Alabama Bonsai Society

Spring has burst loose and look at the beauty of our world.  Our winter was harsh and we are having one of the best displays of leafing out and flowers I have seen in years.  My bonsai are looking excellent and appear healthier than I have seen them in some time.  I, like everyone else have lost plants, but I hope none of your good bonsai met this end.  Now is the time to turn up your efforts and do the necessary tasks that will enhance your bonsai.  The last two programs at our meetings should provide information that can assist you in the process of producing an excellent bonsai.  Now speaking of excellent bonsai, our show is nearing and I request that each of you provide one tree to the show display.  Please complete the entry information before the next meeting and get it to James Baker or Marty Bostick.  The reason for this request is to allow them time to make the display cards for your trees in the show.  Remember this is our society’s Bonsai Show; Not any one person, everyone is requested to participate.  When you are asked by Brian or Marge to help please step up and help.

I wish to thank all the volunteers that assisted at the BBG Spring plant sale, everyone worked hard but a special thanks to Jane and Charlotte for their efforts.  The BBG has posted a $250,000.00 profit that supports the Gardens.  Another important fact is our Bonsai society provided 224 volunteer hours this month that can be used in seeking grants by the gardens.

I am requesting your input on the programs using the Audio/Video equipment.  How do you see this working better?  If you wish to present a program, let Jack Pierce know so he can schedule your program.  The best way to learn is to teach, because in the preparation for the program you also are exposed to new knowledge that you can now share with us.  The more we share our knowledge the better our bonsai become.  I am challenging each of you to provide a program for our society.

The workshop with Joe Day was well received by those who choose to participate.  The best thing to come out of the workshop was the potential excellent bonsai that will be developed by our members.  I am of the opinion that the workshops should be self sustaining.  In the future when you sign up for a workshop be prepared to pay for the workshop at that time.  The workshops are financed from the funds received from attendees.  We depend on the received attendee funds to cover all the cost in having a workshop. I would like to add that Patty Melton, who usually has a stump after a workshop, had a well designed forest of shimpaku after her workshop.  I hope more of our members will participate in the future.  This is the board provided service for our members, but if we can not get enough participants, then the entire club bears the cost for the workshop.  When we have another workshop show your pride in our society and please participate.

The Rendezvous at Brussels’ is coming up, I hope everyone has considered going to this event.  I have planned to attend this year and I hope you have to.

Please bring a tree in development phase to the Bonsai meeting and be prepared to discuss what steps you plan to make in order to get the tree to the next level.  This process helps everyone better understand our art form and if you are making a miss-step, the members can help you to get back on track.  This is an excellent opportunity to share your knowledge about Bonsai. I enjoy hearing different approaches to a problem.  I hope you will enjoy this information to.

See you at the meeting,

Oscar

Old man winter is showing signs of giving way to the youth of spring.  I have small leaves on several types of trees and many buds swelling on others.  This activity spurs us on as bonsai artist to start preparing for the coming days.   Be preparing your soil mixture, scrubbing pots and evaluating if the time is right for a plant to join your collection as a bonsai.  With all this said this month is going to be very busy for our society.  The activities that will be happening are the Botanical Gardens Spring Plant sale, our Saturday work shop and the final preparation for our May Bonsai Show.  (The Saturday Workshop and some of the BBG plant sale occur on the same day)

I wish to thank those that chose to assist in the Cherry Blossom Festival.  Those that helped were Bill and Suzanne Gabert, Jack Pierce, Doug Unkenholz, Jane McKenzie, Karen and Fred Rock and my lovely wife Charlotte.  We had a wonderful time and the gardens were beautiful.   There was a large turn out and we all talked to a lot of people.  We had so much fun talking Bonsai and showing the visitors the art of Bonsai.

I hope you are planning to go to Rendezvous at Brussels Bonsai.  This is a good time for all attending.

Our Bonsai show is fast approaching and the time necessary to prepare trees is becoming shorter.  I will be asking each of you to submit at least one tree for the show.  Our show is a group effort and I hope that everyone will plan to be very active in the entire process.  If you are asked to help please do so gracefully.

Our Show is May 15^th and 16^th, Please plan to be there.

The Saturday workshop in March was very successful.  We had twenty members working on the trees that we plan to sell.  This is a good time to learn from others and see the same plant from different mentor’s views.  If you have never attended this you are doing yourself a disservice. The Saturday workshops are where the information from the lecture meetings can be put into the practice of the art of Bonsai.

I wish to Thank each of you for your support in the ongoing adventure that we call Bonsai.  For our Society to be strong the bonds between us must also be strong.

See you at the Meeting,           Oscar