Yarra Valley Bonsai Society Home Page

The Yarra Valley Bonsai Society, based in the 'far east' of Melbourne, caters for bonsai enthusiasts of all skill levels, from the simply curious and absolute beginner to the advanced practitioners.

Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month at Chirnside Park Community Hib at 33 Kimberley Drive in Chirnside Park (Melway Ref 37 F3 or see map here). Monthly meetings usually begin with a Review/Overview session at 7.30pm, followed by a short business section and then a feature event: usually a demonstrator or speaker on a topic of interest. In addition to our monthly meetings, we hold informal workshops on the last Saturday of each month from 1-4:00 pm also at Chirnside Park Community Hub.

For membership enquiries contact info@yarravalleybonsai.org.au or download an application form and send it to the PO Box listed above. Better yet, bring it along to the next meeting or workshop. Membership has its benefits, such as substantial discounts at selected nurseries and other businesses of interest, but visitors are always welcome.

LATEST NEWS:
We are now in the middle of Winter in Melbourne. So, we can expect more cold weather, foggy mornings, and possibly even snow in some outer areas. However, we can enjoy open fires, warm drinks and the occasional sunny bursts of Winter sunshine. Another thing we can do to stay warm and dry is to find a comfortable corner to settle into. Then read up on Bonsai techniques, or maybe start planning for the busy repotting season that’s just around the corner. It is also the ideal time to carefully inspect your deciduous trees. Performing your wiring and pruning tasks now will make things less hectic in Spring. Check that you have the correct tools you’ll require and that they are cleaned, sharp and ready for action. Have you stocked up on pots, wire, and of course the correct soil? Avoid the temptation to repot too early, wait until the buds start to swell. Due to changes in the weather patterns, some might even be starting to do this now - so take the lead from what your trees are doing, and not the calendar. Let their actions be your guide.

Our Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, June 11th, featured another guest presenter Scott Martin, the founder of Bonsai Matsu. Scott has been to Japan on five or six occasions specifically to learn about Black Pines. He had selected a nice specimen on which to demonstrate initial styling. Scott began by explaining that these trees benefit from a systematic approach to their care and maintenance. He then went on to work on the tree, all the time explaining in his clear and precise manner, what task he was performing and why. By the end of the meeting, the tree’s styling was almost complete. All members present took away lots of valuable information and many are keen to work on their own Black Pine with this new found knowledge. Scott has since completed the styling of the tree and sent our Club a photo of it which is featured in our Club Newsletter.

At our next Monthly Meeting on Tuesday, July 9th, Michael Simonetto will give a presentation on the propagation, growing, training and care of Flowering Quinces. These trees are generally in flower at this time of the year, so it will be a very appropriate subject. Michael has a background in the nursery industry and has been interested in bonsai for almost thirty years. He is a grower and Bonsai Artist, that takes great pride in achieving the best possible results with the trees he works with. Our members are eagerly awaiting his presentation.

These meetings and our workshops are held at our usual venue:
The Chirnside Park Hub in Kimberley Drive, Chirnside Park.
Details of which can be found at the top of this page.

The next Monthly Saturday Afternoon Workshop is on July 27th at 1:00pm.

Do not hesitate to email us if you require further details about our Club or would like to attend a meeting or Workshop. And remember we look forward to catching up with you somewhere in the “world of bonsai” in 2019.