Bonsai Notebook

The October 12 meeting will be held at the Arboretum at 7:00pm, our usual place and time. Our guest demonstrator will be Mel Ikeda. What a pleasure to have him back to share his extensive expertise in bonsai styling.

Mel grew up in bonsai, learning from his father at the family’s Ikeda Bonsai Nursery. He also studied with John Naka, Harry Hirao, and Khan Komai. He belongs to many bonsai clubs including California Bonsai Society, and Nampu Kai. Mel has been very active with the Golden State Bonsai Federation and their annual Bonsai-A-Thon, where he regularly conducts a demonstration.

Mel will work on a raft style bonsai for our meeting. It is a style we don’t get to see very often, so it will undoubtedly inspire members to give raft style a try.

See you there.

Meeting Time and Place:
October 12, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

We officially passed through the last days of summer. I am thankful we didn’t have the waves of extreme heat we experienced last year. None of my trees suffered heat damage, so I hope everyone had a similar experience.

The weather forecasts seem to indicate we are entering the Fall season at last. Now is a great time for collecting seeds to start new trees. You can start trees from seed and potentially have a nice shohin size tree in five or six years. At my age that seems manageable, plus I never get tired of seeing new tree shoots pop through the soil, just as I enjoy seeing new buds emerge from cuttings!

October brings the GSBF Convention, to be held in Riverside this year, Oct. 23-28. There are fees for attending and either observing or participating in workshops, seminars, and critiques. However, there is no cost to viewing the bonsai exhibit or shopping in the vender area. There will be trees in every price category and everything else related to bonsai. The convention provides a complete bonsai extravaganza for beginners and experts alike. See the website for more details, www.gsbfbonsai.org.

~Dave

Sept 2019 Meeting Highlights

Our September meeting was hosted by David and June Nguy at their home in Chino. Again, due to a Saturday night concert conflict at the Arboretum, we had the pleasure of walking through David and June’s bonsai collection. It is always such a treat for us to see all the beautiful trees and be in awe of the effort and talent it took to create such a collection. We are very appreciative of the hospitality and support shown by David and June.

Prior to David beginning his demonstration, we had our potluck dinner. Thanks go to June, Michelle, Marissa, Wendy, Lorraine and others for preparing and setting up all the food for our dinner. We had a wonderful feast.

David Nguy provided a demonstration using a prostrata juniper. The material was a double-trunk tree, so David styled it in the traditional mother/daughter or husband/wife form. He explained the apex and direction of the taller trunk would determine the direction of the shorter trunk. The directions would match to maintain harmony and scale with the taller side overseeing the shorter.

David talked about the importance of having the apex subtly leaning forward with the branch tips turned slightly forward to welcome the viewer. He cleaned out the old, inside foliage to both provide space for wiring and stimulate new growth. David said we should not immediately cut new growth to maintain the tree shape, but let it grow for strength, then cut back to shape.

David’s demonstration resulted in a beautiful design that followed his styling plan. No matter your experience level in bonsai, it is always amazing to see how a master transforms a bushy piece of tree stock into a presentable bonsai. Jim Pelling was the lucky raffle winner who took home the finished tree.

Thanks again to both David and June for providing such a wonderful evening. They both give a great deal of themselves to the art of bonsai, and this was further exemplified by David when he donated his demo fee back to the club. Thank you!

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 LMiles6455@gmail.com
• 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

Thank You to our many Sept Meeting Raffle Donors for your generosity

Upcoming Events

Oct 19-20
Bonsai Stock sale at the home of Jim Barrett
480 Oxford Dr., Arcadia,
9a-4p each day, 20% discount

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

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: October 12, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location: LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates & Demonstrators

Oct 12 — Mel Ikeda

Nov 9 — Tak Shimazu, meeting at Longo Toyota in El Monte

Dec No meeting– Happy Holidays

Jan 11, 2020 Save the date Annual Potluck & Demo

Refreshment Schedule

Oct Marge Blasingame, Walt & Octavia Chin, Dave & Lorraine Miles, Frank Yee

Nov Bob Alderette, Linda & Gabriel Gonzalez, Victor Shelton

Dec no meeting – Happy Holidays

Newsletter-2019-10

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Bonsai Notebook

Bring a tree to get advice on a pot choice.

The August 10 meeting at the Arboretum will feature Nathan Simmons. It will be Nathan’s first visit to our club and he will be displaying and talking about bonsai pots. Many of you know Nathan and have seen him at bonsai events selling beautiful pots. Come and hear about his favorite potters and learn about tree/pot combinations.
Nathan has been a bonsai artist for 10 years, and Roy Nagatoshi was his first teacher. He has also studied with Ted Matson, Tak Shimazu, Mauro Stemberger, Ryan Neil, and Will Baddeley. His current sensei is John Wang. Nathan prefers large bonsai and has about 100 trees in pots. He has an additional 300 trees growing in the ground.

Over the years, Nathan has developed a passion for Japanese bonsai pots. He owns several hundred pots of all sizes and enjoys collecting, appreciating, and selling them. He is a bonsai pot vendor at most big bonsai events, like the Bonsai-A-Thon.

If you have a tree and would like help with a pot choice, bring your tree to the meeting, and Nathan will offer advice for the best choice.

Meeting Time and Place:
August 10, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

The real summer heat is upon us. Last year we had some excessively high heat. It came on so fast, many of our trees couldn’t adjust quickly enough and sustained burned foliage.

