Warminster Bonsai Club

Saturday 10th May was our workshop with Chris Thomas which is always well attended and included two members who came along to just to observe.

As always Chris covered a wide variety of trees brought in by us varying from raw material, material that presented a challenge as to where do you go with it to start, trees that needed second opinion to present them in a much better image and trees that needed to be brought on to the next stage of refinement.

A great learning day.

Very busy meeting with lots of repotting trying to catch up with trees before it is too late and they start budding out, also as we have this year a Chris Thomas workshop a Lee Verhorevoort workshop and a Dan Butler pottery workshop planned this took up time to take names so only a few photos taken.

This is our annual trip to Lodders Bonsai open weekend which coincides with their new imports for this year.

The shear number and variety of bonsai on offer is mind boggling and he still had two containers to come, Gerrit also invites other people associated with bonsai to put up a stand in their loading bay where you will find several potters, scroll suppliers, carving tools, sushi, bronzes amongst other Japanese themed products.

It attracts large numbers of Bonsai enthusiasts and on Saturday there was three coaches parked up which made it amusing watching the loading up as people took advantage of the space.

I say this many times if you get this experience you keep coming back we do and it is brilliant.

I took just some general views of his main greenhouse before the public came in, he has a greenhouse devoted to tropicals, and another overspill/quarantine greenhouse.

The photos are just a snippet of what he has which includes an area devoted to pots and soils.

Busy meeting with repotting on all tables as we try to catch up before trees start to break bud.

Amelia ran a repotting demo using Larches and Scott’s as a reminder on the basics for repotting.

TOTM

Only two trees this month everyone occupied with the repotting.

Just a short posting of our club display at this years show.

January

First meeting of the new year and the weather leading up to Thursday was typical for January freezing over night then warming up last couple of days, conditions which can make repotting a difficult choice.

Never the less some members were happy to repot able to give some protection if the temperatures changed, the rest of us were involved with holding a dummy run to help Clive H in choosing the trees for our display for the coming Swindon Winter image show.

Our display

TOTM

I give you all a chance to have a closer view of these unique and inspirational creations.

The December meeting is our AGM and Decorated tree competition, the AGM usually doesn’t take much time we end it when we can hear snoring or members start throwing things at us.

This year in a break from tradition it was decided we would have a Christmas themed Penjing competition and the winner to be presented with the much coveted trophy.

So it was with many thanks to Amelia who scoured the materials for the Penjing that as soon as we wrapped up the AGM there was a rush to pick your pot, tree or trees, rocks and assorted tasteful? decorations.

And the design juices were allowed to flow ( I noted how quiet the room went ). See below the intense concentration this art requires.

And finally see how the many years of studying and workshops on bonsai produced such high end results easily worthy of exhibiting in an exclusive London gallery. I let you decide.

Competition result

Winner of the Tree Of The Month Competition

Well done Geoff

And the one you have been waiting for the best Penjing

Awkward time of year for trees many have turned and colours fading and some have dropped their leaves but lots of rain making compost sodden so not much brought in to work.

Still we had a chance to talk about the Decembers meet which is our AGM and how we have an alternative to the now famous decorated tree competition.

TOTM

Due to commitments that cropped up during the year only four of us could make the date so we filled our cars with trees, two reasons Lee can work through trees at an amazing rate and this is an opportunity to have your trees assessed for styling and refinement.

I have recommended to club members even if you think your trees are not good enough just come along as an observer you will learn so much about each species, control of pests, styling and refinement in just one day.
You also learn more about how the Japanese grow and develop their trees and how Lee has to adapt these methods for our climate,

I must try to encourage members to pop in on the next Saturday we have Lee, he should not be missed.

Needless to say we all enjoyed the day and never stop learning.

This is one of my Junipers I took in on the workshop but had to work on it at home.

This is its initial styling, it will now be aloud to develop the live lines to the remaining branches, then repotting and further refinement carving next year.