Newsletter September 2021

Bonsai Notebook

Meeting Time And Place:
September 11, 2021 at 6pm
at the Home of David & June Nguy

Our Sept. 11 meeting will be held at the home of David and June Nguy in Chino. We will start at 6:00pm to take advantage of the daylight for the outdoor site. We will not have a potluck dinner. Refreshments will be provided by club members and you are always welcome to bring your own snacks. Directions to David and June’s home will follow in the newsletter.

David Nguy will be our demonstrator, so we are looking forward to David’s bonsai artistry. Come early so you have time to view David and June’s vast bonsai collection. Viewing their trees is a treat all by itself. We are so 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 pine are also his specialty, and many of both are on display in his collection.

I hope you all had the opportunity to view the show at the Westminster Mall, hosted by David and June and the Chino Bonsai Club. It was the most spectacular show I have ever seen. The quality of the trees was amazing, and the show was a testament to David’s leadership as a true bonsai master. Join us for a summer evening of bonsai.

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

President’s Corner

The Golden State Bonsai Federation is hosting the “Bonsai Rendezvous” Oct. 2-3 in Santa Nella. The event will be held at the Hotel Mission de Oro, and there will be no fees to participate. The event will include demonstrations, critiques, and silent auctions. Vendors from both northern and southern California will be there selling everything bonsai. You can get more details including a schedule of all events by searching “2021 GSBF bonsai rendezvous” online.

I appreciate the support of our club members as we have resumed regular meetings. The virus is still an issue for all of us, but we are moving ahead with our meetings, while counting on members to keep themselves safe. We have been using meeting sites away from the Arboretum because of event conflicts, and we hope the inconvenience will not deter members from attending. We are working hard to have interesting and worthwhile programs so members enjoy attending regardless of the meeting location. Again, thank you for your support.

We are still experiencing hot weather, so try to avoid overly stressing your trees with heavy pruning. The Fall season is around the corner, hopefully bringing cooler weather. For your trees’ well being and for you own peace of mind, spend time with your trees every day.

Anytime you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via the SABS website at www.sabonsai.org.

~Dave

August 2021 Meeting Highlights

We were treated to an entertaining and informative demonstration by Julian Tsai at the Aug. meeting. He styled an in-ground grown Itoigawa juniper and shared stories of his internship at the Fujikawa Kouka-en nursery in Japan. Julian carved shari (deadwood) on the trunk of the tree prior to the demo to save time. He said shari should flow with the grain of the trunk to avoid cutting through lifelines. He explained on you choose branches to use in your design, you can follow their lifelines along the trunk and not carve shari on them.

When creating branch structure, Julian said that you should not “stack “ branches to form pads. Use single branches and let the pad develop over time. Julian described the importance of having good foliage density close to the trunk. He warned not to compress foliage to try and get it closer to the trunk in order to accomplish the design you want. Bending branches inward to compress foliage will take away from the natural flow of the tree.

Julian completed his work on the “still developing” tree and left sacrificial branches for the future growth of young branches. The result was a very graceful design with room to fill out beautifully. We all appreciated Julian’s work and instructive dialog. Steve Anthony was the lucky winner of Julian’s work.

Members Corner

The newsletter, updates and better quality photos are always available on our website www.sabonsai.org.

Many of you have questions about Club dues. For all who paid in 2020 prior to the close down, your membership will remain current thru Dec 2021. For those of you joining in 2021 your membership will extend until Dec 2022.

Please join us in welcoming our new members in 2021

Barry & Guy Altshulte, Ron Espiritu, Jackie Zinder, R Godwin Milner, Manuel Dizon & Ian Killips, Joel Villalua, Hubert Llanes, Denise & Phil Williams, Julio Martinez, Marren Padrones

Please note the September 11 meeting time change to 6p to allow for maximum lighting during the evening

Thank you to our August Raffle Table Donors

Jerry Banuelos, Sue Cook, Y.S.Farn, Dave Miles, Victor Shelton, Wendy Tsai, Frank Yee, And to all who so generously purchase tickets

Upcoming Events

Sept 18
Bonsai Pot Sale at Jim Barrett’s home:
480 Oxford Rd, Arcadia 91006
9a-2pm: no early entry – lottery may be used if necessary, cash or check only
for questions contact Dave Miles 909-519-5391

October 2-3
GSBF Bonsai Rendezvous, Hotel Mission de Oro, Santa Nella, 9a-4p daily with demonstrations, critiques, vendors, no banquets, see website for details, www.gsbfconvention.org.

