May 2016 Newsletter

 In Newsletters

Our April meeting was a workshop and a very busy evening. We were all working on our trees with some major work going on (see photo, page 5). We also had guest visitors who had an opportunity to move around the room and watch members work on their trees and ask questions. It was a good way for the new members to meet and get to know our group.

CVBS member Bob Pressler’s Kimura Bonsai and Landscape Nursery in Northridge is holding a special pot event at 9:00 AM on Saturday, May 21st. His guest will be Michael Ryan Bell, regarded by many as the foremost bonsai pot expert in the U.S. He will be doing a show and talk on quality bonsai pots. Guests are invited to bring in pots, which Michael will identify and appraise. There will be a special selection of Japanese pots available for sale. Bob promises prices will be reasonable and that you’ll go home with a new appreciation for bonsai pots. It promises to be a very educational day! The nursery is located at 17230 Roscoe Blvd. Northridge, CA 91325 or call (818) 343-4090.

Don’t forget our autumn show at the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks the first weekend of October—Saturday and Sunday October 1st and 2nd. Give your trees some thought for the show. There are a number of spring bonsai shows coming up. Try to take in as many as possible. (The club list and dates are on page 6.) Of particular note, in May there are the Sansui-Kai of Southern California and Bonsai Club of Santa Barbara shows. And in June there is the Descanso Bonsai Society show; some CVBS members display trees there, so mark it on your calendar and support both our members and Descanso. Some of these shows are judged and have vendor or club sales sections and some are an exhibition only, so there is a variety of activity to take in.

Don’t forget our annual swap meet in August. If you have bonsai trees, pots, or related material, bring them in. If you have a tree you just don’t know what to do with, here is a good place to have someone else pick it up and view it with fresh eyes.

We had a club board meeting May 12th. We discussed community activities we might become involved in. If you have attended community activities that you feel have potential synergy with our club, please let us know so we can look and plan for future programs we could get involved in. The no-show El Nino this year is creating problems with a number of landscape trees here in the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. The aquifer for the ground level water is very low, which is causing trees to die or become very week and sickly.

Keep an eye on your trees because these sick trees in your yard or your neighbor’s yard can bring critters and diseases onto your bonsai trees. Spider mites have given me headaches! Keep your trees fertilized, healthy, and strong—and watch your wiring! See you Thursday, May 19th.

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