The Louisiana Bonsai Society has
had a very busy and active spring with special bonsai workshops, participating
in garden plant sales, annual spring bonsai show, and regular monthly bonsai
club meetings. Howard Merrill coordinated manning the informal bonsai booth at
the annual LSU Horticulture Plant Sale at the Parker Coliseum March 12 and 13.
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| Howard Merrill Manning the Informal Bonsai Booth at the Annual LSU Horticulture Plant Sale at the Parker Coliseum |
The Annual Spring Show was held
at the Baton Rouge Garden Center March 19 and 20, Zach Smith did a bonsai
demonstration creating a bonsai using a nursery stock Elaeagnus, commonly
called silverberry. Robert Reed did another bonsai lecture/demonstration
developing a green mound juniper into a cascade style bonsai.
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| Zach Smith Doing a Bonsai Demonstration Creating an Elaeagnus Bonsai |
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| Robert Reed Conducting a Bonsai Lecture/Demonstration Developing a Green Mound Juniper into a Cascade Style Bonsai. |
The bonsai club participated in
the Master Gardener’s annual plant sale at the Burden Botanical Gardens, April
9, and the Baton Rouge Botanical Gardens at Independence Park, April 16, by
having a bonsai informational Booth. Chip
Thompson coordinated manning the booths for both plant sales
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Chip Thompson Manning the LBS Booths for the Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Plant Sale
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The club is a member of both the
Bonsai Societies of Florida and the Lone Star Bonsai Federation which sponsors
bonsai expert speaker tours. One of the bonsai experts was Ted Matson from
California who conducted a bonsai workshop for members at the March monthly
meeting, March 18. Ted has been teaching
bonsai, conducting bonsai workshops and lecture/demonstrations since 1988. He was sponsored by Bonsai Societies of
Florida and Louisiana Bonsai Society has scheduled the next Bonsai Societies of
Florida expert, Pauline Muth, who will conduct a bonsai workshop for members
and guests June 22. Pauline is from West
Charlton, NY, and has been studying, learning, practicing, and teaching bonsai
for more 40 years.
Rodney Clemons, bonsai expert
sponsored by Lone Star Bonsai Federation, conducted a bonsai workshop at the
April 19, monthly bonsai club meeting. He
is from Atlanta, GA, and been conducting bonsai workshops, doing bonsai lecture
demonstrations, and teaching bonsai for more than 25 years.
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| Jim Scarton and Rodney Clemons Looking at and Discussing His Bonsai Collection |
On Wednesday, April 20, he
visited and critiqued Jim Scarton’s, Howard Merrill’s, and Lowell Tilley’s
private bonsai collection.
At the May 18 meeting, many
Louisiana Bonsai Society members bought bonsai to study and discuss bonsai
techniques to improve them. They also
reviewed the bonsai created by Zach Smith and Robert Reed spring bonsai show to
see and discuss their progress. Lowell
Tilley demonstrated led the discussion about trimming bonsai branches to reduce
leaf size.
The bonsai club is doing a lot
to improve all the members’ bonsai skills and collections. The club now is able
to afford three to five world renowned bonsai specialists each year to lead
bonsai workshops and lecture demos. They
now have the resources to aid members just beginning bonsai skills to all the
way to very advance bonsai techniques. The members’ bonsai collection are
continuing to improve and the bonsai at each show are getting more unique and
exotic.
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| Joey Dupre’ Talking About Development Techniques to Create Bonsai |
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| Chip Thompson Talking About the Development of His Bonsai |
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| Howard Merrell Showing and Talking About His Bougainvillea Bonsai |
The Louisiana Bonsai Society is
a not for profit organization open to all who are interested in the hobby of
bonsai. They meet on the third Tuesday
of each month at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd. The next meeting will be June 21. Guests are welcome, for more information call
Lowell Tilley, 272-6744 or email lowelltilley@gmail.com .
