BSSF: Bonsai Society of San Francisco

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by John EdwardsWhy bonsai exhibits are important

Apr 27th: The Annual Cherry Blossom Festival Bonsai Exhibit on April 19 & 20 showed a range of bonsai material and a diversity of approaches to tree styles and exhibition styles. Fresh on the heals of a successful exhibit at the Cow Palace in March BSSF mounted a delightful display along with 6 other Bay Area clubs and the Collection North. Bonsai shows offer a golden opportunity for the curious student to see mature, groomed trees being shown at their peak... read more »

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by John EdwardsBonsai Basics Class February 2nd _ Canceled!

Feb 1st: The Bonsai Basics Class for February 2nd has been canceled! If you were planning on attending, please call Lawrence LeClaire at 415-200-8967. We will reschedule in the month of April read more »

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by John EdwardsPenjing exhibit at Conservatory GGP

Jan 25th: We are delighted to be opening two new Special Exhibits on Tuesday, January 29. An exciting and rare exhibit of Chinese penjing will make its debut at the Conservatory. This ancient art form originated in the Tang Dynasty around 600 AD and is considered to be the predecessor of Japanese bonsai. Ten custom-created miniature plant landscapes will be featured in the Aquatics Gallery. Dramatic stone sculptures, imported from Shanghai, are planted with dwarf, compact growing trees and shrubs to depict a natural scene... read more »

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by John Edwardsfrom the Prez.

Nov 28th: December is a great month to work on trees. By now your deciduous trees should be leafless, if not cut remaining leaves off leaving the leaf stem, or petiole, on so not to stimulate early spring growth. Before cutting off leaves make sure your tree is truly deciduous and not a broadleaf evergreen like live oak. With the tree bare and dormant you can make styling decisions for next year’s growth and cut out unwanted branches... read more »

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by John EdwardsFrom the Prez.

Oct 22nd: As the year winds down this club shows no signs of slowing. Saturday November 3 Tim Kong will be having a beginner workshop at his home which, as of this writing, is full. We will have another class in early February. Our November programs are swapping places. Our BSSF Monthly Member's Workshop will be on the second Thursday Nov. 8 so bring your trees to work on with other members. This is the last official member's free workshop for 2007... read more »

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by John EdwardsFrom the Prez.

Sep 24th: Our annual September auction was by all accounts a huge success. Thank you to all who donated and participated. Special thanks go out to John Boyce for officiating and Tim and Emma Kong for providing a special buffet. The past few months have seen an influx of new members and the board has decided to add a fall Bonsai Basics class for those recently coming to the club. Tim Kong will be teaching the class... read more »

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by John EdwardsFrom the prez

Aug 23rd: Summer is almost gone. Time to stop feeding nitrogen to deciduous trees and protect them from Indian summer hot days. Evergreen trees can still continue growing, many through the winter, but in general your feeding schedule should begin to slow down. Our annual club auction is held each September. We rely on donations of trees, pots and other bonsai related materials to make the auction work. All members are urged to comb through their collections for trees they do not have the time or inspiration to continue working on or pots that they have no tree for and donate them to the club auction... read more »

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by John EdwardsFrom the prez

Jul 23rd: As I write this I am preparing to leave for a week in the high Sierra. I was very moved by Bob and Earl Carlson's program on suiseki and Bob's summary titled "A Skyline of Small Mountains". It reminds us that our natural arts of suiseki and bonsai are about more than clipping and trimming up close and that one needs to stand back and take it all in. That is what I intend to do the next week. Unwind from our interconnected 24/7 wired world and cohabit in a space where millennia transpire with nary a change... read more »

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by John EdwardsFrom the prez

Jun 23rd: This first weekend of Summer we should all be feeding our trees and pinching new growth except on some flowering trees like Japanese quince, wisteria and plum which are allowed to grow unchecked. While we like to keep our trees looking nice, some trees need to be let go in order to serve the higher purpose of spring bloom or future plans for the tree. Escape branches can look unwieldy and unbalanced during the summer but the future purpose of proportional secondary branches is better served by some unsightliness now... read more »

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by John Edwardsfrom the prez.

May 22nd: The growing season is in full throttle. Time for guidance. You should be feeding, watering and observing your trees, and reading in these pages the advice from a community of experienced growers. Many good articles have been provided by dedicated members who have been caring for trees for many summers. Our seasonal calendar to guide you with different species during the current season. Coming to our second Thursday meetings where lessons are taught and experiences are sometimes unforgettable... read more »

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