FOG CITY BONSAI MARCH 2009 Bonsai Events at-a-Glance... Thurs., March 12. BSSF March Meeting. Bonsai Display. Thurs., March 19. BSSF 3rd Thursday Workshop Canceled. Wed.-Sun., March 18-22. BSSF Bonsai Show at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. Sun., March 29. Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai 20th Annual Show. Sat., April 4. BSSF Bonsai Sale at the Hall of Flowers. Sat. & Sun, April 4-5. Sei Boku Bonsai Kai Annual Show. Thurs., April 9. BSSF April Meeting with Jim Gremel and home-made yamadori juniper. In this Issue: February Meeting Notes: Bonsai Pot Swap. Bonsai Notes for March Preparing for the Show BSSF Bonsai Sale Guidelines Upcoming Events, Meetings, and Announcements Your Spring Bonsai Care Calendar - BSSF B o n s a i Po t S w a p Fe b r u a r y Me e t i n g No t e s February is repotting season for most of your bonsai here in the Bay Area. So, many bonsai hobbyists are busy pondering what stye pot they plan to purchase and to use for their best trees. For our February meeting we discussed the basic guidelines for choosing a pot for your bonsai tree as well as provided our members a chance to sell, buy, or trade bonsai pots. This was our first bonsai pot swap, and as you can tell from our cover picture, we had quite a selection of pots for our members to browse. Choosing a pot(continued on page 2)... Bonsai Display B SS F G e n e ra l Me e t i n g, Ma r c h 1 2 At our March meeting, we will discuss the do’s and don'ts of bonsai display. John Edwards will lead the discussion about the finer points of displaying our bonsai as we prepare for the spring show. What is the ideal stand for a tree? What is an appropriate accent plant? All these questions and more will be answered. If you plan to display a tree at the March show, bring it to the meeting and assemble your display for critique. Bring a few accent plants and stands to try. At the end of the night, we will be raffling a beautiful handmade bonsai display stand, accent stands, and scrolls that will be great additions to your collection. Meeting beings at 7:30PM. PAGE 1 FOG CITY BONSAI MARCH 2009 (continued from Page 1) for your tree is serious business for bonsai hobbyists. Most often trees and pots are produced separately and therefore finding a pot that matches your tree’s characteristics means an exhaustive search through fellow members’ collections, bonsai sales, vendor tables, and internet pages. The beginning of our February meeting was meant to introduce our newer members to the varieties of pots available in the market place and how to best fit their tree to that perfect pot. Bonsai pots are available in many combinations of colors, textures, sizes, and shapes. In most cases, pots used in bonsai are relatively shallow and not ornate. The shape and size should reflect the age and be in proportion to the size of the tree. The color of the pot should also compliment the bark, foliage, or flower color of the tree. The pot should not distract the viewer from the tree. Bonsai pots are available from four sources. 1) China - Pots made in China are the most common and inexpensive. Quality can sometimes be a bit on the lower end and have uneven sides, poor drainage holes, thick walls, and overall, very heavy weights. These pots are usually massed produced using slip molds followed by a small amount of hand-cleanup. Chinese pots may seem a bit “coarse” and uneven. However, recent imports of excellent Chinese pots have been available, so do not rule out choosing a pot made in China for your tree. In fact, antique Chinese pots are sought out by Japanese masters for some of their greatest bonsai creations. 2) Japan - Most high quality bonsai pots are made in Japan. Even the mass produced brands are well made. Most are very light weight, and finished with a high degree of care. Pots from the Tokoname region of Japan are considered the highest quality pots for bonsai. Because more time is spent hand finishing these pots, they are often much more expensive than pots of similar size. If you receive the publication Bonsai Focus, then you may be familiar with a series of articles highlighting different potters from that region. 3) Korea - A few bonsai outlets are selling pots made in Korea. The pots are very similar to mass produced Chinese pots and quality is much lower than pots from Japan. Korea also exports pots made from mica, a silica-based mineral mixed with polyethylene. The pots are good for bonsai development and inexpensive. 4)) Your local artists! - Several potters around the world specialize in producing handmade bonsai pots. On the West coast, potters such as Jim Gremel and Michael Hagedorn have fired a few kilns full of bonsai pots and other artists such as Sara Rayner feature websites offering their pots for sale. Many of these artists will design and produce pots specifically for your tree with little more than few measurements and picture for a reasonable price. So, how do you choose pot for your tree? There are a few guidelines you should observe when choosing a pot for you tree. First, is your tree ready for that ideal pot? Many Photos from our February Meeting. (top) Bonsai pots are available in many shapes, colors, and sizes. Nearly all major styles were represented at the meeting. (middle) Large drainage holes in your pots are important for proper water drainage in all bonsai pots. (bottom) A packed house was on hand to pick up potting pointers and check out the selection of pots for sale and trade. PAGE 2 FOG CITY BONSAI MARCH 2009 times, we rush to repot our bonsai into pots that do not support the development and health of the tree. If your tree is in development, choose deeper and wider pots that allow for greater root growth which will led to greater growth on the top of your tree. If your tree is ready to show, there are three guidelines you should follow when selecting a pot: 1. Pot Size: The size of the pot should be in proportion with the size of your tree. The pot should promote the strength and age of the tree. The height of the pot should be between 1 - 2 times the diameter of the trunk and the width between 2/3 and 3/4 the height of the tree. 2. Pot Shape: Pot shape reflects the degree of masculinity or femininity of the tree. Trees with soft curves and foliage fit pots that are either round or oval. Usually flowering, deciduous, and young junipers are potted in circular pots. Trees that are rugged, old, and/or formal are planted in rectangular pots. Most old pines are typically planted in rectangular pots. Pots can also be varying degrees of masculinity or femininity. For example, some rectangular pots may have rounded corners or beveled edges to soften their appearance. 3. Pot Color: The color of the pot is important to consider. Unglazed pots are ideal for pines and junipers. Various colors are available ranging from dark grey, brown, or brick red. Glazed pots are used for deciduous and flowering trees. Pot color is chosen based on fall foliage or blossom color. The color of the pot is sometimes complementary to the color of the foliage. For example, a blue pot complements the orange foliage of a trident maple. Of course, there are many exceptions to these guidelines and every tree is different. With more experience, you will be able to decide which bonsai pot is best for your tree. Pots for bonsai also sport additional features specific to bonsai culture. All bonsai pots should have adequate drainage holes. Most pots have at least two large holes in the bottom. Larger pots may have many more (6-8). These holes are also used for tying trees into the pot. Some pots, especially hand finished or handmade pots feature additional tie-down holes that provide more options for securing the trees. So, next time you are out shopping for bonsai pots, be aware of each pot’s origin, style, and extra features. Keep a decent selection of pots on hand for repotting season and be wiling to share and trade with your bonsai buddies. Think ahead about the kinds of pots you will need in the future and keep an eye out for pots at local sales that might be perfect for your trees. Bonsai Pot Close ups. (top) A close up view of a hand-finished Tokoname pot. The inside lip of this pot shows the tool marks of the potter’s handy work. (middle) Good bonsai pots have at least two or more large holes in their bottoms for water drainage. In addition, there may be additional “tie-down” holes that provide more options for wiring the tree into the pot. (bottom) Pots for cascading bonsai are also available. They are much taller than upright bonsai pots to give room to cascading branches. PAGE 3 FOG CITY BONSAI MARCH 2009 BSSF Annual Show at the San Mateo Event Center Information Our annual display at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show will be assembled on Tuesday, March 17 and on display from March 18-22. The display is our best opportunity to promote the art of bonsai and the BSSF to the community. Over the course of five days, we will display our trees for literally thousands of people from many backgrounds. Many of the show attendees anticipate our display and demonstrations, but many find our display as a pleasant surprise. This year, BSSF will have an expanded display area with 100+ trees. Our display with be in the Fiesta Hall of the San Mateo Event Center. We need volunteers to provide security, information, demonstrations, and of course... muscle. Please contact Eric Schrader (eric(at)phutu(dot)com or (415)786-1349), for opportunities to volunteer. Currently, we are seeking members to perform demonstrations and provide security (especially on the weekdays). Do not be shy about giving demonstrations! Even our beginner members understand the basics of bonsai techniques and can provide valuable information to show-goers. They need not be a giant production. Just bring a couple trees to work on and talk to the show-goers about what you are doing. Easy! The show is open March 18-22 and the hours are 9AM-8PM Wed. - Sat. and 9AM - 5PM on Sunday. Shifts are 34 hour blocks of time within those days. Try to volunteer for two or more consecutive shifts. The club will pay for your entry to the Flower and Garden show. Parking passes may be provided if you plan to work the entire week, or require special assistance. Otherwise, the parking fee is $10/day. Please wear your BSSF name tag, shirt, hapi coat, etc. to the display. If you do not have a name tag, please contact Robert Smith rwsmithtbn(at)earthlink(dot)net or call (650)726-1713. TREES!!! The BSSF show is all about displaying trees at various stages of development. Therefore, we encourage all members to submit at least one tree to the show. If you want to show more than one tree, bring it to the setup. If space exists for your tree or Eric is searching for a particular style/species to complement an arrangement, your additional tree may be selected. Do not forget your stand! If you have extra stands, please bring them to the show for those who need one. Accent plantings are also needed. If you are submitting a tree for the show, please email/call Joe Nersveen (joe(at)nersveen(dot)com, or (415)252-1555) with the following information: owner, tree common name, Latin name, age/years in training, size, style, and direction of flow (left, neutral, right). SETUP: Set up will be March 17, 3PM-7PM. Travel time to the show will not be as convenient this year. Try to get your trees to the show as soon as possible on March 17. We will be setting up the show throughout the evening. Passes will be handed out during setup and the March meeting for the show shifts. If you cannot drive your tree(s) the center, please make arrangements for their transportation to and from the show. Bernard Marque (415-2542985) and John Edwards (415-621-0935) have space available for extra trees. The San Mateo Event Center is located at 2495 South Delaware Street in San Mateo. To get there, make your way to highway 92 and take the Delaware St. exit South. The Event Center is located (0.6 miles) on South Delaware St. On move/in and move/out days, you should turn on Saratoga Dr. at the north boundary of the event center. Follow Saratoga Dr. around to the back side of the facility to the SARATOGA ENTRANCE. You will then cross the parking lot to GATE DD and park just inside the gate along FIESTA HALL. (Map is included in this issue. Online viewers click here for a detailed map http://www.bssf.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/eventcenter.pdf )Our display is in the SOUTHWEST CORNER of the FIESTA HALL. BREAKDOWN: Just as important as setting up the show, we must remove all of our trees and material at 5PM on Sunday. Please arrange to pick up your tree or have someone take it for you. Please do not orphan your trees. In the coming days please contact Eric about your show trees. Also, please remember to bring extra stands, accent plantings, and other display material. To guarantee the return of your belongings, please do not forget to write your name on each item. PAGE 4 FOG CITY BONSAI BSSF Events for 2009 Here is a listing of our events scheduled for 2009. Go ahead and mark your calendars “BSSF” for the following dates! A few events are to-be-determined (TBD), but as you can see, we have quite a lineup for the rest of the year. Also, don’t forget that our Board meetings are on the 4th Monday of each month if you are interested in helping out the club. Thanks! Mar. 12 Mar. Meeting – Bonsai Display J. Edwards March 18-22 SF Flower and Garden March 19 Workshop (Canceled) April 4 April Bonsai Sale Hall of Flowers April 9 Apr. Meeting – Jim Gremel & Yamadori April 16 Workshop April 18-19 SF Cherry Blossom Festival May 14 May Meeting - Steve Jang and Penjing May 16 Bonsai Basics I (10AM-2PM) May 21 Workshop June 11 June Meeting – Redwoods – Tim Kong June 18 Workshop July 9 July Meeting – Kathy Shaner Demo July 16 Workshop Aug. 13 August Meeting – Pinch Pot Workshop Aug. 20 Workshop Aug. 22 Bonsai Basics Class I (10AM-2PM) Sept. 10 September Meeting – BSSF Auction Sept. 17 Workshop Oct. 8 Oct. Meeting – Japanese Quince Wrkshp Oct. 15 Workshop Oct. 17 Bonsai Basics Class II – Wiring Class Nov. 12 Nov. Meeting – M. Invernizzi (TBD) Nov. 19 Workshop Dec. 10 December Meeting – Holiday Party Dec. 17 Workshop (TBD) At each general meeting, a raffle of great bonsai and bonsai-related material will be held to raise money for club activities and provide our members with excellent prizes. Plan to bring a few dollars to the meeting to contribute and win great prizes. All general meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 7:30PM. Workshops are held on the 3rd Thursday of each month and start at 7PM. Parking is available in the lot behind the Hall of Flowers. However, please be aware that the California Academy of Sciences has been opening on Thursday nights for special evening hours. Parking can be quite full around the Hall of Flowers so plan accordingly. MARCH 2009 BSSF Sale - April 4 Our annual sale is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 9AM-2PM at the Hall of Flowers. Please make plans to attend. If you plan to sell items, please observe the following rules: • The seller is responsible for pricing their plants and/ or pots’; making sure the price is in even dollars. (No fraction of a dollar is acceptable) Minimum sale price is $10.00. Please round prices to $5.00 increments. • Sellers must complete the inventory sheets in duplicate. All information requested on the form is to be completed. The seller will keep one copy, and the other is presented to the Plant Sale Committee representative, who will check the inventory and the plants and pots before accepting them for sale. • Sellers will receive upon request from the Plant Sale Committee representative, sufficient copies of the blank inventory sheets and sale tags. • All plants and pots must have a sales tag attached. All sales tags must be priced in full dollars (no cents), seller’s initials and a number. Sales tags are furnished by from BSSF. • Sellers will provide to the Plant Sale Committee representative a self addressed stamped envelope. This envelope will be mailed back to the seller along with a check for their portion of their sale price less 20% to the club. • No price mark down will be allowed after the sale begins. • Plant Sale Committee representatives will mark off all plants/pots sold from the sellers inventory sheets. The Treasurer will tally from the seller’s inventory sheets all trees/pots sold less 20% to the club and will send a check to the seller in their self addressed stamped envelope along with their inventory sheets. Inventory sheets are available at club meetings and downloadable from the web. Members: please have your inventory sheets and sales tags fully completed in advance and bring them to the sale location. Plants and pots that are not accompanied by the above documentation will not be accepted for the sale. Flyers advertising the sale are available from the website, at club meetings, and at the Collection North. This event is open to all members of the bonsai community to sell items. All proceeds benefit the Bonsai Society of San Francisco. PAGE 5 FOG CITY BONSAI Bonsai Notes for March March! If you haven’t finished your repotting chores, time is running out. The cool weather may buy you a few extra days, but most trees are leafing out by now. If so, you may need to wait until next year for repotting. Watch for drowning trees. With all the rain the past few weeks, make sure your trees are draining well. Tilt them if necessary to help the water drain from the pot. As branches begin to elongate and leaf out, keep an eye on any wire that may begin to cut into branches. Stand by with your fertilizer. Give freshly repotted trees at least 6 weeks to heal before giving inorganic fertilizer and 4 weeks if adding organic fertilizer. As trees finish flowering and leafing out, begin to fertilize. Keep up to date with your fertilization regime with our bonsai care guide for each species of tree. Freshly printed guides will be available at our next meeting. No third Thursday workshop this month due to the conflict with our show. Instead, why not volunteer for some demonstration time at the show, and work on your tree there? There will be plenty of help if needed for tips and suggestions. What a way to get a couple hours of work on your tree and help the club at the same time. Upcoming Events March 29 - Santa Cruz Bonsai Kai 20th Annual Show. at the Scotts Valley Community Center, 360 King's Village Road, Hours are 10:30AM-4:30PM. Demonstration at 1:30PM by Katsumi Kinoshita. Plant sales, door prizes, raffle of the demonstration tree and much more. April 4-5 - Bonsai Sei Boku Bonsai Kai 26th Annual Bonsai Show. 26th Annual Show will be held at the San Mateo Garden Center, 605 Parkside Wy. from 10AM-4PM both days. Demonstrations will be at 1PM each day. (Steve Jang on Saturday and Valerie Monroe on Sunday.) “Dr Bonsai” will be there to answer all your bonsai questions. In addition to our wonderful bonsai display, trees, pots and other bonsai-related items will be for sale. [email protected] BSSF Meetings and Workshops March 12 - BSSF General Meeting - Bonsai Display - John Edwards. Our March meeting will cover how to prepare and arrange a formal bonsai display. There are many points to consider when planning for a bonsai display. John MARCH 2009 will cover the basics of bonsai display as we prepare for our own formal display at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. As a demonstration, club members will be preparing formal displays at the meeting followed by a club critique of each display. If you would like to bring a tree for the critique, please bring it to the meeting. The raffle table will be filled with items you will need for display such as accent pots and display stands. The grand prize of the raffle will be a large handmade stand built by local craftsman Tom Colby. March 19 , 2009 - Third Thursday Members Free Workshop. The Third Thursday workshop is canceled this month due to the Show at the San Mateo Event Center. Make plans to stop by the Free Third Thursday Workshop on April 16 for more spring work. The workshop begins at 7PM. So, bring a couple trees by the Hall of Flowers and get advice from advanced members of the club. March 18-22, - 2009 BSSF Annual Show at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show. We are now in the planning in stages for our annual show at the San Francisco Flower & Garden Show at the San Mateo Event Center. We will have more space than last year’s show and expect all members to show at least one tree. As with years past, we will have no sales area. Instead, we will have a separate sale at the Hall of Flowers at a date to be determined. Eric Schrader is our show coordinator and will need plenty of help scheduling volunteers/security, soliciting demonstrations, and setting up the displays. We need your help! So please speak to Eric at our next meeting to volunteer. Also, begin selecting and preparing your trees for the display! Identify 1-5 trees you wish to display and submit the information to Eric ASAP. All members, new and old, are encouraged to display at least one tree. April 9 - BSSF General Meeting - Yamadori Junipers - Jim Gremel. Local bonsai artist Jim Gremel will be joining us for our April 9th meeting to present his program/ workshop on creating your own yamadori-style junipers. For many years, Jim has been taking small shimpaku stock junipers and twisting them into wild shapes that mimic the best junipers collected from the mountains. For Jim’s very popular presentation, BSSF members will be able to purchase juniper stock from Jim ($7 each), and with his guidance, start a great tree for your collection. Members with trees from Jim’s last yamadori workshop are invited to bring your trees in for a “tune up”. Jim will be bringing along his bonsai supplies, tools, and pots to sell at the meeting. So prepare your shopping lists. PAGE 6 FOG CITY BONSAI 2009 Board Members and Officers President: Robert Smith(650) 726-1713 Vice President: Lawrence LeClaire- (415) 200-8967 Treasurer: Daryl Quijano (415) 307-5569| (415) 332-0657 x104 Secretary : Diana Lum- (415) 731-7793 Newsletter Editor: Lawrence LeClaire - (415) 200-8967 Board Members at Large: John Edwards Debra Bleemer Tim Kong Bernard Marque Joe Nersveen Eric Schrader - aka Website Guy Librarian: Bernard Marque General Meeting Hospitality Host: Tim Kong - (415) 387-7398 About our Club The Bonsai Society of San Francisco exists to perpetuate the enjoyment of the art of bonsai. BSSF General meetings are on the 2nd Thursday of the month at 7:30PM. The members’ workshop is the following Thursday (3rd Thursday of the month) at 7:00PM. BSSF Board meetings are held on the 4th Monday at 7:00PM. All of the meetings occur in the Hall of Flowers (Strybing Arboretum) at the corner of Ninth Ave and Lincoln Way. Enter through the parking lot at Tenth Ave and Lincoln and walk along sidewalk behind the building to the doorway to the garden club meeting room. MARCH 2009 May 16, 2009 - Bonsai Basics Class I - Introduction to Bonsai. Part I of our Bonsai Basics Class will be offered on Saturday, May 16 at the Hall of Flowers from 10AM2PM. This class is a basic introductory course to the bonsai hobby and serves as the basis for all club workshops and activities. We cover bonsai styles, fundamentals, tools, and tree design. The cost is $65 and includes instruction, literature, and two trees. We will supply basic tools and wire. Membership in BSSF is required. Please contact Lawrence LeClaire at (415) 200-8967 to enroll or ask questions. Be sure to send your payment in early to secure your spot in the workshop. Announcements DUES!!! Your 2009 BSSF dues need to be submitted to Daryl Quijano.You will be receiving a reminder in the mail. In addition, you will have the opportunity to update your contact information and newsletter delivery preferences. Please take the time to complete the form and return your payment promptly. Hapi Coats? BSSF members, new and old, wishing to order a new stylin’ BSSF Hapi coat should contact Robert Smith at the next meeting/workshop. Coats feature the logo tree and ”Bonsai Society San Francisco” embroidered on the back. The price for a new Hapi Coat is approximately $62.00. Name Tags Please wear your name tag to our meetings or workshops. We have lots of new members and wearing your name tag will facilitate learning everyone’s name (and for the memory-challenged, a way to avoid an embarrassing moment). If you need a new or replacement name tag, see Robert Smith at the next meeting. BSSF Bonsai Library The BSSF has on hand a large assortment of books, magazines, and other literature about our favorite hobby. To access the library, arrive early at either the monthly meeting or the monthly workshop and speak to Bernard Marque. Checking out materials requires a $5 deposit per item. FOG CITY BONSAI is the monthly newsletter of the Bonsai Society of San Francisco. Images and articles are the property of BSSF and permission must be granted before reproduction of any kind. If you have advertisements or announcements for the BSSF or local bonsai community and would like them published in Fog City Bonsai, please contact Lawrence LeClaire at [email protected] or (415) 668-8456. PAGE 7 FOG CITY BONSAI MARCH 2009 BSSF Guide to Spring Bonsai Care in the San Francisco Bay Area Get busy! Your time to finish winter work is ending!. Wire! Prune! Are your trees ready for Spring? Proper winter work will help your trees be their best next year. Please see www.bssf.org/guides for the complete Year Round Care Guide or ask for a copy at our next meeting. Bonsai Society of San Francisco Ninth Ave and Lincoln Blvd San Francisco, CA 94122
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