President’s Message

March 2021

I was just thinking the other day how bonsai and our personal care for our trees and their continued development has brought us all closer with a relationship to the natural tree world of our living environment. Yes, we are caretakers to their vital needs and development. We have taken on that responsibility that we share with our trees every day we board them.

Within us all, we seem to have this same desire and need to shelter, nourish, and provide their everyday needs just as we provided for our families and children over the years. Bonsai has taught us all how vital and necessary this Earth we live on needs that same protection and care. And Mother Nature seems to hold its nurturing boundaries and secrets for us to emulate and learn from her infinite beauty. 

Some Thoughts from Ryan Neil

Ryan Neil, one of this country's more prominent bonsai artists and teacher shared with his viewers on his local podcast on why bonsai trees are so compelling and additive for himself. He said,

I found it interesting that after walking the grounds of the ancient Bristlecone Pines and other older established trees this country offers, it all suddenly came to him.

Trees share with us past histories of time we hadn’t experienced ourselves, through the study of physical structures of trees, we can see how weathering winds, rain, snow, and sleet can tell us the histories of this earth by the weathering and tortured effects that we see and can emulate with our own bonsai trees.

Whether it be the beauty of the green lush tropicals, or the tortured effects we see of older, more weathered, trees we have that same ability with our bonsai to develop and emulate that throw our personal bonsai skills and artistic abilities. Yes, this is a personal relationship we share with our bonsai trees, as the deciding manipulator.

Ryan feels that this is a great privilege we all share as creative bonsai practitioners, to have this control of our trees regardless it be a young vibrant new tree or a collected ancient Bristlecone Pine that shows thousands of years of past histories.

A Glimmer of Hope

With April upon us, and as we draw closer to more folks getting vaccinated, we all can see the country opening up to more privileges with dining and smaller gatherings. Linda and myself just received our second vaccine — what a relief for protection, even though we have been trying to be careful, masking up when in public. I’ve talked with many other club members who have also had their second vaccine since many of us are all over the age of 65. Age has privileges for once, and I know that everyone can now see an end to this pandemic that will allow us to get back to our monthly meetings.

Regarding our Clubs yearly show we put on every October. After talking with fellow senior club members we can see the possibility that we may not have enough physical help or support of trees to justify doing a show by ourselves. We have considered the possibility of offering to other clubs in the area to combine efforts in order to make it happen this COVID year. I have sent out an email to other clubs to consider this idea since many other clubs have had their show times come and go this spring. This would still allow other clubs to still participate and share in a downsized show at our same location at the Cupertino Community Center facility.

This idea is not in stone, but I see the need to make adjustments necessary for the club to still have a show this year along with the help of other clubs. Also, we still are not certain whether the community center will be open by October. 

Some Closing Thoughts

I hope everyone is enjoying our spring weather with temps in the low 80’s this weekend. Many of my trees are showing signs that they're ready to reach out now with their full growth spurt meaning that fertilization and fungal spraying is on the immediate horizon. Keeping busy with gardening and working with my bonsai especially at this time of years fills my life with such joy and satisfaction. I hope everyone is experiencing the same feeling and joy. Stay safe everyone, and stay on top of the things we need to be doing at this beautiful time of year with our trees!