LATEST NEWS:Look at the evidence out of your windows, it’s SPRINGTIME at last. But the weather can still be a little uncertain, so many trees are still a little confused. Some are tentatively pushing forth blossoms and leaves, others are holding back waiting for a more definite indication that it really is Spring.  But whatever is happening in your garden, this is still an exciting time of the year worth waiting for.  Enjoy being outside at every opportunity, watching and waiting on every little leaf, bud or blossom to appear.  When they do get going, like their bigger brothers, bonsai trees develop very quickly and need constant attention, care and maintenance. Be ready to help them along the way. If you need assistance with ideas on what to do, and how to do it, you could become a member of a bonsai Club. Our members are able to make use of the resources in our Club’s library, attend various training sessions, and also draw on the experiences of other members. They are always willing to share their knowledge with those less experienced.  Alternatively, there are many books and DVD’s commercially available to assist. But whatever you do, remember to keep enjoying the “Little Things” in life.

The August Monthly meeting commenced with a Bonsai Basics presentation entitled “Tree Progression” by one of our members, Howard W. With the use of various examples he was able to show how a bonsai can be developed from a small seedling or cutting right through to a completed tree. He spoke on how this can be achieved by either continually cutting back, or by growing them rapidly, and then performing progressive “trunk chops”.  Howard used Chinese elms, trident maples, and black pines to illustrate his points.  He also mentioned the role of “sacrificial branches” in developing girth on trunk and branches. The information given was appreciated by all those in attendance regardless of their current skill level. This was then followed by a general workshop night, where members, guided in some instances by those more experienced, worked on their own trees.

The September Monthly Meeting will feature our Club’s Annual General Meeting. The AGM also features the election of our Management Committee for 2019/20. We thank all of those members that have nominated or renominated, for positions, and look forward to working with the newly elected committee once the result is known. We have had a very successful year with a varied program of events and we look forward to the continued development and growth that we have enjoyed over the past year. We also extend a big thank you to the retiring committee members, their contribution is greatly appreciated.

It has been our practice over the past few years to present a tube stock tree to each member attending the AGM. They are then asked to bring them back each year to successive AGM’s to report on the progress made with them. Some members have trees only one year old, others go back four or five years and are starting to look like bonsais now. The results are many and varied, but this part of the evening is always keenly anticipated and enjoyed.

The next Monthly Saturday afternoon Workshop will be held on Saturday28th September 2019 at 1.00pm at the Chirnside Park Community Hub.

There is always something happening in the Bonsai World so we invite you to get on board!