Watering is obviously critical. Try and water early in the morning so water can soak in well before the heat evaporates it. The soil in smaller pots will naturally dry out quicker and will probably need additional watering on the 100 degree-plus days. Misting foliage can help slow the evaporative process and, hopefully, prevent foliage from burning. Cloud Cover is a product you can also spray onto foliage to slow evaporation. It is available at most nurseries… Just follow the instructions.

The warm summers bring on new tip growth on plants, and can result in a lot of over-growth.in our finely shaped trees. Keep up with trimming, especially with junipers, so the sun can get into the middle of trees and promote growth near the trunk.

~Dave

July 2019 Meeting Highlights

We had a great turnout for our July meeting at Peter Macasieb’s home. Thanks go to both Peter and Marissa for their hospitality again this year. We also very much appreciate all of the members who contributed to the food table and helped Marissa throughout this evening.

Good food was abundant, and the desserts were outstanding. Peter’s outdoor fan system and patio cover kept us comfortable. His tree collection has continued to grow, so there were many amazed and envious observers admiring Peter’s trees.

Peter’s demo tree for the raffle was a small California juniper. He said he specifically collected more smaller junipers than large sizes so he could develop them into shohin. The tree had a fat trunk Peter had previously carved into a beautiful style to save time. He used audience participation to decide which branches to remove.

He kept the branches he needed for styling his image of the tree and wired every branch. In the end, the new shohin looked great, and everyone wanted to take it home.

Peter’s work resulted in a lot of enthusiastic raffle ticket buyers.The raffle table was overflowing with pots, trees and related items, so we had a lot of happy members with each ticket drawn. Gonzalo Rodriquez took home the fabulous shohin at the end of the evening.

Members Corner

• We need your help…. to find an offsite location for our November 9, 2019 meeting. The Arboretum is hosting the Moonlight Forest so we will be unable to meet in our usual Arboretum Room. November is typically cold and may be rainy so we need to find an indoor location in the Arcadia/ Pasadena area. The room needs to be large enough to handle our demonstration and raffle activities & being able to bring food in for our refreshment table would be a bonus. If you know of a site and person/ organization please give Dave and Lorraine the site and contact information, or leave a message on Dave’s cell 909 519 5391 and we will follow up. Thanks.
• 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 LMiles6455@gmail.com.
• Visitors are always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime.

A very special “thank you “ to Marissa and Peter Macasieb for hosting our July Meeting

Upcoming Events

Aug 29-Sept 1
Kofu Bonsai Kai Annual Show at the Bowers Museum
2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana

Sept 21-22
San Diego Bonsai Club 53rd Annual Show
Casa del Prado Rm #101, Balboa Park
10a-5p daily, bonsai trees and related items on sale

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

Come Join Us

Next Meeting
Date: August 10, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location:
LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

6pm Board Meeting prior to general meeting

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

Aug 10 — Nathan Simmons

Sept 14 — David Nguy (Potluck dinner meeting at the home of David & June Nguy)

Oct 12 — Mel Ikeda

Refreshment Schedule

Aug – Gabriel & Linda Gonzalez, Victor Shelton, Eunice Jee, Marge Blasingame

Sept – Potluck, bring a favorite dish, a side, salad or dessert

Oct – Walt & Octavia Chin, Peter & Marissa Macasieb

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-08

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Bonsai Notebook

The July 13 meeting will be a road trip to the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb in West Covina. (directions and address link later in the newsletter). The meeting will start at 6:00pm, so we have extra daylight for this outdoor meeting. As you know, we lose a couple of meeting dates each summer due to concerts scheduled at the Arboretum. The Macasiebs have graciously hosted one of the dates for several years, and the club always looks forward to seeing Peter’s huge tree collection. Peter will also have a workshop at the GSBF Convention in October, so you might get to see the workshop material and tour Peter’s collection during the evening.

Peter will be our demonstrator for this July 13 meeting, and we will have a raffle table and potluck dinner. The main dishes and beverages will be provided by Marissa and the club. Members are invited to bring a side dish, salad, or dessert. Meeting Time and

Place:
July 13, 2019 at 6pm at the home of Peter & Marissa Macasieb in West Covina

Directions to the Macasieb residence click here.

President’s Corner

The registration forms for the GSBF Convention in October are available and being accepted now. You can download the forms at www.gsbfbonsai.org. Workshops fill up fast, so get the forms if you haven’t already.

It looks like our daily morning overcast has given way to a warm summer. If you haven’t done your black pine candle pruning and needle pulling, get to it! I have been busy (any excuse will do), so half of my pines are done with another half to be completed.

So, how do we know when to water our trees? In the past I have used a water meter purchased from a local nursery. You could stick it in the soil and get a pretty accurate reading of the moisture content. It worked well for awhile, then gave out, and I didn’t replace it. Most of us are using very porous soil mixes, so we need to water every day during the summer. Smaller trees with smaller pots may need water twice a day or more, depending on the heat level. A simple check is to stick your finger in the soil at least 1-inch deep. If it is dry, the tree needs water. Our fast draining soil generally protects us from over watering, but don’t create a swamp!

I water by hand every day and use a timed sprinkler system when I am away. By seeing my trees every day, I can usually tell visually when water is needed. I also notice when something is amiss and needs attention. I think we all develop our own routines with our trees. Whatever works, keep doing it. Enjoy the summer.

~Dave

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 LMiles6455@gmail.com
Visitors are always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime

Golden Statements Magazine free for 2019!

