Please Note the Louisiana Bonsai Society will meet at the “future” Independence Café adjoining the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd. until the Garden Center renovations are complete

Dawn Koetting and Jim Scarton, LBS President

At the last monthly meeting of the Louisiana Bonsai Society (LBS) meeting, February 20, Dawn Koetting did bonsai re-potting lecture/demo explaining some very advanced bonsai techniques.  She lives in Thibodaux and is a long time bonsai club member of LBS and the Treasurer of the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society, has attended many national bonsai conventions and shows, and has exhibited bonsai in the US Bonsai Exhibit that displays the best bonsai in the US and sponsored by the International bonsai magazine, Rochester, NY.

The next LBS meeting will be March 20, 7:00, at the “future” Independence Café adjoining the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd.  The program will be Techniques to Make Bonsai Look Old and Unique presented by Lowell Tilley in addition to the “bonsai and tell” discussion.

LBS will sponsor a special bonsai workshop conducted by Juan Andrade a world class bonsai expert from Santa Ana, Costa Rica who is one of the touring bonsai artist from the Bonsai Societies of Florida.  The workshop will be March 29, to help bonsai club members to improve their bonsai collections which will be very interesting to observers. Guests and visitors are welcome the costs will be $10.

       

The Louisiana Bonsai Society Annual Spring Bonsai Show will be at the “future” Independence Café adjoining the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd., April 14 and 15, 11:00 to 5:00.  The members will show some of their best bonsai specimen and it is free and open to the public.  There will be a bonsai lecture/demo at 2:00 on both days.  The club will have starter bonsai for sale to raise money for the club.

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 “future” Independence Café adjoining the Main Library on Goodwood Blvd.  Guests and visitors are welcome, for more information call Lowell Tilley, 272-6744 or email lowelltilley@gmail.com .

Bonsai Meeting Tuesday 7:00 PM, March 21, at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd 

The next LBS meeting will be Tuesday, March 21, 7:00 PM, at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd.  The program will presented by Zach Smith, owner of Bonsai South, https://bonsai-south.com/ .   It will be about collecting, potting, and developing bonsai with collected plant material.  He is a well-known bonsai expert with years of experience developing bonsai with collected material.

Please bring some of your bonsai to the next meeting for show and tell. The group will give suggestions to improve your bonsai. Bring bonsai you are having problems with, and bring some that are doing well also. It is good to learn from mistakes, and I have plenty you can learn from. Show and tell is always an interesting part of meeting.  Also bring a friend or neighbor, quests are always welcome.

This Friday, March 10, 7:00 PM, is the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society (GNOBS) March meeting and they will have a special program, Brussel Martin, owner of Brussel’s Bonsai, http://brusselsbonsai.com/ , will do a lecture/demo of creating a group bonsai forest with seven large trident maples in a 19 inch pot.  I plan to go to the meeting Friday and let me know if you want to ride with me. 

Saturday, he will conduct a trident maple forest workshop.  The cost for the workshop is $130 which includes trident maples, pot, bonsai soil, and wire.  This is a good deal, you won’t find a teacher with more experience doing bonsai forest.  The workshop will be where they meet, Marine Corps League Hall, 2708 Delaware St., Kenner, LA (near Williams Blvd. and I-10)

The 15th annual LSU Spring Garden Show is set for March 18-19 at the John M. Parker Coliseum on Highland Road in LSU.  The show will run from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. each day and include numerous vendors selling plants and a tremendous variety of yard, garden and patio merchandise.  We will have bonsai booth there to hand-out information about the Louisiana Bonsai Society, please contact me if you would like to help man the booth.

In addition to the garden show and the 11th annual Louisiana State and Regional Chili Cook-off and the eighth annual Baton Rouge Spring Car Show.  If you would like to be a chili cook-off judge, please contact me.