Come Join Us

Next Meeting:
Date: Sept 11, 2021
Time: 6 pm
Location:
At the home of David & June Nguy

2021 Monthly Meeting Dates

Sept 11 — Home of Dave & June Nguy
Oct 9 — LAC Arboretum – program TBA
Nov 13 — Longo Toyota – program TBA

Refreshment Schedule

Sept 11 — Sue Cook, Jackie Zinder, Hubert Llanes, Marren Padrones
Oct 9 — Julio Martinez, Y.S. Farn

2021 Refreshment Sign ups will be available at Sept meeting

Newsletter August 2021

Bonsai Notebook

Meeting Time And Place:
August 14, 2021 at 7pm
Longo Toyota Meeting Room, El Monte, CA 91731
6pm Board Meeting prior to General Meeting

The August 14 meeting will be held at Longo Toyota, 3534 Peck Rd., El Monte at 7:00pm. We have used the meeting rooms at Longo before when summer concerts interrupt our meeting dates. This site is a close alternative to the Arboretum and a valuable resource for us. The meeting room is downstairs on the west end of the main showroom building.

Our demonstrator for the evening will be Julian Tsai. You may remember Julian from when he joined the club with his parents a few years ago. He has since progressed quickly in the bonsai art.

Julian developed a passion for bonsai during his college years and pursued an
apprenticeship at Fujikawa Kouka-en in Osaka, Japan. He studied with Mr. Keiichi
Fujikawa, and the experience gave him a foundation in both evergreen and deciduous
techniques. Julian puts an emphasis on horticulture and development that enable
sustainable design.

As a young and new bonsai artist, he hopes to create beautiful trees and share his
enthusiasm for the art. Come and watch Julian apply his talents on a tree that will go
home with a lucky raffle winner.

President’s Corner

I hope you are all enjoying the renewal of our month meetings. The interest and pleasure of our art form is much more suited to live meetings.

Well, the weather has definitely heated up. Be sure to keep up a regular watering
schedule. I water every day because of my fast draining soil and sometimes twice on the 100+ degree days. Misting also helps during extreme heat. It will help minimize leaf burning. Water in the morning so moisture has a chance to soak in before the daily heat evaporates it. It is easy to let our trees get away from us with quick summer growth. Keep up with trimming so sun can get into the middle of trees and promote growth close to the trunk.

The Golden State Bonsai Federation is hosting a “Bonsai Rendezvous” October 1-2 in Santa Nella. There will be no fees, so it will be a great opportunity to see free
demonstrations, get critiques on your own trees, and shop with vendors from northern and southern California. Check their website for details, www.gsbfconvention.org.
Anytime you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at
[email protected] or via the SABS website at www.sabonsai.org

~Dave

July 2021 Meeting Highlights

We had a great time at our first live meeting post-covid at the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb. As usual, we got to marvel at Peter’s wonderful collection. We were able to visit with each other and be treated to a fun demonstration by Peter. Peter started by talking about his favorite topic, developing shohin bonsai. Using examples from his collection, he talked about cutting trees back hard to get to the necessary size, flat-cutting root bases for size and new root growth, and layering of larger trees. At one point, Peter picked up his reciprocating saw and quickly cut a large tree down to shohin size. He surprised us all, but made a dramatic point. We loved it.

Just when we wondered if Peter was going to work on a demo tree, he brought out a nice medium sized black pine and began wiring and bending. He talked about wiring technique as he worked, and a beautifully shaped bonsai began to materialize. Peter’s wonderful talent coupled with his vision for the tree resulted in a bonsai we all wanted to take home.

After the demo we had our raffle, with the largest collection of trees and bonsai items I
can remember seeing at our meetings. It took awhile to give away everything, and I hope everyone enjoyed it. The evening culminated with Zane Meints winning Peter’s tree. Zane, who was at his first club meeting, was surprised and pleased with his luck. He got pointers from Peter after the meeting, and looks forward to learning more.

Members Corner

The newsletter, updates and better quality photos are always be available on our website www.sabonsai.org It was wonderful to have an opportunity to visit with current members and welcome so many new bonsai enthusiasts to our July meeting. Our turn out was exceptional, the demo complete with a sawzall lesson was fascinating, the raffle table was extraordinary and the opportunity to be together in a live setting and share bonsai was memorable.

Many had questions about Club dues. For all who paid in 2020 prior to the close down,
your membership will remain current thru Dec 2021. For those of you joining in 2021 your membership will extend until Dec 2022.