As of March 2019 The Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) Board of Trustees voted to end the printing of Golden Statements Magazine. Instead, the magazine will continue as a digital publication. The Board has allowed free digital access online for 2019 and possibly beyond in order to build a worldwide web viewership. You can access the digital Golden Statements Magazine by visiting the GSBF website http://gsbfbonsai.org and clicking on the Golden Statements menu.

Help to build a worldwide viewership as you enjoy this digital magazine and spread the word to family, friends and social media. Your support is graciously appreciated.

Thank You to our June Meeting Raffle Donors

Jim Barrett, Liz Do, Y.S. Farn, Edgar Fukutaki, Dave Miles, Doyle Saito, Wendy Tsai, Cary Valentine, Steve Valentine

June 2019 Meeting Highlights

Steve Valentine was our guest demonstrator in June. We appreciate him coming up from the San Diego area for, I believe, his first demo at our club. Steve worked on several cork elms he had developed from air layering a larger elm 30 years ago. He said the original tree was not corked, so the genesis of the younger cork elms remains one of natures mysteries.

Steve explained that elms grow quickly, sending out long shoots. He trims them several times a year based on the new growth. He uses little if any wire and directionally prunes for shape, usually back to four leaves. When a tree has its final styled shape, he prunes to maintain the shape.

Steve told us he repots every two to three years. He recommended keeping moss off the corked trunk to prevent damage to the corking. He added that if cork bark comes off the trunk, it can grow back over time.

Steve brought a young potted cork elm and another pot with numerous established cork elm cuttings for our raffle. There was a lot of interest in the cuttings as well as the single tree. Judy and Steve Anthony were the raffle winners of both.

Upcoming Events

July 16, 17, and 20
Demo at Descanso, California Bonsai Society, and Kofu Kai respectively
by Liliana Marcello Tello Ortiz from Columbia by way of Costa Rica.

Aug29-Sept 1
Kofu Bonsai Kai Annual Show at the Bowers Museum
2002 N. Main St., Santa Ana

Sept 21-22
San Diego Bonsai Club 53rd Annual Show
Casa del Prado Rm #101, Balboa Park
10a-5p daily, bonsai trees and related items on sale

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: July 13, 2019
Time: 6pm
Location: at the Home of Peter and Marissa Maciasieb West Covina, Ca

No Board Meeting in August

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

July 13 — Peter Macasieb
Potluck dinner meeting at the home of Peter & Marissa
Aug 10 — Nathan Simmons
Sept 14 — David Nguy
Potluck dinner meeting at the home of David & June Nguy

Refreshment Schedule

July – Potluck – bring a favorite dish, a side a salad or dessert

Aug – Gabriel & Linda Gonzalez, Victor Shelton, Eunice Jee, Marge Blasingame

Sept – Potluck – bring a favorite dish, a side, salad or dessert

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-07

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Bonsai Notebook

The June 8 meeting will feature Steve Valentine, coming all the way from San Diego. Steve has been a bonsai artist for many years and been active throughout the state.

Steve saw his first bonsai exhibit at the Del Mar Fair in 1965. He studied ornamental horticulture and agriculture in high school and college. He started his own business specializing in building and pruning Japanese gardens and became a certified arborist in 1980.

Since 1989, Steve has been actively involved in the San Diego Bonsai Club. He is a demonstrator, teacher and past president of the California Bonsai Society and many other clubs. He has studied with Moss Takahashi, Harry Hirao, Kathy Shaner, and John Naka. Steve has served on the board of the Golden State Bonsai Federation for over 20 years and is the Convention Chair for the GSBF convention this year.

Steve will be working on a cork elm for his demonstration with us. Join us June 8.

Meeting Time And Place:
June 8, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

I am very pleased and relieved at how well our show went this year. Leading up to it, you never know for sure whether the show entry numbers will be sufficient or if enough people will be available for set-up and take-down. As usual, everyone came through. Our members provided what we needed for a great weekend.

Special thanks go to Marge Blasingame for being our show chairperson and handling our sales table. She knows how to do it all and was flawless. Wendy Tsai was invaluable to us again this year, helping Marge with the sales table. She was there throughout the weekend and did a great job keeping things in order and flowing.

Thanks also to Marty Hagbery, who after more than 30 years with the club, still shows up to help manage both the set-up and take-down. He also interacts with the guests passing through the exhibit and provides great explanations of what we do. Thank you Ray Blasingame for all your help with set-up and take-down also. Ray and Marty know exactly what to do, and it gets done.

Thank you Lorraine for handling the food supplies and kitchen set-up. I know everyone appreciates being able to take a break and sit down to lunch and snacks each day of the show. As she has for many years, Marilyn Tyler provided our show awards, It is a lot of work to get the judging results, take photos of the trees, and produce the awards. Thank you, Marilyn.

Finally, thank you to all our members who volunteered their time to help set up and take down the show and look after the trees and guests each day. Members also helped with the sales table and kitchen. We could not do this without everyone’s help. Thanks to all!

~Dave

May 2019 Meeting Highlights

The May club meeting and annual show make it a very full month for us. The saikei workshop with Al Nelson was a lot of fun. The participating members had a great time, with their own personal helpers as they constructed their saikeis. Al explained the process in stages, so we were able to follow the development of the saikeis step by step. Each saikei was unique from the others based on individual choices throughout the process. They all looked amazing. Saikeis are definitely crowd pleasers.

Thank you to Al and his entire crew for their generous help. Also, we couldn’t let Al finish without one of his famous jokes, and he shared one with us.

2019 Show Highlights

Our Memorial Day weekend show was a big success. We had 32 entries and a good variety of material. The sales table was full, with its own variety of plant material and bonsai related items. We had steady attendance by Arboretum guests. It was a little slower during the rainy Sunday, but people came through none the less. Interest in bonsai is always high with the audience, and several people asked about joining the club.