The Louisiana Bonsai Society is a not for profit organization open to all who are interested in the hobby of bonsai.  Guests are welcome, for more information call Lowell Tilley, 225-272-6744 or email lowelltilley@gmail.com   I am also offering bonsai classes, contact me if you would like to participate.

Please send any suggestions for programs to Lowell Tilley, lowelltilley@gmail.com   your input is very important.

Future Events:

March 2017, 24-25  at 9-5 both days: : Lake Charles Bonsai Society Annual Exhibit at the SWLA Garden Conference & Expo 2017 at Burton Coliseum. Set-up will be on Thursday, 23 March starting from Alan Walker’s Bonsai Studio and going to Burton at noon. There is also the Garden Expo Preview Party on the 23^rd from 6-8 pm.

April, 6-10, 2017: LSBF Convention 2017: Bonsai: Make the Cut at the Sheraton Dallas North Hotel, 4801 LBJ Freeway in Dallas, TX. Featuring guest artists: Bjorn Bjorholm, Daisaku Nomoto, and Juan Andrade. Registration information at http://www.lonestarbonsai.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Registration-Form-and-Workshop-Listing-2017.pdf   Hotel reservations at $99/night (Mention LSBF Bonsai Convention for our room rate.) at '1-800-325-3535 or online at https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/events/start.action?id=1610207227&key=1721A91D.

April 22 and 23, Louisiana Bonsai Society Spring Bonsai Show at the Baton Garden Center, 7050 Independence Blvd, bonsai lecture/demo at 2:00 both days, starter bonsai trees for sale, bonsai raffle.  Admission is FREE

May, 25-28, 2017: ABS/BSF Convention—Moving American Bonsai Forward at Florida Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, FL. 50^th Anniversary exhibition. Enter your tree into the exhibit to compete for the Hô Yoku Award ($250) for Innovative Bonsai Design! Details at http://www.absbonsai.org. Hotel reservations at 800-588-4656 at $106/night + tax; use code ABS/BSF 2017.

May, 25-28, 2017: Rendezvous 2017 at Brussel’s Bonsai in Olive Branch, MS ('800-582-2593). Featuring Marc Noelanders, Kathy Shaner, Rodney Clemons, Suthin Sukosolvisit, Mauro Stemberger, Mark Fields, Pedro Morales, and John Powell. Registration is $200, or after 30 April $250. Special $92/night room rate at the Fairfield Inn by Marriott. Details at http://brusselsbonsai.bmetrack.com/c/v?e=A6FCF8&c=2273C&t=0&l=77BC939&email=mgpFp2LlkNtqwuyxOutHo5ulT6xCge7E

Registration at http://shop.brusselsbonsai.com/images/Rendezvous2017_Registration.pdf?utm_source=BenchmarkEmail&utm_campaign=Dec_09_2016_Email&utm_medium=email

Louisiana Bonsai Society News

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.

 

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. 

Zach Smith Doing a Bonsai Demonstration Creating an Elaeagnus Bonsai

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

Chip Thompson Manning the LBS Booths for the Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Plant Sale

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.

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.

  

Joey Dupre’ Talking About Development Techniques to Create Bonsai

Chip Thompson Talking About the Development of His Bonsai

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 .

Eighth Annual Mid-winter Bonsai Workshop Featuring David De Groot

Louisiana Bonsai Society of Baton Rouge (LBS) is sponsoring another mid-winter workshop to help you improve your bonsai collection.  This year it will be January 9 at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd., Baton Rouge.  Registration will start at 8:00, then David DeGroot who served for 25 years as curator of the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection/Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, WA. He is an award-winning designer and author, who has been studying and practicing bonsai since 1972.  He will do a lecture/demo and conduct an advanced “bring your own tree” workshop.  This year there will be one workshop limited to 10 participates, but it will be conducted like a extensive lecture/demo with 10 demo trees.  It will be a full day of learning more about bonsai and will also include raffles, door prizes, food, and more. 

