by George Buehler

When you get this newsletter, August will be here and we should be entering into the hottest month of the year in the Ohio Valley (can it be hotter than the end of July?). When it comes to bonsai, there is not much to do except watch the watering, try to keep the bugs off the trees, and perhaps put some of the more sensitive trees in the shade. A lot of our trees have been or are in a semi dormant period due to the heat and lack of natural water. Our tropicals are enjoying the heat and probably are growing like crazy. The deciduous and conifers are just hanging on waiting for the cooler nights. The week of light rainfall from hurricane Dennis did wonders for the grass and our trees. Let's hope that August isn't as dry and hot as it usually is.

For the editor of this newsletter, since there is not a lot of bonsai tree work to do, it is a time to plan the articles that will appear in the upcoming issues. It is also a good time to go over my bonsai and decide what needs to be done either later this year or next spring. I like to get out early in the morning with a cup of coffee (and a note pad) to look at my trees. When I see something that needs correcting or something I haven't noticed before, I make a note of it for later handling.

I want to thank Lee Hatcher for taking some pictures and sending in an article on his attendance at the 5th World Bonsai Convention. I know Lee had a great time because it shows in his article and pictures.

In that vein, the Midwest Bonsai Society will hold their annual meeting in Chicago August 19th through the 21st. At this point I plan to attend, even though it is a 6 hour drive and the gasoline prices are their highest ever. There is going to be a large vendor area, lots of demos and of course a number of workshops. Information on this meeting can be found at www.midwestbonsai.org.

Indianapolis will hold their annual show Sept. 24-25 at White River Gardens. They will have a number of trees on exhibit from Sept. 17 - Nov. 3 at the White River Gardens. I visited the exhibit last year and was impressed with the Indianapolis society trees on exhibit. Information on this show can be found at www.indybonsai.org.