Thanks go out to Jim Barrett who did the judging for the show. He always provides valuable feedback on members’ trees. In the “Best Tree” category, Robert Alderette won with his Foemina Juniper group display. The “Best Theme Tree” honors went to Carol Upston and her elm cascade, and Joyce Gibbs won “Best Shohin” with one of her two displays. The “21st Century Award”, given for the highest score by someone who has not previously won an award in our show, went to Mike Kelly for his beautiful elm group. All of the trees looked great, and we got a lot of positive feedback from those who attended.

Thank You to our May Meeting Raffle Donors

Shai Amiel, Louis Camerota, Y.S. Farn, Edgar Fukutaki, Dave Miles, Richerd Ryerson, Wendy Tsai, Frank Yee

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 LMiles6455@gmail.com

• Visitors always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime

Upcoming Events

June 15
Bonsai Stock Sale
At the home of Jim Barrett
480 Oxford Dr., Arcadia, 9am-5pm

June 15-16
Descanso Bonsai Society Annual Show
Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Dr., La Canada, 9-5p
demonstrations daily, sales area
Reception Sat at 6pm, raffle & auction at 7:30pm

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: June 8, 2019
Time: 7p
Location: LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

June 8 — Steve Valentine
July 13 — Peter Macasieb (Potluck at the home of Peter & Marissa)
Aug 10 — Nathan Simmons

Refreshment Schedule

June 8: David & Jenny Tsai, Eunice Jee, Richerd Ryerson
July 13: Potluck– bring a favorite dish
Aug 10: Gabriel & Linda Gonzalez, Victor Shelton, Eunice Jee, Marge Blasingame

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-06

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Bonsai Notebook

Saikei Workshop with Al Nelson begins at 5pm

We have a special program scheduled for our May 11 meeting. Al Nelson will be our guest, and he will lead a saikei workshop with eight of our members. The participating members and Al’s team of assistants will begin the workshop at 5:00pm, two hours before the regular meeting time of 7:00pm. All members are welcome to attend the workshop as observers. Otherwise, plan on arriving at the regular time of 7:00pm. You will be able to see the progress of the Kingsville boxwood saikeis and hear Al talk about the development of the beautiful landscapes as the workshop continues.
Most of us know Al, but as a reminder, he is a native Californian, born in Berkeley. He moved to southern California in 1060. His first profession was woodworking, followed by a long career in sales.

Al attended a demonstration by John Naka in the late 1970’s and was inspired to take up the bonsai art. He studied with Harry Hirao, John Naka and Ernie Kuo. Al currently teaches bonsai at his home in Irvine, and he will be aided by his students at the workshop.

As with all our meetings, we will have refreshments and a raffle table full of bonsai related items. Come and learn more about saikeis while you watch several being created.

Meeting Time And Place:
May 11, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

IT’S SHOW TIME! We will be presenting our 55th annual club show over the Memorial Day weekend at the Arboretum. Our members selected “Deciduous Trees” as our theme this year.

I encourage all our members to enter their best deciduous trees, but as always, you can enter any species of bonsai you like. It is our show, one of the oldest in existence, and I hope all our members will participate by entering a tree and/or assisting at the show.

The show is always a big hit with the general public visiting the Arboretum. It is pleasing to see how much people enjoy looking at the trees and wondering how we do it. If you need help preparing a tree for the show, come to the May meeting, bring your tree, and ask for advice. We have plenty of experienced members willing to help you at the meeting and at show set-up.

A sign-up form is included in the newsletter, and additional forms will be available at the May meeting. If you choose not show a tree, please sign up to help out as a docent, watching the trees and occasionally answering questions. The show covers three days and help is always appreciated. We will also need help with show set-up at 1:00pm on Friday, May 24 and take-down at 4:00pm on Monday, May 27. You will learn a lot just helping in any of these capacities.

The show will also feature a sales table where members can sell bonsai related items. A lot of great trees and other items will be available to help you boost your collection. Come and enjoy it all with us.

~Dave

SABS Show Form 2019-05

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April 2019 Meeting Highlights

Our members and guests enjoyed another informative evening with Ted Matson in April. Ted is always on the lookout for new or seldom used material to add variety and interest to our bonsai collections. In about 2008, Ted explored a going-out-of-business nursery in Simi Valley. He found a supply of young material he thought might be crape myrtle. He bought the plants and put them in a corner of his yard and left them alone except for watering and occasional pruning. Over time, the trees developed a lot of character with tangled, exposed roots. Ted eventually identified the material as Mexican guava.

Ted brought several of the guava trees to the meeting and picked out two that he worked on and potted for our raffle. The exposed roots and colorful leaves were very unique. He talked about creating a tree structure based on what was available in each of the two pieces he worked on. Ted did a masterful job of explaining his work on the trees and held our interest throughout.

By highlighting the root structure and combining minimal wiring with directional pruning, Ted created two very nice trees. After potting, the trees looked great, and we had a lot of anxious raffle ticket holders.

The happy winners of the trees were Frank Yee and Marge Blasingame. Ted had several extra guavas that he did not want to take back home, so other eager club members took home the raw material for a nominal fee. Thanks again to Ted for a great evening!