Cost: is $12 registration which covers the cost of lunch and the workshop cost is $30.

Vendors of bonsai, pre-bonsai, bonsai soil, bonsai pots, and more.

·         Black Bayou Bonsai Nursery, Greg Leblanc, https://www.facebook.com/Black-Bayou-Bonsai-260117787341877/

·         Bill’s Bayou Bonsai, Bill Butler, http://www.billsbayou.com/

·         Myrick Bonsai Pottery, Byron Myrick, http://bmyrick.com/Pottery/Welcome.html

Bonsai display

Bonsai Lecture Demo done by David DeGroot, which will be given away as raffle prizes.

Lunch, jambalaya dinner and desert

Bonsai Workshop will be bring your own tree conducted by David DeGroot, an excellent opportunity to improve one your bonsai.

Raffle/door prizes- many bonsai donated by bonsai club members and guest will be given away by a ticket drawing.

If you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Lowell Tilley, at 225 / 241-2396 or lowelltilley@gmail.com  Make checks payable to LBS that will be taken at the door.

David De Groot served for 25 years as curator of the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection/Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, WA. He is an award-winning designer and author, who has been studying and practicing bonsai since 1972.

He has studied bonsai in Japan with Yasuo Mitsuya, satsuki with Tatemori Gondo and Hayata Nakayama, and display with Uhaku Sudo.

His educational journal articles have been published throughout the U.S. and in eight other countries, and he is author of two books published by the American Bonsai Society - Basic Bonsai Design and Principles of Bonsai Design.

David travels widely to lecture, and has presented programs across the U.S. and in Brazil, Canada, China, England, South Africa, and Venezuela. He is active with several bonsai organizations in the Puget Sound area and nationally.

Louisiana Association of Bonsai Societies Day of Bonsai and Expo

Louisiana Association of Bonsai Societies Day of Bonsai and Expo - Hosted by the Louisiana Bonsai Society

We would to thank everyone for their assistance with making the Louisiana Day of Bonsai Expo a success, and congratulations to Boyd Snellgrove on winning the Vaughn Banting award.  The bonsai displays were excellent. 

Boyd Snellgrove, Vaugh Banting Award Winner

We had about 35 to 40 people attended.  Robert Reed and Kirk Vaughn from the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society gave a short presentation about the history of the New Orleans club and the importance of belonging to a bonsai club.  They will be hosting Louisiana Day of Bonsai Expo next year and they will have their annual bonsai auction August 15, for more information see http://gnobs.org/   They always have some very good bonsai material at the auction.

Juniper Used for Demo

Lowell Tilley and Robert Reed did a bonsai lecture/demo using a three gallon green mound juniper purchased from a local nursery.  It was styled into a informal upright bonsai and put in an over sized bonsai pot since this is the wrong time of year to re-pot a juniper.  In an over sized bonsai pot, it can be grown larger, or it can be styled into shohin bonsai with outstanding deadwood features.  It was raffled during lunch.  

Bonsai Lecture Demo - photo by Janella Rachel 

Bonsai Demo Winner – George Kennedy-Stone - photo by Jim Scarton

The Louisiana Bonsai Society owns an inventory of bonsai pots purchased from a former member who had licenses to import pots about 30 years ago and Howard Merrill bought a selection of them to sell.  Many people took advantage of the opportunity to buy some bonsai pots that are no longer on the market.  John Caro had a very good selection of bonsai material and supplies that many took advantage of also.

Boyd Snellgrove president of the Bonsai Society of Acadiana did a presentation on how to develop bougainvillea bonsai.  Zach Smith member of the Louisiana Bonsai Society did presentation on collecting water elms and other native bonsai material.  He had a very unusual water elm in the expo display.  Dawn Koetting did a slide presentation of bonsai in the Fourth US National Bonsai Exposition.  Both Dawn and Boyd had bonsai that were accepted for the display.

