by Lee Squires

If you missed our October meeting, you missed a great one. Dr. Doug Hawley from the Cincinnati Bonsai Society gave our club an excellent program. He started with a PowerPoint presentation on the growing of pine bonsai and finished up with a trimming and styling demonstration of Pinus banksiana. He transformed the landscape plant into a potentially great future bonsai within an hour. Selective pruning and wiring set the stage for its future development. Our club will be purchasing the tree in Spring 2011 and sell raffle tickets during the year at $5.00 each. After $300.00 in ticket sales occur, the winning ticket will be drawn. Bjorn Bjornholm, our presenter last Spring, told me that Doug has the best collection of bonsai in our area. It was evident by the excellent collection he brought to the meeting as “show & tell” bonsai. Large Black and White Pines were showcased, with a quiz on how much they cost Doug. After purchase or collecting and years of styling, they looked like $5,000.00 trees. Doug paid only $288.50 for the seven trees. A lot of work on Doug’s part turned the trees from landscape plants  into valuable bonsai in several years.

Our November meeting will be held on the 13th at 10:00 at the Bon Air Library. Steve Reeves will be “throwing “ a clay pot, and Linda Kossman will be explaining the different styles of pots and what trees look best in them. This should be an informative meeting for all, but new members will benefit from it for sure. Sorry, I cannot be in attendance. Linda’s son, Ray, is getting married that afternoon.
Our Holiday Party will be held at the Bristol Bar & Grill in Prospect on December 6th  starting at 6:00 P.M.  A break was needed from Jumbo’s. The excessive noise and confusion at our October meeting prompted this much welcomed change in scenery and menu. A wise friend of mine once said that buffet and Chinese shouldn’t be used in the same sentence. By the way, what was that on the second steam table, 3rd dish from the door? There was some odd looking appendages in that one with a sesame seed garnish.

We will be ordering from the menu at the Bristol in our private, quiet room. You can spend what you want for dinner and drinks, and a 20% gratuity will be added to your meal. RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY. Call me at 895-9997 or e-mail squi9997@insightbb.com. There will be some door prizes; but, if you would like to contribute something to be included in the raffle, please feel free to bring something. Yes, it is better to give than to receive. Look for directions and other information in this newsletter.

For our new members, it’s time to start thinking about over-wintering your trees. When the temperatures are consistently around freezing and below, your trees should be in winter storage. This occurs around mid-November. It is best to start winter protection when the weather is above freezing for your comfort so you’re ready when the temperatures drop. On the ground, pot to pot with 6” of mulch works well. Garage storage and use of cold frames all work well too but have different requirements too variable to list here. Check with other members on what they do or look “on line” for advice.
I hope Fall is kind to you, and I look forward to seeing you all at meetings in the future.