by Mark Kennerley

The best way of getting started is undoubtedly to join a club. There are numerous clubs across the country where you will be warmly welcomed and be in the right place to receive sound practical advice. This is also a good source of material on which to work. Most enthusiasts have too many trees in their possession and are quite happy to unload the surplus on somebody else. Many clubs have a comprehensive library of Bonsai publications that can be loaned and most clubs organize trips to nurseries or obtain permission to collect trees from the wild. Rather than buying from garden centers where little or nothing will be available in the way of advice, seek out a specialized Bonsai nursery. The proprietors of these establishments are usually Bonsai enthusiasts before they are businessmen and would rather see you succeed with your trees than line their own pockets by selling something unsuitable.

So what do you need in practical terms to start growing Bonsai?

by Mark Kennerley

Why the Illusion of Bonsai I hear you ask? Well, look at it this way, take a tree, any tree, growing in a pot and style it. Hopefully, what comes out of the other end merits the title of Bonsai. The process of styling has taken a normal piece of vegetative growth and transformed it into an image of a tree inspired by nature. It’s still a normal tree underneath but, if the job has been done well, the viewer sees something more, something that fires the imagination. We know what we started with, so the finished work must be an illusion.

Traditional teaching of styling methods tends to focus on trees that are a million miles away from what a typical beginner has to work with, and potential styles are described in terms of Japanese ideals that are totally incomprehensible to Joe Bloggs from just outside Bletchley. So let’s forget the rules, or at least look at them in a different way.

by Lee Squires

In 1974 , at age 29, I was President of the Louisville Area Bonsai Club, now the Greater Louisville Bonsai Society. The Club voted to send me, as our representative, to the Bonsai Club International meeting in Washington, D.C., aka, BCI ‘ 76 in July 1976.This was to be my first BCI convention. The American Bonsai Society did not hold their convention at the same time as BCI. The highlight of the meeting was the dedication of the National Bonsai Collection. The people of Japan presented the United States with a gift of over 70 bonsai to honor the U.S. Bicentennial. The trees first came into the U.S. in January 1975 under a 16 month quarantine. Eventually, they made their way to the U.S. National Arboretum to be placed in permanent display. Here is a reasonable facsimile of my printed invitation.

by Earl Ekman

Our annual bonsai show at beautiful Yew Dell garden in Crestwood KY is scheduled for Saturday April 30 and Sunday, May 1st. The exhibit set up will start Friday April 29 at 10 AM. All preparations must be finished by 5 PM, as this is the time the garden closes.

This is an important event for our club. We normally sign up several new club members and create lots of interest in our beginner workshops. The club will have one or two raffle trees, and this is a good source of income for our club.

Our show design will change again this year, giving it an entirely new look. Last year we used the two big dragon columns. This year we will not use those but are updating the Tory gate and we will be using it at the entrance. We will need 30 trees. Last year we needed 30 trees, but only received 22. So we were short by quite a few. Start preparing several trees for the Yew Dell Show and enter them in the ABS/BCI show. The club will need 50 trees for that show. Make sure you style the tree, freshen soil, the clean the pot, and polish the stand. If you need a stand, let me know. I have a few extras I can bring.

by Dave Bogan

Every one of us is proud of our trees and want to show them off. Lets make sure they are all up to the task. At minimum, two weeks before the show lets make it a point to individually inspect & work on every tree you plan to show.

Starting at the top. Prune any small foliage that has grown outside the “silhouette” of the shape. Prune it slightly back or in from the silhouette. This helps avoids the sight of a cut branch. Wire - if it’s on neatly and still required, leave it. This is an informal show. The general public always has questions on how and why we wire our trees. In many cases, wire can be removed and a thin simple guy wire used in its place. Remove all dead or discolored foliage and branches.

Now, let’s move down. The surface area of the soil and roots are very important and very distracting if not clean. First, check to see that your tree is firmly anchored in the pot. If not, sometimes

by John Callaway

Planning for the upcoming ABS/BCI Bonsai in the Bluegrass event continues.  We've had several great planning meetings recently.  

We really need the help of the entire membership.  We understand that there will be busy schedules and previous conflicts, however any and all help will be appreciated.  If you would like to help with something specific or have a special skill please feel free to contact any of the committee chairs below.

ABS Chair - George Buehler
Local Chair - John Callaway
Publicity/Advertising - Midge Goeth
Registration/Check-in - Tom McCurry / Linda Kossmann
Hospitality/Facilities - Brian Schanding
Auction/Raffle - Lee Squires
Exhibit - Earl Ekman
Instructors - John Callaway
Vendors - Earl Cormney
Brochure - Mike Schmidt / Linda Kossmann
More...