FOUR SEASONS BONSAI CLUB

FOUR SEASONS BONSAI CLUB of MICHIGAN APRIL 29th 2018 www.fourseasonsbonsai.com BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS APRIL 29TH AT BORDINES NURSERY 12:30 MEETING SET UP ( PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY ) 1:00 EVENT DISCUSSION AND BONSAI UPDATES 1:15 BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS / BRING IN YOUR TREE 2:30 TREE REVIEW Q & A 3:30 RAFFLE AND MEETING FINALE New to bonsai? This meeting is designed for you. We will give you an introduction to bonsai, finding your first tree, repotting, finding the right pot and how to become proficient at wiring. We want to hear from all of you, bring in a tree, a list of questions and be ready to hear answers from dozens of experienced artists. Bonsai for beginners is perfect for this time of the year. Local stores will be taking their trees out of the greenhouses, ordering tropicals and supplies to get you started. With this meeting, you will be prepared to find the tree that fits your environment, lighting options and budget. Remember, bonsai can be expensive if you're unprepared. Heck, bonsai can be expensive even when you're confident and experienced. Our goal is to teach you not to buy a tree at the HDepot and support local greenhouses. Finding the right tree is the start. Arming you with information to develop beautiful bonsai is our goal. Trees worthy of being on display and entered into shows within a short time. Bring in a tree and notes! BRING IN ITEMS TO ENTER IN OUR RAFFLE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE: 8 Before we held our annual Bonsai Circus I was conflicted. Are we repeating our calendar from last year and giving members more content and advice, or just repeating history. Then, I heard from our board members, each person brought a new technique to the event. We had videos, live demos, carving, wiring and even a new invention worthy of a bonsai "SHARK TANK" show. Our club members came in droves, new faces and members returning to the club were in attendance. Maybe, it was the free pizza and drinks. It doesn't matter, as long as new and veteran club members left with a new technique that can help them improve and grow in bonsai. Please print our calendar and get ready for an incredible list of guest speakers, live demos and even one of the biggest names in bonsai, Walter Pall, coming to our club in October. See you all then, sign up forms will be at the meeting. Michael Corbeille / President 4seasonsbonsai@gmail.com 248 250 3602

GRAND RAPIDS SHOW IS COMING SOON. CLICK LINKS FOR INFORMATION ON GETTING TREES ENTERED INTO THE DISPLAY. CHECK OUT THE WEBSITE FOR COURSES AND MORE INFORMATION! Sign in form: https://annarborbonsaisociety.org/uploads/allstateentryform18.pdf Website for more information. http://www.meijergardens.org/ /michigan-all-state-bonsai-s / bonsai show Bonsai MAY 12 13, 2018 Displays: Saturday 12 5 pm, Sunday 11 am 5 pm Bonsai Sales: Saturday 9 am 5 pm, Sunday 11 am 5 pm FEATURED BONSAI ARTIST: William Valavanis FREE ADMISSION TO THE BONSAI SHOW, FEATURING: Stunning bonsai on display Free demonstrations all weekend Hands-on workshops Hard-to-find bonsai supplies Artist, Steve Jetzer. Photo by Tim Priest. MeijerGardens.org 1-96 and East Beltline, Grand Rapids, MI bonsai show Featuring internationally recognized bonsai artist William Valavanis DEMONSTRATIONS: SATURDAY, MAY 12 AND SUNDAY, MAY 13 SATURDAY, 9 am 11:30 am WATCH BONSAI ARTISTS AT WORK Watch various artists working on their trees wiring, pruning, and repotting. Ask questions and meet artists from throughout Michigan. SATURDAY and SUNDAY, 12 1:30 pm BONSAI STYLING DEMONSTRATIONS By Guest Artist William Valavanis Watch our featured artist as he prunes, wires, and styles a large bonsai. SATURDAY and SUNDAY, 2 3:30 pm TRIPLE VISION Watch three bonsai artists as they start with similar-looking trees and achieve very different results. ALL DEMONSTRATIONS ARE ON THE MAIN LEVEL Grand Room Atrium VENDORS: B.C. Bonsai Bonsai by Fields Flower Market Growco Garden Supply Her Laurels International Bonsai Arboretum Ippel Studios Ken s World of Bonsai MEIJER GARDENS WORKSHOPS: Visit MeijerGardens.org/calendar

BONSAI CIRCUS 2018 This years Bonsai Circus was a total success. Not only did we have 6 live presentations happening simultaneously, we had five new member join and experience bonsai in a whole new light. Each presentation delivered information that will prove invaluable to your future in bonsai. New members had a hands on experience with Rick Bieniek's brilliant wire dummy. They also had a full video presentation from Lynn Irish and her lovely assistant Rick Marsh. Experiencd members watched Guy VItale repott a massive Dawn Redwood and watch Vance Wood and Michael Corbeille's styling demos. A big thanks to Judy Muench and Chris Kehrig for handling the catering and raffle. Presenters: Rick Bieniek. Judy Muench. Guy VItale. Michael Corbeille. Vance Wood. Lynn Irish and Rick Marsh.