Please join us in welcoming our new members in 2021

Barry & Guy Altshule
Ron Espiritu
Jackie Zinder
Manuel Dizon & Ian KillipsJoel Villalua
Hubert LlanesDenise & Phil Williams
Julio MartinezMarren Padrones

Thank You To our July Raffle Table Donors

Jerry Banuelos, Sue Cook, Ron Espirit, Emma Janza, Mike Kelly, Gary Lai, Matt Mahafrey, Dave Miles, Michael Robinson, Victor Shelton, Wendy Tsai, Frank Yee

And to all who so generously purchase tickets

Upcoming Events

October 2-3
GSBF Bonsai Rendezvous
Hotel Mission de Oro, Santa Nella, 9a-4p daily with
demonstrations, critiques, vendors, no banquets, see website for details,
www.gsbfconvention.org

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date: August 14, 2021
Time: 7:00PM
Location:
Longo Toyota Meeting Room
3534 Peck Road
El Monte, CA

Board Meeting

August 14
Prior General Meeting
6:00 PM

2021 Monthly Meeting Dates

Aug 14 — Longo Toyota – Julian Tsai
Sept 11 — Home of Dave & June Nguy
Oct 9 — Arboretum – guest TBA
Nov 13 — TBA

Refreshment Schedule

Aug 14 — Joel Villalu , Wendy Tsai, Barry Altshule
Sept 11 — Sue Cook, Jackie Zinder, Hubert Llanes, Marren Padrones

2021 Refreshment Sign ups will be available at Aug meeting

July Meeting Update

Santa Anita Bonsai Society

CLUB MEETING  SATURDAY JULY 10, 2021 at 6pm

At long last we are having a meeting!  The Arboretum wasted no time in scheduling summer concerts, so our July 10 meeting will be held at the home of Peter and Marissa Macasieb in West Covina . The meeting will start at 6:00pm, so we have the extra daylight for this outdoor event.  Masks will be optional, but we hope everyone will be comfortable coming to the meeting to restart our regular schedule.  It will be great to see each other after such a long pause in our routine.

It is always a treat to walk around Peter’s yard and admire his large and diverse bonsai collection.  I am sure he will be glad to answer questions about how he does it all! Peter will do a demonstration for us, and there will be a raffle table.  Bring bonsai related items you would like to donate to the raffle.

There will not be any refreshments provided as we do our best to navigate through these  post-pandemic times.  You are welcome to bring your own snacks and beverages.

Join us for a fun summer evening as we rekindle our bonsai interests. Directions to Peter and Marissa’s home can be found here.

CLUB ACTIVITIES UPDATE

I am very sorry we were not able to have our annual show this year.  We are already scheduled for the Memorial Day weekend in 2022.  Although the Arboretum has been open to visitors for walking through the gardens, their buildings have been closed to meetings and events.

As you know, the state opened up from the pandemic closures June 15.  The Arboretum notified me a week before our scheduled June 25 set-up date that they would allow the show to proceed.  However, a number of requirements were added.  These included mandatory monitoring fees and limiting entry to the show to our members only.  Others could attend by  pre-registering and paying admission to the Arboretum.  Having only a week’s notice, the Board agreed there was insufficient time to try and comply with the new restrictions and put on a successful show.

The Arboretum is now being managed by the Arboretum Foundation rather than Los Angeles County.  The Foundation has made a number of changes in fees and other operational issues.   I will share the changes with the members when I have the details.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org  

I look forward to seeing all of you as we restart our meetings in July.

Dave

SABS Annual Show Update

Well, we are sorry to report that due to continued complications restrictions at the Los Angeles Arboretum, we will have to cancel this year’s Annual Bonsai Show. We had hoped that moving the dates to the weekend of June 25th – 27th would allow time for new meetings and gathering rules to be in place for the show, but at this time it has become clear that this will not be possible. So in the meantime, keep refining and caring for your trees to make sure they are ready for next year. It will be here faster than any of us think.

In other new, the club will be having it’s regular club meeting on July 10th. This meeting will being at 6:00PM. Additional details about the location will be sent out later in the month. Standby and we look forward to seeing you all again in July!! Stay cool and make sure your trees are getting plenty of water. Summer is finally here. See you all soon.

May Meeting Update

NO MEETING OR SHOW IN MAY 2021

Santa Anita Bonsai Society Members,

I have been notified by the Arboretum that their buildings will not be open during the month of May.  We will not have our monthly meeting on May 8, and no show in Ayres Hall over the Memorial Day weekend,  The notification was timely, and I expect the June status of the Arboretum will also be timely.

The Arboretum has reserved the weekend of June 25 for our show.  Of course there are no guarantees that Ayres Hall will be open for use at this time.  The Governor has said the state would be open by June 15, so I am optimistic we will have a show in June.  I appreciate your patience, and I hope you are excited by the potential for a show in 2021.

Please fill out the show entry form along with the volunteer portion that was sent out so we can plan for the show set-up.  You can mail the form or call me with the information, whichever works best for you. Thanks to all who have already responded.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org  

Continue to stay safe and well.  It is time for things to move toward normalcy.  I will let everyone know as soon as I am notified regarding our club meeting for June and our show; I am optimistic!