Thank You to our April Meeting Raffle Donors

Jerry Banuelos, Ray Blasingame, Y.S. Farn, Edgar Fukutaki, Marty Hagbery, Dave Miles

Members Corner

We have welcomed several new members to SABS as many old members renewed during the 1st quarter of 2019. It has been exciting to see how SABS’s membership has grown during the past year. Thanks for your participation and support. If you haven’t been receiving the newsletter by email and would like to, please contact Lorraine at LMiles6455@gmail.com with your most current address.

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.

Visitors always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime.

Upcoming Events

May 4-5
Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai 34th Annual Exhibit and Sale
Demos both days at 1pm, dinner reception Sat. at 6pm

May 25,26, 27
Santa Anita Bonsai Society Annual Memorial Day Weekend Show
L.A. County Arboretum, 9a-4p, vendors, sales area, demos each day at 1pm

June 15
Bonsai Stock Sale
At the home of Jim Barrett
480 Oxford D. Arcadia, 9am-5pm

Come Join Us

Next Meeting
Date: May 11, 2019
Time:
5pm Saikei Workshop with Al Nelson (observers welcome)
7pm General Meeting

Location:
LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

May 11 — Al Nelson Workshop
June 8 — Steve Valentine
July 13 — Peter Macasieb

Refreshment Schedule

May 11: David & Debra Mauzy-Melitz, Dick Ryerson, Mike Kelly, Victor Shelton
June 8: David & Jenny Tsai, Eunice Jee
July 13: Linda & Gabriel Gonzalez, Marissa Macasieb, Wendy Tsai, Susan & Huong Dao

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-05

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Bonsai Notebook

We have another great evening of bonsai planned for April. Our guest will be Ted Matson, so it will be an opportunity to learn the critical details of bonsai development. Ted has the wonderful ability to communicate his knowledge very clearly throughout his demonstrations. It is always a pleasure to watch and listen.

Ted began studying bonsai in San Francisco in 1979. He moved to the Los Angeles area in 1980, and over time, studied with Ben Suzuki, Shig and Roy Nagatoshi, Melba Tucker, Warren Hill, and John Naka. Ted started teaching bonsai classes at his home in the late 1980’s. In 2008 he began working at bonsai full time.

Ted is a member of Descanso Bonsai Society, California Shohin Society, California Bonsai Society, and Nampu Kai. He oversees both the GSBF and Huntington bonsai collections, including more than 400 trees. There are approximately 70 trees on display at a time. He has chaired both the GSBF Convention and the California Shohin Society Seminars and has done workshops and demonstrations across the U.S.

Ted’s demonstration material will be Mexican Guava. The demo tree will be in our raffle. He is bringing additional examples of the same material that can be purchased for a great price by anyone interested. Join us for a fun evening.

Meeting Time And Place:
April 13, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

Our Southern California weather is back and everything is growing and blooming. Now is when we need to watch our trees closely and not let them get “leggy”. It is important to nip or pinch terminal buds on each branch. This will force side branches to grow and create a more dense foliage mass while also shortening the internodes.

As branches grow, watch the underside for downward growth and the topside for unwanted upward growth. Keep an eye on excessive growth in the upper portion of your trees that will draw energy away from lower branches.

We are still in repotting season also. Repotting helps stimulate new growth, and our trees love new soil and a little extra space to grow. If you are changing pots, prepare the new pot with screens over the drain holes and tie-down wire to hold the tree in place prior to removing the tree from its current pot. If you are using the same pot again, keep the tree roots moist while cleaning and prepping the pot for reuse. I enjoy the sight of a newly repotted tree. You can almost see the refreshed tree generating new roots and shoots.

We love seeing our trees thrive during the spring, but the fast growth requires our attention to maintain even growth from top to bottom. Enjoy the season, but be observant and diligent.

~Dave

March 2019 Meeting Highlights

We had plenty of member trees available for our workshop with Lindsay Shiba. He was able to spend quality time with each member while doing a wide variety of work. A couple of trees received their first styling as bonsai with the member’s participation. Lindsay provided pruning and styling advice for all the trees, and tree owners worked with him to improve their material.

Lindsay talked about each tree, so all our members were able to learn from his vision. Multiple varieties of trees were involved, so advice and techniques differed from tree to tree. We got a very well-rounded presentation, and participating members went home with revitalized trees.

Workshops are a good opportunity for developing the quality of our trees, and Lindsay’s help and advice was greatly appreciated.

Members Corner

SABS membership is growing … Thank You!

Membership in SABS is available anytime of the year . If you first join SABS during Oct-Dec then your membership is current until Dec of the following year. For renewing members the dues are requested each January. Our membership dues are vital to SABS remaining financially viable. It has been exciting to see how SABS’s membership has grown during the past year. Thanks for your participation and support.

The SABS Newsletter is one of the “perks” of belonging to our club and is sent via email or US mail to all of our current members The newsletter will always be available on our website www.sabonsai.org

Visitors always welcome at our meetings….come check out SABS anytime

Upcoming Events

April 27-28 San Diego Bonsai Club 54th Annual Spring Show Casa del Prado Rm 101, Balboa Park

May 4-5 Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai 34th Annual Exhibit and Sale
Demos both days at 1pm, dinner reception Sat. at 6pm

May 25,26, 27 Santa Anita Bonsai Society Annual Memorial Day Weekend Show
L.A. County Arboretum, 9a-4p, vendors, sales area, demos each day at 1pm

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: April 13, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location:
LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave
Arcadia, CA 91007

Board Meeting 6PM before general meeting
Everyone welcome – we’re planning our show

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

April 13 – Ted Matson
May 11 – Al Nelson Workshop
June 8 – Steve Valentine

Refreshment Schedule

April 13 – Y.S. Farn, Lorraine Miles, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Liz Do
May 11 – David & Debra Mauzy-Melitz, Dick Ryerson, Mike Kelly, Victor Shelton
June 8 –David & Jenny Tsai, Daniel Deephouse

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-04

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Bonsai Notebook

Bring a tree to the March meeting and take advantage of a free workshop with Lindsay Shiba. You are welcome to bring more than one tree. Lindsay will help you take your material to the next level of design and development. We don’t have workshops often, so don’t miss a great opportunity to learn. Bring your tools and wire and take part in the fun.

