NOTES FROM YOUR COMMITTEE. Open Garden day on 21 March, which featured the Bonsai Garden of Bruce Argaet, was a great day & if you missed it, you really missed something WAVERLEY BONSAI GROUP NEWSLETTER Waverley Garden Club Bonsai Group PO Box 926, Mount Waverley, Vic 3149 Email: brucewensor@outlook.com Web: http://www.waverleybonsaigroup.org President: Bruce Argaet 0417 058 053 shoku_bruce@hotmail.com Vice Pres: Zyggy Reinoga 0404 041 883 zygmuntt@bigpond.com Secretary: Bruce Wensor 0431 773 446 brucewensor@outlook.com Treasurer: Nikki Cameron bardinac@bigpond.net.au Editor: John Reynolds aegisjr@bigpond.net.au Librarians: Barbara Cheevers and Stuart Caldwell April 2015 Date: Tuesday, 21 April 2015, 8.00 pm start PRESENTERs. Chris Xepapas (who runs Heritage Bonsai Tasmania) Talking on Conifers (3 rd Tuesday of each month) Our Bonsai display at MIFGS on 25/29 March, & our participation in the hanging basket display, was missed by most members. Bruce Argaet won all of the 3 major prizes, being Best In Show, Best Bonsai Basket & the People s Choice. We have received 3 more invitations to show our Bonsai, being the Box Hill & Frankston Japanese Festivals & the Orchid Spectacular Nikki our Treasurer for the last 7 years will be handing over the baton to a member who we hope who will carry the baton for a few years also. Nikki will assist in the takeover. Please talk to Nikki, or either Bruce, as we must have a nomination for the August Annual meeting, so please consider this position. We are also looking for some back up members for the Library, so please see either of the Bruces. EXHIBITIONS 17 May Japanese Festival, Box Hill Town Hall. From Last Meeting: Member Workshop Night Venue: rear hall, St John s Church, cnr Virginia & Alexander Streets, Mount Waverley (Melway ref 70 D1) MEMBER DISPLAY TABLE (see last page) Tree of the Month: Pines Style: Formal and Informal & : your choice So, there are two categories: 1. Tree of the month and the style bring in that type and style as your first alternative 2. any other trees at all that you think might be worthy. No excuse for not bringing in something because anything is OK to display. SUPPER ROSTER David Hurwitz & Steve Jarrold
Members and trees, take a bow...
Member Trees on the Display Tables All members, are asked to respect other member s Bonsai, on the display table each month DON T TOUCH! All Bonsai have the owner s name, so if you would like a closer look, please seek out the owner.
Remove dead needles on your pines, clean them up generally and cut off any dead wood, this allows more light and air to circulate around your tree. Attend the coming bonsai shows to seek more inspiration. As for last month, the semi-hard wood cuttings are done in Autumn when the tree vitality is good. Use the pruning off cuts up to 100mm max in length to let the roots form in a propagating mix and good sheltered cover. Plant them quickly or in water if there s a delay involved. Brian Sampson s Bonsai book is available at the meetings for purchase @ $50.00. Seasonal Notes-April As Summer ends and Autumn starts, lower the Nitrogen content in the fertilisers. As it has the correct blend of ingredients to thicken and harden trunks and improve fruit and berries on tree, use a tomato plant fertilizer or use a fertilizer with lower N, but higher P & K. Remember to water thoroughly. Regularly check plants for pests and diseases. Aphids love the young Camellia and Maple leaves. Kill star weed and liverwort with brown vinegar (apply with cotton bud or a fine paint brush Start to prepare a garden bed, in readiness for when you can plant some of your trees in the ground in a few months time You should be starting to enjoy some touches of autumn colour, colourful berries and small fruit on your trees. If you don t have any of these trees in your collection, it is a good time to scout around the nurseries and buy one. Seasonal Notes-May Keep checking plants for pests and diseases. Avoid pruning deciduous trees because growth spurts can get winter burns when/if frost comes. Start to remove any fruit and berries to allow your tree to recover. Last growth on some conifers like Junipers and Cryptomerias means one last pinching can be done before winter sets in. Remove wires and let trees rest over winter. Constantly remove all fallen leaves from your benches and pots. As well as keeping the area tidy and clean, it removes a potential source and habitat for pests and diseases. Scrub down the benches to remove algae and dirt build-ups and disinfect discarded posts. You should be starting to enjoy some touches of autumn colour, colourful berries and small fruit on your trees. If you don t have any of these trees in your collection, it is a good time to scout around the nurseries and buy one. Attend the coming bonsai shows to seek more inspiration Another special tree
WAVERLEY BONSAI GROUP - PROGRAMME 2015 Month Date Demonstrator and/or topic Break Critique Display Table Style 20 January 4 club members speaking on, making pots, propagating & collecting bonsai Any - Any 17 February Mark Ludlow from Masters Apprentice Nursery - Cascades Figs/ Ficus Groups Maples 17 March MEMBER WORKSHOP NIGHT Group 21 April 19 May Chris Xepapas who runs Heritage Bonsai Tasmania and is the VP of the Bonsai Society Southern Tasmania. Chris is also a Level 2 National Bonsai Demonstrator AABC VT. He will talk on Conifers 16 June Mauro Stemberger, Bonsai master from Italy 21 July 18 August 15 September 20 October 17 November 15 December Single- $40, Family $45, Student $12, one off joining fee $15 cash or cheque or Direct Bank Deposit /EFT for membership. Waverley Bonsai Group Commonwealth Bank = BSB 063 151 Account 1008 4248. Please include your name as the reference. Pine trees Autumn Trees Deciduous Flowering Australian Natives Sakei Landscape plantings Junipers Satsuki Azaleas All types Informal and Formal Informal Informal and Formal Penjing All types Broom and Informal Root over Rock Waverley Bonsai Group 5