January 2005 Newsletter

Sensei: Kunitoshi Akabane (925) 736-7600,

President: Jim Stalker,                                         Vice President: Nick Nickelson

Editor: Don Meeker,

January Meetings:

Note: 2005 change in meeting location, day and times. . We meet in the Rotary Room of the Heather Farms Garden Center,Walnut Creek, on the 2nd and 3rd Wednesdays of each month, from 7:30PM to 9:30PM.

The Rotary Room is on the lower level of the Garden Center. A ramp leading to the lower level is to the left of the Main Building Entrance off the parking lot. We are working on getting vehicular access to the lower level for a few members who may be disabled or have very large trees to carry in to the meetings.

Meeting times have been reduced due to the increased cost. Meetings will start promptly at 7:30PM with a brief business meeting, and will end at 9:30PM. Please be ready to meet at 7:30PM.

Please bring plant material appropriate to the class topic for the workshop. Either something already in development or to be developed.Working on the tree in the style discussed will help us better understand the lecture and the style.

Tuesday - Jan 4th, 7:30PM - Board Meeting, Barbara Richards home, Pleasant Hill.

Refreshments: Nick Nickleson.

Wednesday - January 19th - Intermediate Class Meeting. 7:30PM - 7:30 - 8:00PM -Lecture Topic: Review of basic styles. 8:00 - 9:30PM Workshop, bring Show and Donation Trees in the Moyogi or Informal Upright Style to work on.

Refreshments: James Stalker.

Saturday - January 22nd Potting session, Tassajara Nursery 9:30AM. If it is raining or misting please call the Nursery before departing for the session. First bring Show or donation trees to work on, if you will have time then possibly new material.

From the President

We will be scheduling a return to the San Ramon Park Juniper and will send a notice later.

You will have noticed the changes in meeting location and times by now. This has been done to accommodate many members who found the long access to the meeting room at the Charlotte Wood School carrying potted trees very difficult. We hope this accommodation will help many of our senior or disabled members.

We have scheduled two potting sessions, Saturdays, January 22nd and February 12th for 9:30AM at the Tassajara Nursery. These two sessions plus the three workshops in January, February and March provide time to work on your Show and Donation trees for the April show. 'K' indicated if needed we could schedule another Saturday potting session in March.

Sensei Kunitoshi Akabane is requesting all members, Basic and Intermediate to look in Garden Nurseries for appropriate material. The Club will not conduct field trips to Bonsai Nurseries in 2005. The objective is to direct the members to look at basic nursery stock, 4" starter trees, 1, 2 and 5 gallon stock as potential bonsai material. This is to help the members develop their ability to look for and select basic raw material for development potential. Each member is requested to find a one gallon tree which would be appropriate for a formal upright, one for an informal upright, one for a windswept and one fo a cascade. These four trees are to be developed as projects over the course of the year, brining them regularly to meetings to be critiqued and worked on.

At the close of each meeting please help with the clean up and storing of the Club materials. Be sure that Lois Naye is not left to close alone after the Basic class meetings.

Diablo Bonsai Look Ahead Schedule

Wednesday February 9th - Basic Class Meeting 7:30PM - Lecture 7:30-8:00PM - Chokkan (formal upright style) 8:00PM-9:30PM
Workshop - Bring Show and donation trees, especially Formal Upright trees to work on.
Refreshments: Barbara Richards.

Saturday, February 12th - Potting session, Tassajara Nursery 9:30AM. If it is raining or misting please call the Nursery before departing for the session. First bring Show or donation trees to work on, if you will have time then possibly new material.

Wednesday February 16th - Intermediate Class Meeting 7:30PM - Lecture 7:30-8:00PM - Arrangement of roots 8:00PM-9:30PM
Workshop - Bring Show and donation trees, especially Formal Upright trees to work on.
Refreshments: Norman Wanek.

Events Elsewhere

Hayward, January 15th & 16th

Oakland, January 29th & 30th Bay Area Bonsai Associates, 24th Annual Bonsai Exhibit at Lakeside Garden Center (Lake Merrit), 666 Bellevue Ave. Saturday 5:30 - 9:00PM, Sunday 10AM to 4PM. Suthin Sukosolvisit will demonstrate Saturday evening.