Lindsay started his bonsai training when he was just 11 years old. He learned from his father, Katsumi Shiba, and in 1972 he became a student of Khan Komai. Under Khan’s tutelage, Lindsay refined his talent for bonsai and also developed a love and understanding of the formal display of bonsai. Lindsay has given presentations of formal display across the United States and Mexico.

He worked at and later co-owned his family’s nursery business in Upland, where he also taught bonsai classes. Lindsay is an active member of Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyu-Kai, California Bonsai Society and Nanpu Kai.

You do not have to bring a tree to watch and learn from Lindsay at the meeting. However, why pass up the chance to have him help with your own tree. See you there.

Meeting Time And Place:
March 9, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

We have had a very different winter season this year, with the heavy rain and cold temperatures. Some of our trees have remained dormant longer, and some have been caught in-between, popping new foliage.

We are at repotting time. It is important to keep track of when you have repotted individual trees to make it easier to pick out the trees that are due.

I date an identification tag I make out of thin metal venetian blind material. I cut three inch pieces of metal and use a pencil to mark the potting date and stick the tag in each of my pots. The pencil marking goes on easy and doesn’t wash off with watering. I find the metal tags hold up better than plastic. I check my tags and make a repotting list based on dates along with visual inspection of tree health and drainage conditions (slow draining calls for repotting).

Repotting is great for stimulating new root growth and generating vitality in our trees. I turn on some music and enjoy the time spent transitioning each tree. It is very relaxing and productive at the same time. So, get out the potting tools and material and refresh your trees.

I hope you were all able to attend the Bonsai-A-Thon, a bonsai enthusiast paradise with the vendors, exhibits, demonstrations, raffles and auctions. Once again, club member Kathy Boehme donated her hand-made bonsai pots, a total of 129, to the raffle. People were buzzing around the raffle tables admiring her pots and buying tickets to hopefully obtain one or more. All by themselves, Kathy’s pottery generates ticket sales that are a tremendous boost to the income that goes to support GSBF and The Huntington. Kathy is a tremendous asset to the Bonsai-A-Thon and our club. Thank you, Kathy.

~Dave

February 2019 Meeting Highlights

It was a very busy and exciting month for bonsai. Members were treated to a wonderful saikei demonstration by Frank Goya at the February meeting. We had the pleasure of attending the famous, annual Baikoen Silhouettes Show, and just ended the month with the Bonsai-A-Thon.

Frank Goya used three-year old procumbens nana junipers to construct his saikei. As usual, Frank had wired and styled the trees before coming to the meeting. He visualizes the rock and tree placement ahead of time, so his demonstration flows smoothly as he assembles the landscape. He used an odd number of rocks in his design and explained that the larger outside rocks are faced inward from both sides of the pot. He said the trees need to be placed so they flow in the same direction as the rocks. The flow of rocks and trees was toward the middle of the design where Frank placed his water effect (an integral part of most saikeis). He filled in the planting with moss and small accent plants to complete the saikei design. Frank makes it look simple, but his work is very deliberate and precise. His artistry was a pleasure to watch, and everyone wanted to take the saikei home. Jim Pelling was the lucky raffle winner, and his wife Judith was thrilled to have a Frank Goya saikei.

Thank You to our February Meeting Raffle Donors

Judy Anthony, Jerry Banuelos, Y.S. Farn, Edgar Fukutaki Family, Peter Macasieb

New Members

Daniel Deephouse

Welcome Back David, Jenny & Julian Tsai

Members Corner

This is just a gentle reminder that it’s now time to renew your 2019 membership for SABS. Our membership dues are vital to SABS remaining financially viable. The dues for each year are due in January. Past members who have not yet renewed are encouraged to do so at this time. If you joined SABS during Oct-Dec 2018 then your membership is current until Dec 2019. It has been exciting to see how SABS’s membership has grown during the past year. Thanks for your participation and support.

The SABS Newsletter is one of the “perks” of belonging to our club. When your membership is not renewed annually by the end of March 2019 the membership lapses and you are no longer eligible to receive this newsletter directly via email and/or US Mail. The newsletter will always be available on our website www.sabonsai.org

Upcoming Events

March 23-34
California Bonsai Society’s 62nd Bonsai Exhibition
9a-5pm daily
Huntington Library Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

April 27-28
San Diego Bonsai Club 54th Annual Spring Show
Casa del Prado Rm 101, Balboa Park

Come Join Us

Next Meeting
Date: March 9, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location:
LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

Mar 9 – Lindsay Shiba
April 13 – Ted Matson
May 11 – Al Nelson Workshop

Refreshment Schedule

Mar 9: Susan & Huong Dao, Judy Anthony, Frank Yee, Walt & Octavia Chin
April 13: Y.S. Farn, Judy Anthony, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Liz Do
May 11: David & Debra Mauzy-Melitz, Dick Ryerson

More sign up opportunities will be available at upcoming meetings

Newsletter-2019-03

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Bonsai Notebook

Frank Goya will be with us at the February 9 meeting to demonstrate the development of a three-tree saikei. Franks says he is cutting back on doing demos, so this will probably be the last time we will have him showing us his talent with saikei plantings. That makes it a “must see” event. His saikeis are prized by all who are fortunate enough to own one.