WELL IT DEPENDS... A GUIDE TO STARTING YOUR BONSAI Almost without exception all bonsai questions can be answered with the phrase "Well, it depends." When should I fertilize my bonsai? When should I water my bonsai tree? What is the best time of year to wire my tree? Should I remove this branch? Can you really grow a bonsai tree in nothing but marbles? Well, it depends. The main thing to ask yourself is, what am I trying to accomplish? What is your ultimate goal and what is the best way to accomplish that goal? Careful observation should lead you in the direction of the appropriate answer. I often try to avoid the what/when/how/where bonsai questions when asking for advice. It is often an opinion on the course of action that I am looking for when I have a question. My bonsai questions are often in the form of "if I remove this branch and then wire the one above it into position would that fill the area appropriately and provide a natural and pleasing shape?" This removes a lot of the follow-up questions that my adviser might have and gives him or her the insight into what my intentions are. ABOUT SEEDLINGS If you have a young tree, or one that requires a lot more growth... plenty of fertilizer and unrestrained growth is the answer. Often the first responses to the "what should I do with this tree?" bonsai question is... put it in the ground for a number of years. What this answer is truly saying is that this tree is far too young in its development to worry about refinement or restraining growth. If you start the refinement process (pinching, etc.) too early on this tree you will have a well ramified branch on a slender trunk that lacks movement, taper, and character. At the seedling stage you must keep the tree alive and well fertilized. Roots can (and should) be worked on during this phase, creating the structure for future development.

2018 OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEE CHAIRS President...Michael Corbeille mrcorbeille@gmail.com Vice-President...Lynn Irish...lirish@wowway.com Secretary...Rick Marsh...rickmarsh@wowway.com Treasurers...Beth Rubinstein (248)752-6258 bethrubins@gmail.com Newsletter...Michael Corbeille mrcorbeille@gmail.com Website...Cate Horn (248) 979-2254 smoknjoeonthego@gmail.com Social Director...Postition is Open Director, 2-Yr. Term...John Stevens jalden123@aol.com Director, 2-Yr. Term...Chris Kehrig chris.kehrig@gm.com Director, 2-Yr. Term... Tom Kravchenko sirpanda@hotmail.com Director, 1-Yr. Term... Rick Bieniek richardbieniek@yahoo.com Catering, 1-Yr. Term..Judy Muensch mexicomuench@aol.com POSITIONS ARE OPEN. PLEASE EMAIL US IF YOU'D LIKE TO JOIN THE BOARD. EXPERIENCE ISN'T NECESSARY. JUST PASSION FOR BONSAI.

PRE BONSAI QUESTIONS If you have a young tree, or one that requires a lot more growth... plenty of fertilizer and unrestrained growth is the answer. Often the first responses to the "what should I do with this tree?" bonsai question is... put it in the ground for a number of years. What this answer is truly saying is that this tree is far too young in its development to worry about refinement or restraining growth. If you start the refinement process (pinching, etc.) too early on this tree you will have a well ramified branch on a slender trunk that lacks movement, taper, and character. At the seedling stage you must keep the tree alive and well fertilized. Roots can (and should) be worked on during this phase, creating the structure for future development. SHOW PREPARATION Your tree is finally show ready and you plan to make a big debut of all your hard work. Satsuki Azalea 'Gyoten' by John Callaway The tree has been finely wired to the tips of each well ramified branch. The pot that you recently selected complements the tree in shape, color, finish, and texture. The soil is cleaned of debris and a top dressing of short, neat, healthy green moss has been applied to the surface of the soil. Several options for stands have been selected and you're waiting for show setup time to make the final choice based on the lighting, height, balance, arrangement, and personal preference. RECOVERY It may not be feasible to keep the tree in a 'show-ready' state for many years in a row. Pretty soon the health of the tree may start to decline. It would be far better for the tree to have a period of rest. This would be a great opportunity to examine the tree and perhaps rework some of the branches. Some of the larger or more coarse growth can be replaced by finer, more refined branches which will most likely increase the quality of the overall design. Your choice now is to decide how much to remove and how drastic a change you want to create. It may be a few years before the design is realized, but you've got the time. Besides, you've been working on several other trees and one in particular is just about ready for the big show. Focus your efforts on this new bonsai tree while the other recovers. How long does all of this take? Well, it depends! - guest author John Callaway

