Special Meeting
January 14, 2005
7:00-10p.m. John Thompson
Kusamura is pleased to have John Thompson for
our January meeting. He will be presenting a
demonstration on one of his favorite trees, oaks,
one where his passion has enriched his quest for
knowledge. This meeting will begin at 7 pm and
there will be no techniques workshop.
John has been involved in bonsai for many years
with a particular interest in native California
species, particularly oak, boxwood, and juniper.
His exceptional presentation skills and incredible
depth of experience have made him a very popular
teacher of bonsai. He is currently serving as one
of the directors of the American Bonsai Society. He
has studied bonsai under Kathy Shaner and is
currently continuing his bonsai study with Harunobu
Tokita in Japan.
Book Sale
Kusamura Bonsai Club would like to announce a
sale of wonderful old bonsai books and magazines.
We have some rare books, several first editions,
a few signed.
All were donated by former members Joe Clepp,
Tom Refvem and Pete and Amy Sugawara. This sale is
raising funds for our club.
To see the collection click
here.
February Meeting
Kusamura has
received a donation of some older trees to use for
our show. We will use the February meeting as a
potting party with as many members as possible.
Those with more expertise will help those who
request to be helped. This will be a hands-on
learning experience as well as a benefit to your
club.
December Meeting, Annual Holiday Party
This excellent
event was put together by Jane Iki and Charlene
Fischer who turned the church meeting hall into a
wonderfully decorated room with bright table cloths
and centerpieces. The potluck dinner was delicious
with plenty of food for all.
Charlene made
thank you notes with the Kusamura Club Logo as
table prizes. Lonnie McCormick donated jars of his
wonderful homemade jam as table prizes also.
There was an
assortment of donated prizes for a special raffle
(who donated prizes?)
There were some
good bargains at the silent auction. Only one item
had active bidding, a California Juniper. The rest
of the items were purchased by the Plantings.
Show Time Nag From Your Chairman
Sorry guys, but
the show is an important annual event for our club.
I want us to have the best show ever.
Potting Parties
Historically, Kusamura has three
potting parties , one each month from January
through March. The last of the events on this year's schedule is as
follows:
March 13,
Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm
The Plantings
have graciously hosted these events for as long as
I can remember. When I first started going, they
were well attended, active events. The last few
year's attendance has been a small core group, many
not staying for the whole time. In appreciation for
all the Plantings do/have done, I think they
deserve more help. Could we please have volunteers
to come early for setup, stay late for cleanup, and
someone to take away the used potting soil.
Recycling in Menlo Park will not allow soil in the
recycle bins and, when the new neighbors started
building, John lost his dumping ground.
Donation Plants
Traditionally, Kusamura has asked members to
contribute 3 donation plants to the plant sale with
a value of $15 each. This year the board has seen
fit to increase the requested value of donation
plants to $25 each. If you do not contribute
plants, pots, or other suitable materials for the
plant sale, a $75 donation is requested.
I would like to
see the donation plants come in with the donor's
initials attached. This is so if the plants do not
sell, the donors can take them back and keep them
for the next year's show. Last year one of the
thankless jobs of your chairman was to take home
plants no one else would take. Also, if someone
brings a plant we know is not saleable, we would
like to return the plant to the donor before the
show starts.
We will not be
reducing the cost of sale plants this year as we
have done in the past. They are there to make money
for the club, not to give away to those patient
enough to wait for the markdown. We need to make
money. Help in selling (pushing) raffle tickets
will also be appreciated.
Consignment Trees
Members
are encouraged to bring up to 15 styled bonsai
trees in for consignment sales. These are your
trees that are a bit too valuable to give away. So
the club will do the bookkeeping, keeping, 25% for
club profit and 75% going to the seller. Trees must
come in priced and marked to a corresponding price
list. Each consignment plant should have a seller's
ID on the price tag.
Beginner's Trees
We will
be selling some starter plants. The price of these
plants would include a styling lesson. We will need
cheerful, enthusiastic people interested in
volunteering to help potential new members with
styling questions.
Sandy Vrooman
Other Info
Adapted from Golden Statements articles by Mitsuo Umehara
(Translated by Hideko Metaxas)
See also--
From A Year of Bonsai Tips by Jim Ransohoff
Buds on
elms will soon be swelling. Here are some helpful
hints written by Bill Scott for developing healthy
and handsome elm bonsai.
If you haven't started making your soil for this year's
repotting, see this article by John Planting.
Calendar
Jan.15-16,
Hayward, California
Bay Island Bonsai's 6th Anniversary
Show: "An Exhibit of Fine Bonsai" Centennial
Hall,
Editor's note: A must see show.
Jan.29-30,
Oakland, California
Bay Area Bonsai Associates 24th
annual bonsai exhibit at Lakeside Park Garden
Center, Lake Merritt
Jan 29th: reception, plant sale, and demo;
Jan 30th: workshop with Suthin Sukoso lvisit of
Royal Bonsai Garden in MA.
Mar.16-20, San
Francisco
Bonsai Society of San Francisco
Spring Show in the San Francisco Garden Show at the
Cow Palace. Time: 9:00pm - 3:00pm
More Events
(from Golden State Bonsai
Federation)