Frank has been involved in bonsai for over 50 years. He has a large collection of bonsai trees, but has become known as the “Dean of saikei”. One of his saikeis is on display at the National Arboretum in Washington D.C.

Frank was born in California, but during World War II he was sent to an internment camp, after which he served in the U.S. Army. After the war, he worked as a professional gardener. During this time he was introduced to the art of bonsai, which later led him to saikei.

Come to the February meeting and marvel at how Frank’s design comes to life. A lucky club member will take home the new saikei.

Meeting Time And Place:
Feb 9, 2019 at 7pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

At the January meeting, we renewed the service of our existing club Executive Board for another term. They include President Dave Miles, Program Chairman Gabriel Gonzalez, Treasurers Steve and Judy Anthony, Secretary Marge Blasingame, Webmaster Robert Sencer, Newsletter Editor Lorraine Miles, and Raffle Chairman Jim Pelling. Additionally, the following members will serve as Members at Large; Ray Blasingame, Peter Macasieb, Dick Ryerson, and Mike Kelly. Thanks to all of them for their Volunteerism.

I wish to thank Frank Yee for his many years of assistance on our Board, and I know he will continue being active as a club member.

In January we announced, coincidentally, a saikei workshop to be presented by Al Nelson at our May 11 meeting. With Frank Goya’s demo in February you will be teased by the idea of having a saikei and then be able to make your own in May. Al will supply all the necessary materials to make a complete saikei using Kingsville boxwood trees. It will be an opportunity to create your own saikei with the assistance of Al and his helpers.

The workshop will begin at 5:00pm, and non-participating members can come then as observers, or come closer to regular meeting hours and see the progress. We will still have our raffle table and refreshments. The workshop will accommodate up to 10 people and will cost $85.00 each (the cost of materials alone). We already have four participants, Jim Pelling, Mike Kelly, Daniel Deephouse, and Shai Amiel. We need to collect a $40.00 deposit at the Feb. meeting from those wishing to reserve a spot in the workshop. Don’t miss this chance to add a beautiful saikei to your collection.

We took a vote at the Jan. meeting to select our annual show theme. After a few attempts, the members settled on the theme of deciduous trees. The theme is broad enough that, hopefully, most members will have a tree to show this year.

~Dave

Jan 2019 Meeting Highlights

Louis Camerota was our guest presenter in January. Lou is an expert at raising and training Satsuki azalea bonsai. He has broken down the preparation of azaleas into several stages, and he demonstrated one at the meeting with others to follow over the next few years.

Lou brought a Satsuki azalea, Kogetsu variety, for his demonstration and donated it to the raffle. This stage of preparation involved pulling leaves off the inside of branches while keeping at least three leaves on the branch ends to draw energy. Pulling leaves allows for sunlight and air to circulate into the middle of the tree, and also serves to rid the tree of insects that hide on the leaves. Lou said the best time for leaf removal is November to December, but this January operation was acceptable from a timing standpoint. New shoots will pop where branches have been opened up.

Lou starts feeding his azaleas in October and stops when the weather hears up. He uses a 5-5-5 organic fertilizer and also uses water treated through a reverse osmosis system. He prefers using Kanuma soil. Lou keeps his azaleas in direct sun, but moves them into shade when temperatures hit 85 degrees.

He wires branches for styling and recommended doing branch bending in the winter before sap starts to flow. Lou said it was best to have the soil dry when bending so branches are more flexible. Branch bending, with or without wire, creates small fissures in the bark where new shoots will emerge.

When Lou cuts a branch on azaleas, he uses a plastic squeeze bottle with a small nozzle (ketchup bottle) to squeeze a wound sealant on the cut to protect it. He recommended no cutting after July 15 in order to insure flower growth. Lou said cold temperatures will cause leaves to exhibit coloring that mimics the color of the flowers the plant will produce.

Lou participated in our raffle and was lucky enough to win back his azalea. He really loved the tree.

Members Corner

This is just a gentle reminder that it’s now time to renew your 2019 membership for SABS. Our membership dues are vital to SABS remaining financially viable. The dues for each year are due in January. Past members who have not yet renewed are encouraged to do so at this time. If you joined SABS during Oct-Dec 2018 then your membership is current until Dec 2019. It has been exciting to see how SABS’s membership has grown during the past year. Thanks for your participation and support.

The SABS Newsletter is one of the “perks” of belonging to our club. When your membership is not renewed annually by the end of March 2019 the membership lapses and you are no longer eligible to receive this newsletter directly via email and/or US Mail. The newsletter will always be available on our website www.sabonsai.org

Thank You to everyone who donated to the awesome raffle table for our Jan Potluck Meeting.