FOUR SEASONS BONSAI CLUB OF MICHIGAN 8 2018 Calendar of Events All events are open to the public Sunday, FEBRUARY 25TH FIRST MEETING OF THE YEAR Introduction to the years events and schedule. Welcome to bonsai for new members & beginners. Michael Corbeille update on club status and plans for 2018. Calendar confirmation. BYOB (bring in your own bonsai) hands on advice and styling. Sunday, MARCH 25th BONSAI CIRCUS New to bonsai or just looking to hone your skills, donʼt miss this meeting! Multiple members will hold simultaneous workshops and demos on a variety bonsai related topics geared toward beginners through expert level bonsai artists. A must attend! Sunday, APRIL 29th BEGINNER WORKSHOP & DAN BENNETT STANDS. Club member and master craftsman, Dan Bennett, will discuss building and displaying stands. He will have stands for sale. We are also holding a private workshop area for new members to bring in a tree and learn how to start their first tree. Experienced members will share wiring and styling techniques. Sunday, MAY 20th JOHN WALL - SHOW PREPARATIONS 12-4pm* Bordines Nursery, Rochester Hills John Wall, our show judge from last year, is back by popular demand. John will share his experience in preparing bonsai for shows. Popular subjects of stands, wiring, moss and properly displaying your bonsai will all be addressed. Bring in your trees. Sunday, JUNE 24th JENNIFER PRICE CARVING TECHNIQUES 12-4pm* Bordines Nursery, Rochester Hills Jennifer Price will conduct a live demo on advanced carving techniques and share stories on her time spent studying and working with bonsai legend, Walter Pall. She is coming in from Chicago just for our meeting. We are starting an hour early. Sunday, JULY 22nd Kurt Smith & Large tree styling demo. Kurt Smith, the owner of the Flower Market, is back with another presentation. Plus, experienced club members will be styling a large tree in front of the entire club. Wiring, carving and proper techniques in large branch bending. This tree will be entered in our annual show raffle. BYOB is encouraged. SATURDAY & SUNDAY AUGUST 11th -12th 45th ANNUAL BONSAI SHOW!!! 9am -7:00 Saturday. 9am - 4pm Sunday Bordines Nursery, Rochester Hills Come see incredible bonsai trees on display, live demos, workshops and bonsai trees for sale. We are excited to have the former curator of the National Bonsai Museum, Jack Sustic, as our judge. Live demos and beginner workshops, raffles and more Jack Sustic will be conducting a special workshop and critique of all the trees. Sunday, September 23rd BONSAI AUCTION 11-4pm* Bordines Nursery, Rochester Hills A massive collection of bonsai trees and bonsai related items will be auctioned to club members. A must attend for all levels of bonsai artists. Members are asked to come early and register their items. We will be sending entry forms and sales information prior to the auction. This event will start earlier than previous meetings and will be a catered event. Monday - Tuesday October 8-9th WALTER PALL SPECIAL EVENT (times tbd) Bordines Nursery, Rochester Hills We have bonsai legend Walter Pall for two days!! Monday will be paid workshops and Tuesday Walter will deliver his bonsai inspiration open to club members. Be sure to sign up early, bring in a tree to have evaluated. Spots will fill immediately. Sunday, OCTOBER 21st BONSAI FOR KIDS and BEGINNERS A new idea we are going to try. Bring your kids to the club day. Our chance to get new faces and the opportunity to develop new bonsai artists. Sunday, NOVEMBER 18th WINTER PREPARATIONS We will discuss how to prepare your trees for the brutal Michigan winters. Building cold frames to setting up grow lights indoors for tropical trees. Saturday, December 9th Holiday Dinner 6-8pm Cafe Sushi, Troy MI All club members and family are invited! We celebrate our 48th year in bonsai. *meeting starts earlier than 1:00 www.fourseasonsbonsai.com 4seasonsbonsai@gmail.com FSB MEETINGS ARE HELD AT BORDINES NURSERY 1835 ROCHESTER ROAD SOUTH ROCHESTER HILLS MI 48307

THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLUB MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT BORDINES NURSERY IN ROCHESTER HILLS. PLEASE CHECK THE NEWSLETTER AND FACEBOOK PAGE FOR ANY LOCATION CHANGES AND TO CONFIRM OUR MEETING TIMES.

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