Newsletter June 2023

Bonsai Notebook

Next SABS Meeting:

June 10, 2023

7 pm

LA Arboretum— Ayres Hall

Welcome again to our wonderful club members and those thinking of learning more about bonsai.
The June 10 meeting will be at 7:00pm in Ayres Hall at the L.A. Arboretum.
Our guest demonstrator will be Bill Ward.

Bill has acquired much of his bonsai stock by scouring nurseries and yards all over for good bonsai material.
He will be sharing what he looks for in regular nursery stock to then develop worthwhile bonsai for a reasonable price.

Twelve years ago Bill thought that a bonsai tree would look good next to his koi pond.
He went to House of Bonsai, bought a juniper and a book on how to style it.
That adventure went well, and he began to study bonsai with John Nielson and later with Al Nelson.

Bill enjoys searching for a “diamond in the rough” that can become a beautiful bonsai.
Join us in June to hear and see how he does it.

President’s Corner

As we move from late spring into summer, many of our trees are going through growth spurts.
Deciduous trees push out leggy shoots and larger leaves.
Let new growth harden off before cutting back, and leaf-prune to reduce leaf size.
You can defoliate a healthy deciduous tree in June and July.
This kind of drastic leaf pruning works with maples, liquid amber, and hornbeam.
It works with many other deciduous trees and some evergreens like oak, but be careful.

Insects and fungus are prevalent during the summer, so plan on use of insecticides and fungicides to control them.
Fertilizer is also important for the health and growth of our trees.
There are an abundance of products on the market.
We get advice on fertilizers during demonstrations, but it differs from artist to artist.
Listen to and search out options and use what works for you.
Remember to generally use half the amount the package recommends for potted plants.
Enjoy your summertime trees.

~Dave

Members Corner

Welcome New Members:

Susan & Huong Dao
Christopher & Tracy Brown
Steve Salisian & Izzy Murillo

  • Many thanks to all who have renewed for 2023
  • Our membership drive for 2023 continues….
    Annual dues are $20 for Individuals and $25 for family memberships.
    Dues may be paid by cash or check.
    If you are unable to attend a meeting but would like to join SABS please contact Lorraine at [email protected] to receive a mail–in membership form.

May 2023 Auction Meeting Highlights

May was an exciting month for our club.
We were not able to have our annual Memorial Day Weekend show because of the on-going construction at the Arboretum.
We turned that negative into a positive by hosting our first-ever bonsai auction on our May meeting night.

Thanks to the auction committee, Chaired by Bryan Nicholson, for the planning and successful operation of the event.
We had a nice mix of club members and visiting bonsai enthusiasts who participated as bidders.
Together with a surprising abundance of bonsai trees and pots, the auction was a great success for the club.

Special thanks go to all the volunteers who handled the operation of the auction.
Wendy Tsai and Lorraine Miles handled the check-in, and together with the treasurers Steve and Judy Anthony, handled the pay-outs to all the sellers.
Ellen Keneshea and Kathy Benson did the critical job of tallying the auction results for each item, keeping calm in the midst of chaos.
Manuel Dizon, Ian Killips and Christian Lebano helped set-up and acted as runners throughout and kept the items moving.
The auctioneers, Mike Kelly and Anthony Aguirre kept the event light-hearted and orderly (mostly).
Bryan Nicholson kept all the paperwork in order to round out the night.
The club appreciates all the hard work and effort that went into producing a wonderful night of bonsai enjoyment for all.

We would also like to extend a “thank you” to all of you who so generously donated items to the Auction

Kathy Benson, YS Farn, Joe Galgoul
Mike Kelly, Ellen Keneshea, David & June Nguy
Steve Riley, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Doyle Saito
Vic Shelton, Lindsay Shiba, Carol Upston

Our paperwork is still a little jumbled, so we apologize to anyone we may have missed on this list.
Thank you very much

And to all who so generously participated during this Auction

2023 SABS Monthly Meeting Dates

June 10 —
Location: LA Arboretum —Ayres Hall
Demo: Bill Ward

July 8 —
Location: home of David & June Nguy
Demo: David Nguy

Aug 12 —
Location: home of Peter & Marissa in West Covina
Demo: Peter Macasieb
Air Layering part 2

Refreshment Schedule

Snacks & Appetizers & Desserts

June 10—
P. Macasieb, S. Riley, Y.S. Farn

July 08—
F. Saya

Aug 12 —
P Macasieb, V Shelton

Sign ups for 2023 Refreshments will be available at the June 10 meeting

Upcoming Events


June 11 — (date corrected from original post)
Arcadia Bonsai Swap Meet
405 S. Santa Anita Ave.
Arcadia
north end of parking lot, 10a-12p .
For more info email: [email protected]

Oct 20-22 —
GSBF Bonsai Rendezvous
Hotel Mission De Oro
Santa Nella
209-826-4444 for reservations (rooms going quickly, other motels in town) go to www.gsbfbonsai.org/2023-rendezvous for info.

Come Join Us

Next Meeting

Date:
June 10, 2023

Time:
7 pm

Location:
LA Arboretum– Ayres Hall
301 N. Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007
Enter thru the Ayres Gate in the East parking lot