Newsletter – September 2019

Bonsai Notebook

The September 14 meeting will be held at the home of David and June Nguy in Chino. We will start at 6:00pm again to take advantage of the daylight, and we will also have a potluck dinner. Directions to David and June’s home will follow in the newsletter.

David Nguy will be our demonstrator, so we can look forward to another great learning experience. As before, come early so you have time to view David and June’s vast collection of bonsai…and turtles!

We are very lucky to have a bonsai master like David so accessible to our club. He is well known throughout the world of bonsai for his work with junipers, especially California junipers. Black pines are also his specialty, and you will see many examples in his collection. David has traveled all over the country doing demonstrations and being a headliner at many conventions. He will be hosting a workshop at this year’s GSBF convention in Riverside in October.

Join us for a great potluck dinner and a full night of bonsai.

Meeting Time And Place:
Sept 14 at 6pm at the Home of David & June Nguy

President’s Corner

In September, the summer growth of our trees should be slowing down. If you kept up with pruning, you can probably take a break as we start moving into Fall weather.
You can take new cuttings, but they should be limited to hardwood specimens or tropical varieties. I took some cuttings from my gmelina tree in late August, and they look healthy so far. The gmelina is a tropical tree with small leaves, and it works well as shohin material.

The club just received two more pot donations. There are 29 bonsai pots from the family of Milton Huckaby. Another dozen or so pots came to us from a lady in La Canada. I know the pots came from a Japanese nursery owner, but I don’t have the details yet. I will share that information when I have it. These pots add to what we still have left from the collection of Edgar Fukutaki. I am grateful to the families of bonsai enthusiasts who take the time to pass on their loved ones bonsai items for continued use. It is a nice legacy.

~Dave

Aug 2019 Meeting Highlights

Our August meeting was very unique, and members learned a great deal about bonsai pots. Nathan Simmons was our guest and is known not only for his collection of bonsai trees but also for his large collection of bonsai pots.

Nathan was collecting and styling bonsai trees when he met Bruce Hisayasu, a long-time SABS member. Through Bruce, Nathan developed a strong interest in bonsai pots and began collecting them. Eventually, his interest in large bonsai trees led him to start selling his small pots. He enjoyed selling bonsai pots and learned what people were interested in and bought more to sell. Nathan has become a well known vendor of pots at major bonsai events. Unlike our bonsai trees, Nathan jokingly said pots don’t die and don’t need to be fed or watered.

Nathan enjoys helping people select the right pots for their trees. He won’t put a conifer in a glazed pot, but he will use or recommend a glazed pot whenever possible. He believes glazed pots can perfectly compliment a tree as long as the glaze doesn’t visually overpower the tree.

He talked about oiling the surface of pots to prevent water stains from developing. He has tried many different oils, but prefers mineral oil because it is light and doesn’t get sticky.

Nathan brought a large selection of his pots for display and talked about the different styles and colors. He wants people to have the right pot for their trees and guarantees that if the pot/tree match doesn’t work, he will take the pot back and find the right one. Nathan got everyone’s attention when he put several pots on our raffle table. One was awarded to Dick Ryerson in the badge drawing, and the others went to lucky ticket holders.

Thank You to our many Aug Meeting Raffle Donors for your generosity
And to Nathan for his pot donations and review of our table items– the Yamaki pots were hidden treasures for several lucky raffle winners

Members Corner

The newsletter is always available on our website www.sabonsai.org

If you have a knack for writing, a story to tell, a photo or something you would like to share in our newsletter please submit it to Lorraine prior to the 20th of any month at [email protected]

Visitors are always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime
A special “ thank you” to Steve & Judy Anthony for finding our Nov meeting offsite location at Longo Toyota in El Monte. Please note the September 14 meeting time change to 6pm to allow for maximum lighting during the evening

Directions to Sept meeting at 6pm at the Nguy residence.

Upcoming Events

Sept 28-29
San Diego Bonsai Club 53rd Annual Show
Casa del Prado Rm #101, Balboa Park
10a-5p daily, bonsai trees and related items on sale (Please note date change)

Oct. 24-27
GSBF Convention 42
Riverside Convention Center, see website for details, www.gsbfbonsai.org

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: Sept 14, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location: At the home of David & June Nguy

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates & Demonstrators

Sept 14 — David Nguy (Potluck dinner meeting at the home of David & June Nguy)
Oct 12 — Mel Ikeda
Nov 9 — Tak Shimazu, meeting at Longo Toyota in El Monte

Refreshment Schedule

Sept – Potluck: The Club will provide the main dish and drinks. Please bring a favorite dish, a side, salad or dessert
Oct – Walt & Octavia Chin, Dave & Lorraine Miles
Nov – Linda & Gabriel Gonzalez Victor Shelton, Bob Alderette

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings