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Here is the latest newsletter:
Eugene Bonsai
Society Newsletter
March 2010
Club Website: www.eugenebonsai.org
Our meetings are held the first Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM at the Eugene Garden Club building, 1645 High Street. Help table at 6:30 PM.
Parking - Parking for the meetings is available in the Planned Parenthood lot across the street from the Garden Club. Do not park in the spaces beside the Garden Club building.
This Month’s Program: March 4th - Beginners' Workshop. The club provides a tree, pot, wire and soil to provide hands on experience in creating a small beginning bonsai. This workshop is for those members who have recently joined the club and are new to bonsai. Veteran members are there to give advice and help the new members with style, potting, wiring and pruning. Veteran members are asked to bring basic tools, marked for identification, for use in the workshop.
President’s Message:
First, thanks to everyone that helped at the Asian Celebration display. March’s meeting is the beginners’ workshop. Please help the newer members style and pot their trees. Bring your tools, goodwill, and sense of fun.
Now is a good time to help someone who wants help with this enjoyable hobby. Curiosity, learning, and teaching are part of the fun. Sharing with each other is another part. Please consider sharing your bonsai related projects and “display” trees at the meetings. They do not need to be “completed” trees. Now is a good time to start new bonsai. Don’t miss out on the fun. When I was editor, I wrote a piece called, “Grow an Enthusiast”. Now is the time. Thank you, -Paul
Marjory Meader Service Award
Congratulations to Larry S. who was presented with the Marjory Meader Service Award at the February meeting. This award is presented each year to the club member selected as contributing most to the betterment of the club through their service. A large traveling chrysanthemum stone is given to the winner to keep for the year.
Spring Workshops: The club has THREE workshops scheduled for this spring! Workshops led by a trained instructor are one of your best opportunities to expand your bonsai knowledge, and have a great day of fun too! Our club has decided to offer all 3 of these workshops at below cost because we feel that they are such great educational opportunities for our members.
All of these workshops will be held at the EPUD meeting room at 33733 Seavey Loop Rd., Eugene, OR, and are from 9am to 4pm. Silent observers are welcome (at no charge) at these events. Even if you don’t work on a tree, this is a GREAT OPPORTUNITY to learn about bonsai and is like seeing multiple bonsai demonstrations in one day! Please come join us! If you have any questions call Tom F. at 541-935-7396.
The first workshop is on Saturday, March 13th with Alan Taft. Alan has been a popular bonsai instructor for more than ten years and has been studying bonsai culture since 1970. He is from the Portland area and has taught many classes for our club. This workshop is designed for our club members who are in the beginner stage of their bonsai career. The trees, pots, soil and wire will be provided to the participants, just bring your tools. The trees will likely be Shimpaku Junipers. In this workshop, Alan will provide extensive information on this species, including their culture, care, and styling. No bonsai experience is necessary to participate, just an interest in the art of bonsai. The cost of this workshop is $40 and must be paid by the end of the March meeting. This class is limited to 10 participants.
The second workshop is on Saturday, March 27th also with Alan Taft. This is a BYOT (Bring Your Own Tree) workshop with emphasis placed on the “Project Old Growth Boxwoods” that club members have been working on for 3 years now. Trees of other species are welcome too. Participants will bring their own trees and supplies needed to work on them. The cost for this workshop is $40 and will be limited to 8 participants. Payment must be made by the end of the March meeting.
The third workshop is on Saturday, April 17th with Michael Hagedorn. Michael is also from the Portland area and has been doing bonsai since he was sixteen. He has had a 9 year stint as a bonsai pot maker in New York and Arizona. In 2003 he traveled to Japan and apprenticed for several years under bonsai master Shinji Suzuki. This is a BYOT workshop with any species welcome. Participants will bring their own trees and supplies that are needed to work on them. The cost of this workshop is $60 and will be limited to 8 participants. Payment must be received by the end of the April meeting.
Dues for 2010 are due. They are $20.00 for an individual or $30.00 for a family. The dues may be paid at the meeting or mailed to:
Burkhart
1244 Delrose Drive
Springfield, OR 97477
Payment will assure that you are eligible to participate in the activities of the club such as silent auctions and workshops, and continue to receive the newsletter.
Officers for 2010
President: Paul N.
1st VP, Programs: David R.
2nd VP, Workshops: Tom F.
Treasurer: Dean B.
Newsletter: Karen B.
Secretary: Anne K.
Exhibits: Bill E.
Webmaster: Linda G.
Directors: Milt W., Bill E., and Joe Y.
Flowering Bonsai - Since spring arrives this month and many plants flower this time of the year, I decided to write about flowering bonsai species. Generally speaking, all flowering trees require more light than non-flowering trees in order to generate flowers and/or fruit. One that is a personal favorite is the Serissa. Serissa are commonly called "Tree of a Thousand Stars". This is because of the tiny funnel, star shaped blossoms. The Serissa pictured at right is 32 years old.
Serissa (ser-ISS-uh) foetida (FET-uh-duh) derives its name from the fetid smell of its bark and roots when they are cut. Foetida means foul smelling in Latin and if you repot this tree you will know that is the case although it is not really that bad. Serissa are actually shrubs native to southeast Asia that grow only 36 inches in height in nature. There is only the one species, foetida, though now there are various cultivars available. It is sometimes referred to by its old Latin name japonica. They have small deep green leaves and a rough gnarled gray bark which gets lighter in color with age. Serissa is an evergreen sub-tropical species that needs to be kept indoors in the winter here in Oregon. It has a fairly high light requirement, 1000 lux, and likes to have a high humidity environment. Both of these conditions can be difficult to maintain over a period of months inside. Serissa is notorious for being hard to keep looking good because of this. It has a tendency to drop its leaves at the first sign of stress - too little water; too much water; too little light; too cold; too hot; just being moved to a new location, etc. Never water Serissa when it is without leaves or the roots will rot. In spite of the tendency to have yellowing and dropping leaves, new leaves and branches are produced on both new and old wood in dense numbers. Serissa can get straggly after a few years unless pruned regularly. Prune after flowering to keep a fine dense form, and deadhead spent flowers to increase the blooming period. Serissa does well in partial shade. Best results are obtained from sun in the mornings and shade in the afternoons. Indoor plants need bright, indirect light. Serissa dislike continually wet roots so should be watered thoroughly and then not watered again until the soil is nearly dry. Of course they will let you know if you have waited too long to water by brown and crispy leaves.
Flowers are produced several times a year. They are either white or pink depending on the cultivar. They are about 1/2" in across, with a tubular base and 4-6 spreading petal-like lobes.
Serissa like a soil with a pH of 6.1 - 6.5 which is mildly acid. They need to be fertilized monthly during the winter and every two weeks the rest of the year. Miracid is a good choice for fertilizer. Fertilizing is especially important during the long flowering period.
They dislike root pruning and as previously mentioned are odiferous when this is done. Repotting should be done in the spring every 2 - 3 years as growth starts which helps the root system to recover. When they are moved outside for the summer they will rejoice and love it as long as they have light shade to prevent the leaves from sun burning. They will reward you by flowering and growing new leaves and branches
Other flowing trees that are commonly used in bonsai are: Apple, Malus sp.; Bougainvillea, Bougainvillea glabra; Chinese Quince, Chaenomeles sinensis; Cotoneaster, Cotoneaster horizontalis; Firethorn, Pyracantha coccinea; Fukien Tea, Ehretia microphylla; Gardenia, Gardenia jasminoides; Japanese Quince, Chaenomeles japonica; Japanese Wisteria, Wisteria florabunda; Natal Plum, Carissa grandiflora; Olive, Olea europaea; Pomegranate, Punica granatum; and Satsuki Azalea, Rhododendron indicum.
Of these other flowering trees, Apple, Chinese Quince, Cotoneaster, Firethorn, Gardenia, Japanese Quince, Wisteria and Azalea are the easiest to grow.
Bougainvillea, Fukien Tea, Gardenia, Natal Plum and Pomegranite are sub-tropical and need to be indoors in the winter. This increases the difficulty due to light and humidity requirements.
Crabapple species, Gardenia, Satsuki Azalea and Japanese Wisteria produce the largest and in some respects the most beautiful flowers.
Cotoneaster, Japanese Quince, and Pyracantha may be the most hardy and most reliable flowering. They also can be enjoyed for their reliable production of berries and fruit.
Chinese quince may be the least liable to bloom of the species listed. - k/d
Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection re-opens for annual Buds & Blooms Festival
Weyerhaeuser Company’s Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection is pleased to announce its re-opening for three days only this May. If you missed viewing the Collection before it closed in spring of 2009 then don’t’ miss out on this special opportunity to visit one of the finest collections of bonsai in the United States!
In honor of the City of Federal Way’s Buds & Blooms Festival, the Bonsai Collection will be open Mother’s Day weekend, May 8th and 9th, from 10:00AM to 5:00PM. The Bonsai Collection will be open to the public for a special preview on Friday, May 7th from 10AM to 4PM.
This unique outdoor museum features 60 world class bonsai from six Pacific Rim nations displayed in a beautiful woodland setting. During the festival weekend, visitors can enjoy free guided or self-guided tours of the Collection and special lecture demonstrations.
The Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection is located on Weyerhaeuser Company’s corporate campus, 33663 Weyerhaeuser Way South in Federal Way, WA. Take I-5 Exit 143 and follow the signs. Admission and parking is free. Visit www.weyerhaeuser.com/bonsai or call 253-924-5206 for directions and a listing of special event lectures and demonstrations
Programs for April, May & June
April - Styling a Mugo Pine by Herb G.
May - Accent Plants by Greg W.
June - De-candling Pines by Bill C.
PNBCA Convention 2010 - The Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Association's convention will be in Bremerton, WA at the Convention Center September 17, 18 and 19, 2010. It is being sponsored by the Evergreen Bonsai Club. Early Bird registration is $195 for an individual and $350 for two from the same household. Registration is due by July 31st to get this rate. After July 31st it is $225 and $400.
There are ten different workshops available ranging in cost from $75 to $495. The hotel is the Hampton Inn & Suites and standard rooms are $104 per night. This includes complimentary breakfasts. Parking is $7 per night. Convention registration includes Friday dinner and Saturday lunch and banquet dinner. Workshop artists are Dave DeGroot, Michael Hagedorn, Kathy Shaner, Dan Robinson, Anne Spencer and John Conn. You may attend all workshops and demos as an observer with your registration. Download a registration form at www.pnbca.com
Would you like to see some beautiful flowering bonsai? Teleperion Farms specializes in Satuki Azaleas! Celebrate spring with a beautiful drive and see some beautiful bonsai!
Directions to Telperion Farms
10750 Wagner Road, Mehama, OR, 97384
Phone: 503-859-3697
Chris’s cell phone: 503-881-1147
Going east on Hiway 22 from the I-5 interchange, you will pass Stayton. About 10 miles later you will approach the turn-off for Mehama and Lyons.
The Gingerbread House is the most obvious landmark at the intersection. There is also a gas station.
About 100 feet past the main intersection (a right turn) turn left onto Wagner Road.
The road forks quickly after you turn left. Stay to the right, and go uphill.
Around a few corners, you will pass the turn-off for Wagner Lane (stay on Wagner Road) and see the end of the paved road.
The road becomes quite steep. We are the first driveway on the right after the end of the pavement. Maybe 100 yards.
You will see the newspaper boxes, but there is no mail box.
The driveway is steep, too.
As you enter the compound, there are several buildings. Our house is the one uphill. The workshops are usually in the blue building in the center of the compound.
Alternative:
If you go past the driveway and continue up the hill, you will round a corner and see 2 large greenhouses. Look for the open gate. There is more parking area around the greenhouses than at the residence.
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