LBS Christmas Party Tuesday 6:00 PM, December 18

The next Louisiana Bonsai Society (LBS) meeting will be Tuesday December 18, 6:00 PM, at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd.  The next meeting will be the Christmas Party and we plan to have a jolly time.  Please bring your favorite snack or desert to share, the club will provide a sandwich tray, fruit tray, and drinks.  Happy hour (setup) will start at 6:00 and the meeting will start at 7:00.  The program will be a slide show

Japanese Black Pine and Broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes

The Japanese Black Pine/juniper and broadleaf Continuing Bonsai Classes/Seminars are scheduled for December 8 at Waddill Outdoor Educational Center, 4142 Flannery Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70814.  The class/workshops will be divided into two sections, pines and broadleaf bonsai with morning classes and afternoon classes to enable everyone to participate in both pines and broadleaf bonsai workshops.  The classes will start at 9:00.  Lawrence LeClaire who has many years’ experience and has a very good Japanese black pine and juniper bonsai collection, will conduct the “bring your own tree” workshop.  Lawrence has concentrated his study on exactly what needs to be done on pines and junipers at each stage and season of development to bring your bonsai to the next stage. 

Joe Day is conducting the broadleaf bonsai class/seminar who is a bonsai expert that has been teaching bonsai and art for about 30 years.  He has many years’ experience conducting bonsai workshops and has developed many innovative bonsai techniques. It would be very hard to find someone who knows more about developing and caring for bonsai in our climate.  He has developed a system of developing bonsai in stages to develop very fine bonsai.  He also has a very large and very good bonsai collection.

The plan is to bring your pine or juniper and your broadleaf bonsai you have worked on in previous classes to continue to develop your bonsai to the next level, however you can start a new bonsai.  This makes is possible for new students to start at any stage and continue until it reaches stage 9.  These workshop/seminars are designed for the observer and participates to learn new bonsai technique regardless of level of bonsai experience.  You may bring more than one bonsai for each class.  You may not be able to work on more than one bonsai due to time constraints, but you can get development suggestions on the additional bonsai.

These are continuing bonsai classes where continue to bring the same bonsai back to do the next step in their development; however, anyone can start with a new or different bonsai at any class.  There is no restriction on attendance, if you miss one, you come to the next one.  All class are open for new students, the only requirement is that you have a bonsai or pre-bonsai plant.  These classes a custom made for the bonsai hobbyist (weekend warrior).  They designed for hands-on learning to help you develop your bonsai collection.

2018 Annual Fall Bonsai Show

The Louisiana Bonsai Society (LBS) held their 2018 Annual Fall Bonsai show at the Baton Rouge Main Library on October 27 and 27.  The club members displayed some of their best bonsai to the public and sold so bonsai to support the club’s expert bonsai workshop programs. 

The bonsai lecture/demo on Saturday October 27 was done by Jim Scarton, Louisiana Bonsai Society President.  Jim did a bald cypress bonsai lecture/demo was about refining one of his bald cypress bonsai that he collected and has worked on for several years.

      Photo by Ray Schell

Jim Scarton’s bald cypress bonsai before       

      Photo by Ray Schell

Jim Scarton’s bald cypress bonsai after

The bonsai lecture/demo on Sunday was very different.  Lowell Tilley, Vice President, did eastern red cedar group planting bonsai lecture/demo on October 28.

         

Photo by Ray Schell

Lowell Tilley’s Eastern Read Cedars 

Photo by Ray Schell

Lowell Tilley’s Eastern Read Cedars            Eastern Red Cedar Group Planting                              

The red cedars group are planted on rocks to add an additional artistic element to create the illusion of a forest on a mountain top.  There will be follow-up lecture/demos next year.

Photo by Ray Schell

Lowell Tilley, LBS Vice President, Walter Imahara, Founder of Imahara Landscaping and Developer of Saint Francis Imahara Botanical Gardens, and Jim Scarton, LBS President

At the show on Sunday, Walter Imahara presented a wood plaque to the Louisiana Bonsai Society carved by James Imahara, Walter’s father who was a charter member of the Louisiana Bonsai Society.  The plaque says “bonsai” in Japanese and was carved in cypress wood for the bonsai club that they founded.  James Imahara and Steele Burden were two of the charter members of Louisiana Bonsai Society.

The next LBS meeting will be November 20, 7:00, will be a special workshop on developing accent plants used in bonsai shows conducted by Lee Vanderpool, a member of the Fort Walton Beach Bonsai Society, from Florida,

They meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Baton Rouge Garden Center, 7950 Independence Blvd.  Visitors are welcome, for more information call Lowell Tilley, 272-6744

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.