Newsletter – October 2014

Santa Anita Bonsai Society
A community dedicated to the study and appreciation of the ancient art of Bonsai.


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2014-10-Img01Bonsai Notebook

We are nearing the end of another year, so join us at the October meeting where the program will feature our own Peter Macasieb.  We are very fortunate to have him as a member and officer in our club.  Peter’s expertise and talents have earned him a great deal of recognition in the bonsai world.  He  is well known for his success with grafting, especially with Itoigowa juniper.  Peter has a number of trees with beautifully styled foliage entirely from grafts.  In addition to our club, Peter belongs to several others including California Bonsai Society, Nampu Kai.  He teaches classes, and a number of his students have joined us at our club. 2014-10-Img01Demonstrations help us continue to learn and strengthen our bonsai knowledge.  Don’t miss another great opportunity in October. Meeting Time And Place: October 11, 2014 at 7pm LAC Arboretum/ Palm Room  

President’s Corner

The Fall season is a time for collecting seeds to start new seedlings.  Look for seeds and seed balls around trees in parks and forests that interest you.  I look for oak trees with a style and shape I like and collect the acorns under it.  Seeds will bear the characteristics of the tree they are from. You will wire and shape seedlings into a shape of your choice, but starting with seeds from a healthy, strong tree is a good beginning. Remember to mark your calendars for the November 8 club meeting when we will have Mauro Stemberger coming all the way from Italy to be our guest demonstrator.  We are fortunate in Southern California to have some of the best bonsai artists in the world available for demonstrations.  It will be exciting to have a rising star from another   country at our meeting. We will vote for new officers and board members at the November meeting.  It is important for the future operation of our club that we maintain our Board of Directors and infuse it with new people and ideas. Anyone interested in serving please let me know at 909-594-6210. ~Dave Miles

September Highlights …

2014-10-Img02We received a lesson in root cuttings from Cesareo Perez in September.  Specifically, Cesareo talked about Ficus salicifolia, or narrow-leaf ficus.  This particular species can be propagated easily from root cuttings, and Cesareo brought several examples of two-year old material grown from root cuttings. He demonstrated cutting the fat base roots at soil level from one of his trees, bringing the fine roots with them.  These were then planted with approximately one inch of the top of  the cutting exposed above the soil.  After 60-120 days the cutting should produce foliage, perhaps sooner. Cesareo said the warm summer months were a good time for ficus cuttings because it is a tropical species.  The new cuttings should be kept in a shaded area until foliage appears, then gradually brought into the sun. Cesareo encouraged us to have a story to tell about each   of our trees.  As a tree design develops, think of the environmental effects that might have influenced the tree’s shape.  We want our trees to represent a tree in nature affected by its surroundings and weather. 2014-10-Img03 September demo winners were Truc Van Le & Joe Gutierrez

What’s New

If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter electronically please send your email contact information to Dave Miles at:  [email protected]  or register on our   website by clicking on   the “Mailing List” link. (Your email information will be kept   confidential for newsletter purposes  only and will not be shared.)

September Raffle Donors

Thank you to:  Judy and Steve Anthony, Jerry Banuelos, Y.S. Farn, Tom Freeman, Bill & Lois Hutchinson, Dave Miles, Dick Ryerson, Paul Terhune,  Marilyn Tyler and Frank Yee

Upcoming Events

Oct. 4-5, 2014, Thousand Oaks Conejo Valley Bonsai Society Exhibition Gardens of the World’s Resource Center 2001 Thousand Oaks Blvd. 9a-4p daily with demos at 11a and 2p No sales table More info; www.cvbs-bonsai.org Oct. 30 – Nov. 2, 2014 GSBF Convention, Sacramento, Ca. gsbf-bonsai.org/convention Nov 8 2014 Mauro Stemberger demonstration at Santa Anita Bonsai Society

Meeting Dates

Oct  11, 2014 Nov  8, 2014 Dec– no meeting

New Members

Louis Camerota Truc Van Le

Next Meeting

Date: October 11, 2014 Time: 7pm Location: LAC Arboretum, Palm Room 301 N. Baldwin Ave Arcadia, Ca  91007

2014 Monthly Program

October:  Peter Macasieb November: Mauro Stemberger

2014 Refreshment Schedule

October:    T & A Freeman, J. Gutierrez, P. Macasieb, R. Sencer November:  P. Macasieb, J. Cervantes, G. Gonzalez, E. Janza [wpdm_file id=18]  

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