Boyd Snellgrove Doing Presentation - photo by Janella Rachel 

Then tickets were drawn for door prizes.  Thanks to everyone who donated door prizes, there were some pretty good pre-bonsai material contributed.  It was the close of a good day of bonsai while enjoying good company, good food, and we learned more about bonsai. 

Spring Bonsai Show April 18 and 19

The Spring Bonsai Show will be April 18 and 19, 11:00 to 5:00 both days at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950.  The Spring Bonsai Show is open to the public.  The members usually show about 50 of their specimen bonsai.  There will be bonsai for sale, raffle, and bonsai lecture/demo at 2:00 each day.  Admission is free.  The Louisiana Bonsai Society is a not for profit organization open to all who are interested in the hobby of bonsai. 

Future Events:

·  April 11, 8:00-1:00, Botanic Garden Plant Sale and Gardening Expo, 7950 Independence Blvd. roses, native plants, herbs, etc.

·  April 11, 8:00 – 3:00, East Baton Rouge Master Gardeners’ Spring Plant Sale, LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, Essen Lane at I-10.  LBS will have a table there to hand out information about the bonsai club.  There will be 7,000 plants, 250 varieties, see www.mgplantsale.com for more info.

·    April 18 and 19, 2015, LBS Spring Bonsai Show

· April 25, 2015 – Ft Walton Beach Spring Show, Westwood Atrium, Westwood Retirement Community, 1001 MarWalt Dr., Fort Walton Beach, FL

·   May 12, 7:00 PM, at Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society (GNOBS) meeting, Guy Guidry will do a boxwood on rock bonsai demo at the Marine Corps League Hall, 2708 Delaware St., Kenner, LA.

·  May 21 – 24, 2015 – Rendezvous 2015, Brussel's Bonsai Nursery, LLC, 8125 Center Hill Road, Olive Branch, MS  see http://www.brusselsbonsai.com/annual-rendezvous.cfm

·  June 6, Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation Japanese Black Pine continuing bonsai class.

·   June 13, 7:00 PM, at Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society (GNOBS) meeting, Joe Day will do a bonsai lecture/demo and bonsai workshop on Sat. at the Marine Corps League Hall, 2708 Delaware St., Kenner, LA.

· June 20, Gulf Coast Bonsai Foundation broadleaf bonsai continuing bonsai class and annual meeting.  More information to come. 

· June 27, Mississippi Gulf Coast Bonsai Society – special bonsai workshop conducted by Rodney Clements.

·   June 29, Bonsai Society of Acadiana - – special bonsai workshop conducted by Rodney Clements.

· June 30, Lake Charles Bonsai Society - special bonsai lecture/demo conducted by Rodney Clements.

· July 4, 2015, Noon to 3:00 Lake Charles Bonsai Society special bonsai workshop conducted by Owen Reich.

· July 5, 2015, Louisiana Bonsai Society special bonsai workshop/demo conducted by Owen Reich.

·   July 25, 2015, Louisiana Bonsai Societies (LABS) Day of Bonsai hosted by LBS, Baton Rouge

·  September 2015: American Bonsai: Reforged & Refined hosted by Ryan Neil at the Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR. Details at www.artisanscupofportland.com

LSU Student Union Bonsai Classes: Lowell Tilley is doing bonsai classes for LSU Leisure Classes. 

June, 13, June 27, and July 11, 9:00 am to 12:00 - Bonsai Workshop - Beginners

Start your own bonsai and learn basic bonsai styles, how to water and fertilize.  Get hands on training on pruning bonsai, bonsai tree styling, making bonsai soil, potting bonsai, and selecting a suitable bonsai pot.

July 11, 12:00 - 2:00 pm - Bonsai Workshop – Improving Your Bonsai.  Continuing development of your bonsai.

June, 13 and 27, 12:00 to 2:00 pm – Bonsai Workshop – Advance Bonsai Techniques, Learn how to develop more advanced bonsai design and styling such as root-over-rock, fusion grafting, etc. 

