Kusamura Bonsai Club Meetings 2nd Friday of the Month 7 P.M. Techniques Workshop 8 P.M. General Meeting First Congregational Church Louis & Embarcadero Road Palo Alto, California Directions Resources A Year of Bonsai Tips About Your New Tree Contact Us Other Clubs in the SF Bay Area Where to Find Materials Club Projects Photos from 2002 Annual Show Book Sale Golden State Bonsai Northern Collection Photos from 2001 Annual Club Show Previous Newsletters March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001     No newsletter this month. November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000

Annual Show UPDATE Kusamura's Annual Bonsai Show went off as planned on April 20th and 21st at Mitchell Park Community Center in Palo Alto. We'd like to thank everyone who visited us. If you missed our show, you might want to see the photos we have (here) and also the wonderful ones taken by Matt Chroust and seen on his website. (Note, his site must be viewed using Internet Explorer.) The show is the high point of our bonsai year. Nature and our efforts, it is hoped, have combined to bring out the best features of at least three of the bonsai in each of our collections. These little trees give us pleasure that we can share with our friends, family members, and the general public as well. It's very important that we exert ourselves to attract more people to bonsai through our show so that this beautiful art form will continue to be appreciated and practiced in the years and generations to come. Over the years, interest in displaying bonsai in tokonoma-like settings has increased because it permits us to space our trees so that each can be viewed more easily as an individual work of art. Companion plants, suiseki, scrolls and other artifacts take secondary roles but help to establish the architecture of a display and enhance the feeling of a tree in a natural setting or landscape. Bonsai display is a skill that needs to be practiced, and the entire April meeting meeting will be devoted to that. APRIL MEETING 7:00 Grooming Bonsai For Our Show Sandy Planting assisted by Nancy Eaton will discuss and demonstrate grooming bonsai and companion plants for the show. 8:00 p.m. Sandy Planting on Tokonoma Sandy will help attendees set up "tokonoma" using their bonsai and complementary items destined for display at the show. Last year's practice session turned out to be great fun. Everyone present got into the action and helped choose scrolls, stones, and companion plants to go with everyone else's bonsai as well as his or her own Remember you are expected to show at least three of your best bonsai in the show, one, if possible, tokonoma-style. (If you have trees that have only recently been styled, you may display them in the In Progress Room.) For the meeting, then, please bring: One of your best bonsai, A stand to use with it, if you have one, Complementary items such as companion plants, suiseki, scrolls and other artifacts that you think go with your bonsai. Stands and other items in the categories mentioned above that you are willing to lend to others for their displays Be sure to mark all of your things with your name. Two backdrops and tables will be set up. We will take turns perfecting our displays with Sandy's help. This meeting will only succeed if everyone participates so please come and don't be shy or undervalue your bonsai.   Rare Books for Sale Kusamura Bonsai is selling a collection of books donated by one of our members. Some of the books are unusual, and quite valuable. Many are signed or inscribed. The complete list is here.   April Newsletter April Work Schedule From A Year of Bonsai Tips by Jim Ransohoff   Calendar   May Meeting Date Change For the convenience of the church, the May Kusamura meeting will be held on the third Friday, May 17th, instead of the second Friday. Please mark your calendar now for this one-time-only meeting date change. April 6-7. San Jose Betsuin Bonsai Club. San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin, 640 North Fifth Street, San Jose. Saturday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Demonstration both days by Harry Hirao, 2:00 p.m. For more information, call John Kitagawa at (408) 985-1562. April 20-21. Kusamura Bonsai Club. See you there April 20-21. Bonsai Sekiyu Kai, Sacramento Buddhist Church Betsuin, 2401 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento. Saturday 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Demos 2:00 p.m. both days by John Uchida. April 20-21. Cherry Blossom Festival. Includes bonsai and suiseki exhibition in the Sakura Room in the Radisson Miyako Hotel, Japan Town, San Francisco. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. Demos Saturday 1:00 p.m. by Warren Clark and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. by Seiji Shiba; also 3:30 p.m. both days by San Francisco Suiseki Kai members. Big street fair. April 24. Sei Boku Bonsai Kai, 19th Anniversary Celebration&emdash;An Evening with John Thompson. (San Mateo Garden Center, 605 Parkside Way, San Mateo. 7:30 p.m. Demo tree to be raffled). April 28. Napa Valley Bonsai Club at Senior Center, 1500 Jefferson Street, Napa. 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. Demos both days at 1:30 p.m. by John Uchida. May 4-5. Sacramento Bonsai Club, Sacrament Buddhist Church, 2401 Riverside Boulevard, Sacramento. Saturday 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sunday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Demos at 2:00 p.m. both days by Mas Imazumi May 5. Watsonville Bonsai Club. Watsonville Buddhist Temple Annex, 423 Bridge Street, Watsonville. 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Demo at 2:00 p.m. by Katsumi Kinoshita. May 19. Matsuri Festival at Hakone Gardens. Kusamura will be exhibiting several of our best show trees, and Bill Scott will answer questions about how bonsai is done. The gardens should be lovely and there will be lots of things to do and see.     More Events (from Golden State Bonsai Federation)

Last Updated March 14, 2002.

Copyright © 2002 by Kusamura Bonsai Club.