October 2021 Bonsai Newsletter
Let’s start the month off with some good news: the Westlake Village Community Center has confirmed that they will reopen in January 2022. After many months as the Conejo Valley Bonsai Society in virtual space, we can look forward to resuming in-person, real-time meetings.
Caution: While the city has set this date, plans re-main subject to change based on pandemic developments, health officer orders, and the City’s operations. Keep your fingers crossed!
Back to Virtual Reality
We’re still on Covid restrictions in both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, so in place of our annual bonsai exhibition at the Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks, we again will hold a virtual show in our newsletter.
For this virtual show, please take pictures of up to three of your bonsai. Companion plants are not required, but do pose your trees in front of as blank a background as possible on a display stand, slab, or matt. Send your digital photographs to newsletter editor David Whiteside (at editor@cvbs-bonsai.org) by Saturday, November 6, 2021. Be sure to identify the species in as much detail as you can (e.g., “prostate juniper” instead of just “juniper”).
Not sure how to take really good bonsai photographs? See CVBS Photographer David Williams’ article “How To Enhance Your Bonsai Photos” on pages 4 – 5 of this issue.
Keep in mind that, given the late date of our virtual show, you may be able to add a seasonal perspective. If you’re lucky, some of your deciduous trees will be sporting fall colors; please seriously consider including some of these. Realistically, however, at this time of year in our climate, foliage on deciduous trees can be in less than prime condition. Consider removing all the dead or dying leaves and present a winter silhouette. Give it some thought and see how creative you can be.
GSBF Matters
The annual GSBF/Huntington Gardens Bonsai-A-Thon will be in February 2022. The question is whether to plan an in-person activity or a virtual event as we did in 2021? Please let me know whether you would attend and/or volunteer if it is an in-person, physical event.