More information is online at http://lsuunion.augusoft.net/  (general information) http://lsuunion.augusoft.net/index.cfm?method=ClassListing.ClassListingDisplay  (bonsai class schedules) 

Eighth Annual Mid-winter Bonsai Workshop, Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd., Jan 17, 8:00 - 5:00

Eighth Annual Mid-winter Bonsai Workshop, Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd., Jan 17, 8:00 - 5:00

Bonsai show, raffle, and workshop.

Bonsai Vendors and consultants

Food, fellowship, and fun

Come early, stay late. 

If you are an accomplished bonsai artist or a just starting in bonsai, this event is for you.

We are working to make the 2015 Louisiana Bonsai Society (LBS) Annual Mid-winter Bonsai Workshop the best ever.  Our goal still is to help you improve your bonsai collection.  This will be possible with the help of our club members, other bonsai clubs, bonsai vendors, and Joe Day, who will conduct a “bring your own tree” bonsai workshop.  This is an advanced bonsai workshop and Joe will discuss various varieties of trees or bonsai in various stages of development.  This is a workshop designed help both observers and participants in improving their bonsai.  Each participant is encouraged to bring a bonsai from their collection that has been worked on before, but needs special assistance to move it from a good bonsai to a spectacular bonsai.  I am sure all of you have that bonsai you like, have worked on it for years, but know it can be better.  Joe has the bonsai know how to help you to carry your bonsai to the next stage.  He can also help you get started with an addition to your bonsai collection by helping you start a new bonsai correctly.  He conducts workshops as multiple lecture/demos so that participants and observers can learn advance techniques by gaining knowledge on different styles and species along with hands-on know how. 

In addition to the workshop, the LBS members will have bonsai on display and will be glad to talk about their development.  To expand the fun and keep the costs low, we asking anyone that has anything, pre-bonsai plants or bonsai material, to donate for the raffle.  Getting rid of some of your problem bonsai can also improve your collection.  Thanks to other bonsai clubs and LBS club members, we usually have some interesting material in the raffle.

Joe Day is well respected for his knowledge of art and bonsai.  He is from Mobile, Alabama, and began his bonsai interest in 1979.  He is a founding member of that city's bonsai society, The Azalea City Bonsai Society, founded in 1981. He is a past president and has supported the club every year since.

Joe has been the author and publisher of the ACBS newsletter for many years. He created and taught three courses in bonsai at the University of South Alabama continuing education programs, and has been featured on radio, television and newspaper articles in the Mobile area.

Bonsai articles by and about Joe have been featured in the ABS and BCI journals and has lectured and taught workshops at most of the bonsai clubs in the Deep South. He also has a large collection of bonsai. He grows bonsai stock and collects native material in addition to carving natural stone slabs for forest groups and single trees.

Vendors

The vendors we have are all bonsai experts that can advise you on what you need to reach your bonsai goals.  John Caro, owner of Red Leaf Bonsai Nursery, is a member Louisiana Bonsai Society.  See,http://www.redleafbonsai.com/ , for more information.  Bill Butler, owner of Bill’s Bayou - Bonsai, is a past president of the Greater New Orleans Bonsai Society.  See, http://www.billsbayou.com/ for more information.  Bob Specian has been doing and teaching bonsai for many years.  He is a member of Shreveport Bonsai Society and you can find him on Facebook.  Byron Myrick, Myrick Bonsai Pottery owner, is a member of Mississippi Gulf Coast Bonsai Society and has been doing pottery for years and bonsai for more than 10 years.  See http://bmyrick.com/Pottery/Welcome.html .     

It will be a full day of learning more about bonsai and will also include raffles, door prizes, food, and more.  The cost is $12 registration which covers the cost of lunch and the workshop cost is $30.  The workshop is limited so contact Lowell Tilley soon to reserve your space.

Lowell Tilley

225-272-6744 (home)