New Member

Shai Amiel

Upcoming Events

February 23-24
Bonsai-A-Thon
7:30am – 5pm, vendors, demonstrations, exhibit, raffle, auction
Huntington Library Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

March 23-34
California Bonsai Society’s 62nd Bonsai Exhibition
9a-5pm daily
Huntington Library Botanical Gardens
1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

Come Join Us

Next Meeting
Date: February 9, 2019
Time: 7pm
Location:
LAC Arboretum, Palm Room
301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

Feb 9 – Frank Goya

Mar 9 – Lindsay Shiba

April 13 – TBA

May 11 – Al Nelson Workshop

Refreshment Schedule

Feb 9 – SABS Board Members

2019 Refreshment Sign ups will be available at the Feb meeting for future refreshment volunteers

Newsletter-2019-02

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Bonsai Notebook

Santa Anita Bonsai Society
Holiday Potluck, Demo and Raffle
January 12, 2019

For Food: Club will provide main dish and drinks. Bring your favorite side, salad or dessert to share

The Raffle: Bring an item for the table

Our January 12 meeting will be a little different from our past holiday meetings. We will have our annual holiday potluck dinner and feature a guest speaker at the same time. Louis Camerota, a long-time club member, will do a presentation on azaleas. Lou’s beautiful azaleas have been awarded “best of show” in our club shows, so we know he is knowledgeable about their care.

Lou was raised as a 3rd generation landscaper. He started working with bonsai in 1990. He originally learned about training Satsuki azaleas from Dwight Goins, a former student of Khan Komai. He also studied with Marty Hagberry. Currently, Lou is in his fourth year of study with David Nguy, and he specializes in Satsuki azaleas.

Join us at 6pm as we start the new year, with a wonderful dinner, presentation, and fully-stocked raffle table.

5:30p Board Meeting Prior to Potluck

Meeting Time And Place:
January 12, 2019 at 6pm
LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room

President’s Corner

Welcome to a new year for enjoying the bonsai art. Our club was the recent recipient of a generous donation of bonsai items from the family of Edgar Fukutaki, a member of the club many years ago. Among others in the club, Edgar was a friend of Bruce and Yaeko Hisayasu. After Edgar and his wife passed, the family contacted me and offered to donate his bonsai pots, tables, and wire. I received over 50 pots, some display stands, and a large quantity of wire.

Special thanks to the Fukutaki family for their thoughtfulness and generosity. Edgar’s bonsai items will be available on our raffle tables throughout the year, and I am sure our members will enjoy making use of them.

The new year brings many bonsai shows with opportunities to both display and admire the bonsai art in our area. We look forward to the annual Baikoen Winter Silhouettes show, the Bonsai-A-Thon, the California Bonsai Society show, and of course, our Memorial Day weekend show. Many other events will be listed in the newsletter as the year progresses. We will have a year filled with great demonstrations and opportunities to socialize with people who enjoy the bonsai art form. ~Dave

November 2018 Meeting Highlights

We ended 2018 with a presentation by Dennis Makishima at the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb. Dennis brought a trident maple that he used to demonstrate pruning techniques unique to tridents. The tree went to our raffle table at the end of the evening. Dennis explained that pruning branches or roots produces a callus at the cut, and new shoots will develop from the callus site. They can be removed or used to develop proportion in branch size working up the trunk.

Dennis said branches that are aligned going up the trunk share the same water line from the roots for feeding the tree. If you cut a trident branch back to the trunk above other in-line branches, lower branches may die back all the way down.

He suggested removing an unnecessary lower branch first and working up over time. Dennis also recommended keeping a tree in a larger container while branches are cut for styling so calluses heal faster.

He said you can expand the root base of a trident by fusing a rooted cutting at the base of the trunk where you need new roots. By cutting the bark from the cutting and the matching position on the trunk you can tie the cutting to the trunk and have it fuse over time. The fused cutting will blend with the trunk, and new roots will be established for the tree.

Thanks again to Peter and Marissa Macasieb for their hospitality.

Dennis was very entertaining and informative. Everyone appreciated the extent of his knowledge and experience with trident maples.

Vic Shelton was the winner of Dennis’s tree in the raffle

Thank You to everyone who donated to the November Meeting Raffle Table at Peter’s

New Members

Eunice Jee

Members Corner

This is just a gentle reminder that it’s now time to renew your 2019 membership for SABS. Our membership dues are vital to SABS remaining financially viable. The dues for each year are due in January. Past members who have not yet renewed are encouraged to do so at this time. If you joined SABS during Oct-Dec 2018 then your membership is current until Dec 2019. It has been exciting to see how SABS’s membership has grown during the past year. Thanks for your participation and support.

The SABS Newsletter is one of the “perks” of belonging to our club. When your membership is not renewed annually by the end of March 2019 the membership lapses and you are no longer eligible to receive this newsletter directly via email and/or US Mail. The newsletter will always be available on our website www.sabonsai.org

Upcoming Events

January 19-20
Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai 54 Annual Winter Silhouettes Show
LA Arboretum, 10a-4:30pm, Sat. night reception with entertainment, food, raffle and auction

February 23-24
Bonsai-A-Thon
7:30am – 5pm, vendors, demonstrations, exhibit, raffle, auction
Huntington Botanical Garden, 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino

Come Join Us

Next Meeting
Date: January 12, 2019
Time: 6pm
Location: LAC Arboretum
Palm Room 301 N. Baldwin Ave.
Arcadia, CA 91007

Board Meeting Jan 12 Prior to Potluck 5:30p

2019 Monthly Meeting Dates

Jan 12 —- Holiday Potluck & Raffle Demo by Louis Camerota
Feb 9 —- Frank Goya
Mar 9 —- Lindsay Shiba

Refreshment Schedule

Jan 2019 — Annual Potluck Dinner, Club will provide main dish and drinks bring a favorite dish: a side, salad or dessert to share

2019 Refreshment Sign ups will be available at this Jan meeting

Newsletter-2019-01

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Bonsai Notebook

Dennis Makishima will be our guest demonstrator at the November meeting. As a reminder, the meeting will begin at 6:00pm at the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb. It will be a regular meeting with scheduled refreshments and no potluck. Continue reading →