of that evening’s program. How can we entertain, and keep these beginners moving forward with hands on bonsai work is always an ongoing challenge for clubs. Well, Ray Stagner has just that solution for our beginners this first Thursday meeting of June. Our club purchased 10 trees a few months ago for just that purpose and with Ray's detailed direction, our club senior members will sit down and work with our beginners showing them how to approach a young juniper sapling and making it into a pre-bonsai that they can be proud of and take home that evening. This will be free of charge to all participants, but we ask that they all bring them back to our next Third Thursday meeting in June. At that time, Juan Cruz will be doing his next beginners program where he can review each participant’s tree and make recommendation for its styling and continued progress and development.

How Can We as Club Members Help Out?

These trees will be done in the yamadori bonsai tree style where a young sapling will be carefully wired from bottom to top, using two wires when needed. The fun comes when the participant needs to twist and turn the trunk in the many directions needed, with your help and assistance. But as you know, there's no right way or wrong way to this form of yamadori development. But your insight, and experience, will be helpful for the beginner as to what works and maybe what doesn't.

It should be a fun evening for everyone that participates, helping those that evening get a taste of what it takes to begin a bonsai in its earlies stages of development.

Mark Your Calendars Everyone, Our Nursery Trip is this Month!

June is a great month for nurseries that receive their yearly shipments that are ready for purchase and for us to bring home. That's where we come in. On June 24, our club plans its yearly trek to a nursery in the Bay Area that has proven to have good pre-bonsai material that is both inexpensive but having good potential.

This year as last, we plan to visit Calaveras Nursery in the Sunol area. They have proven to have a wide selection of plants that cover all varieties we in bonsai look for.

This program gives everyone an opportunity to do an outing together, add new material to their collection, and assist newer members with the help they may need in selecting appropriate material. We're asking everyone to provide their own transportation to the nursery on the morning of the 24th, with an ETA at 9:30am in the parking lot. For those that would like assistance that morning as to what to look for, it would be best to let senior members know that out in front before we begin entry. That way we can get you started looking right from the beginning.

For those of you that have the time, and would like to visit another nursery afterwards, we will travel a short distance into Livermore. This is a lovely nursery called Alden Lane Nursery whose exterior is styled after a European Estate. If you have never been there before, it's a real treat. Things you've never seen before at nurseries, with lively creative decor and everything imaginable for gardening. This nursery carries conifer trees and plants from the Pacific Northwest that you won't see at other nurseries. But plan on spending top dollar for what you purchase. Otherwise, a great place to visit and take in the scenery. Each year this nursery is the place where the Livermore Bonsai Club puts on their yearly show.