Dave

SABS Annual Show – May 2021

Santa Anita Bonsai Society Members,

This year will be our 58th annual show, having skipped last year due to the Covid pandemic.  I hope everyone is safe and well.  I mentioned in the last letter we were considering an outdoor show option.  After much input and discussion, our Board decided to drop the idea of an outdoor show because of a number of complications it would create. 

The Board wants to continue having the show inside Ayres Hall.  If our Memorial Day weekend date (5/28 – 5/31) is cancelled, the Arboretum has offered us the weekend of June 25 as an alternative.  We hope that between the two dates, we will finally have our live show once again.  I plan to have a general membership meeting before the show if allowed by the Arboretum. 

The Board agreed to waive membership dues this year.  It is our hope that all our members will consider entering at least one tree in our show and be part of the return of a live bonsai event.  The sale table will be included in the show, so our members will have the opportunity to market their bonsai items.  This could be the first live bonsai event in Southern California this year.  We are excited to see it happen.

The entry form for the May 28-31 Show is available upon request.  If you would like to enter in the SABS 2021 Show and/or have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org  Thank you all for your patience during the last year.

Many of you may already know, but our long-time member and treasurer, Bill Hutchinson has sadly passed away.  Bill and his wife Lois were our Secretary/Treasurers for many years, as well as providing the same services to other local clubs.  Bill died peacefully on April 1, at age 94.  He had been living in Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania where he and Lois moved to be close to family.  Rest in peace Bill, and our thoughts and prayers go out to Lois and family.

As always, stay safe and well,
Dave

April Meeting Update

Santa Anita Bonsai Society Members,

Hello everyone.  I hope you are all managing well through the pandemic and chaotic year.

We are not able to have a club meeting on April 10 but in an effort to move toward normalcy,  the Board is hoping to host our annual Memorial Day Weekend Show as a live, in-person event.  We want all our members to prepare a tree for display.  We will dispense with having a theme, so pick your favorite tree; multiples if you like.

The Arboretum does not know yet if Ayres Hall will be open for our use.  I made a proposal that we display our trees, as an alternative, outside the Hall entry doors on the patio area.  They liked the idea, but could not approve our show, inside or out, until they get updated guidelines from the County.

We are hoping that by the end of May, the pandemic restrictions will be relaxed enough for a safe and worry-free show.  Of course, if there is anyone who would still be uncomfortable with participation, we understand.

If you are open to the idea of a show, prepare a tree (or two), and we will let you know the show status as soon as we can.  The Board will be meeting to plan the details so we are ready.  If you have any questions, call me at 909-519-5391.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org  

As always, stay safe and well,

Dave

2021 Bonsai-A-Thon

The 2021 Bonsai-A-Thon will be held on Saturday, February 27 and will be a virtual, Zoom event.  It is open to all, but you must pre-register to get the Zoom link.  Go to www.huntington.org/events/virtual-bonsai-thon and fill out the form.  An email confirmation and virtual ticket will be sent to you. The program will be in two segments.  The first will be from 10:00 am – 11:00 am.  Ted Matson will host a virtual tour of the bonsai courts.  In the second segment, 1:30 pm – 3:00 pm, Phillip E. Bloom will present the new penjing court and will discuss the history of this art form.

February Meeting Update

Santa Anita Bonsai Society February 2021 meeting is cancelled

Santa Anita Bonsai Society Members,

Greetings to everyone and welcome to a new year, and hopefully new beginnings. There will be no meeting for our club on February 13. I have asked about opening up the Arboretum for meetings, but there is no plan in place yet. Now that we have the vaccines and a lot of illness-related immunities, I am looking forward to us resuming our club schedule.

For now, Baikoen Bonsai Kenkyukai has scheduled a “virtual” 57th Winter Silhouettes Show and Auction on February 6, 2021. It will be shown online. The show will go “live” online with pictures and videos of the trees and a narrative by Tom Lau and Joe Galgoul, followed by an on-line auction. Go to the links below for the show.

www.youtube.com/c/BaikoenBonsaiClub.

www.baikoenbonsai.com

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org.

As always, stay safe and well,
~Dave

January Meeting Update

Santa Anita Bonsai Society January 2021 meeting is cancelled

Santa Anita Bonsai Society Members,

NO MEETING IN JANUARY

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.  I hope you have been able to remain safe and well throughout this unique year. 

The Arboretum called me and said the money we paid for our 2020 meetings would be rolled over to cover 2021 without additional payments.  Our regular meeting and show dates for the new year are set.  We may lose some summer dates if concerts are scheduled, but I will let you know.  The Arboretum has not projected when we will have access to our meeting room, so we will not meet in January.

Baikoen will be putting on a virtual Silhouettes Show and Auction on February 6, to be shown online.  I will provide information as I receive it.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lorraine & I at [email protected] or via our website at www.sabonsai.org  

Again, enjoy the holidays, and I will wait for word from the Arboretum on our return.

Dave