Mother Lode Bonsai Club

Photos from a recent meeting, learning about the literati style from Paul Holtzen.

An educational workshop for members and the public will be hosted by the Mother Lode Bonsai Club on Saturday, November 2. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. with the hands-on workshop immediately following.

Location is the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. There is no charge for admission or parking. Bonsai trees, including nursery stock, should be provided by participants for the workshop. Repotting, styling and pruning ideas will be suggested by experienced club mentors. All are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering, soil mix if available, and any questions about bonsai care. In addition, a raffle will be held for bonsai trees-in-training and essential planting materials and supplies. Members will also have finished trees available for purchase.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is welcomed to attend regardless of their levels of experience.

Hello Club Members -
I am looking forward to seeing everyone at 10:00 AM this Saturday at the San Andreas Library.

Demo: Paul Holtzen will be there to transform a weeping rosemary into a literati style tree. Should be an informative and inspiring demo.

Members Business Agenda:
- November/December meeting format
- Discussion - Opportunity to hold a bonsai class at 24 Brix Winery

Workshop: All are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and a tree to work on. We have purchased club wire.

Raffle & Sale - Raffle items are always welcome. Members may sell personal items with 20% of the proceeds going to the club.

Hi all -
See you at the San Andreas library at 10 am on Saturday. Dave Anderson will review repotting essentials. Bring a tree to work on, tools and a table covering.

Please bring items for the raffle table and any items you wish to sell with 20% of the proceeds going to the club.

Essential repotting practices taught by local bonsai club Mother Lode Bonsai Club senior mentor. David Anderson will demonstrate methods of seasonal repotting on Saturday, September 7. The public is invited to attend the free demonstration, which will immediately follow the member meeting at 10 a.m.

Location is the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. “Repotting is essential for ongoing healthy tree growth,” said Anderson. “This is usually done later in the fall months but I wanted individuals to start thinking now and preparing to collect materials for this important practice.” “Basically, the task involves cleaning out roots and poor soil from under trunks to create room for future growth. Roots become naturally entangled over time and will fill the pot, causing decay and subsequent tree death. Our goal is to also introduce new nourishment with fresh soil, thus increasing tree vigor,” he said. In addition, there will be a hands-on workshop, supervised by club mentors with repotting, styling and pruning suggestions.

Participants are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and soil mix if available. Attendees can also take part in a raffle for materials and supplies, and a member bonsai tree sale.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of levels of experience. For more information, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or by email at [email protected].

President: Bev Meyerhoff 916-934-6916 [email protected] Publicity: Doug Lau 209-588-6834 [email protected]

Bonsai Club sponsors open house on August 3 Mother Lode Bonsai Club is sponsoring an open house on Saturday, August 3 for the public to come and meet club members and learn more about the living art of bonsai. This meet-and-greet event will be held in the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. The monthly meeting starts at 10 a.m., which will be followed immediately by a mentor-led activity where ideas on the selection, care and maintenance of miniature trees will be discussed. Everyone is invited to bring their own specimen trees, including nursery stock. Ideas on styling and pruning will be recommended. The open house was suggested by some community members, who pursued a more active interest in bonsai as a hobby beyond acquiring specimens at their local retail garden centers.

A raffle will be held for bonsai materials and interested parties can also purchase members’ trees for sale there. Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of levels of experience. For more information, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or [email protected].

Bonsai training workshop coming on June 1: To encourage and educate the public on the living art of bonsai, Mother Lode Bonsai Club will be offering a training workshop on Saturday, June 1 at the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. The training will immediately follow the club’s monthly meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. Admission to the training session is free. All materials will be provided, such as pots, soil and nursery plant stock. While there is no charge for the supplies, a voluntary donation is encouraged to help with the costs. Further, a hands-on workshop for more experienced bonsai enthusiasts will also be conducted. Repotting, styling and pruning ideas will be suggested by experienced club mentors. All are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and soil mix if available. A raffle of trees and other working supplies will also be held. Finished bonsai trees will be available for purchase from club members. Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of levels of experience. For more information, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or [email protected]

Spring is in the air, and so is bonsai preparation.

Now that spring is arriving in the foothills, Mother Lode Bonsai Club will present some ideas on plant preparation. David Anderson, a veteran bonsai professional, will conduct a free public demonstration on air layering and defoliation on Saturday, May 4. The presentation will be at the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. The demonstration will immediately follow the club’s monthly meeting at 10 a.m. “Air layering is a way of rooting a cutting from the parent plant without removing it until the roots have formed,” said Anderson. “Another important technique is defoliation, which encourages smaller leaf growth and in turn, thickens branching.” There will also be a hands-on workshop, supervised by club mentors with repotting, styling and pruning suggestions. Participants are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and soil mix if available. In addition, attendees can take part in a raffle for materials and supplies, and a bonsai tree sale. Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of level of experience.

Saturday meeting CANCELED

Hi all - we hate to do this a second time. There is a real risk of a hard freeze tonight which means black ice in the morning. We have decided to cancel the meeting out of an abundance of caution.
Sorry for the short notice.
Bev

Hello folks -

I am looking forward to seeing everyone at 10 am on Saturday, April 6 at the San Andreas Library for our meeting.

Agenda:
1. Business meeting:
- Suggested that we meet in June as the March meeting was canceled due to inclement weather.
- Finance update
2. Workshop and raffle

We welcome all items in new or good condition for the raffle. Remember that members of the club can sell bonsai items at the meeting with 20% of the proceeds going to the club.

Bring a tree to work on along with your tools and table covering.

See you Saturday.
Bev

Work is fun at hands-on bonsai workshop on April 6
A free hands-on educational workshop for the public will be hosted by the Mother Lode Bonsai Club on Saturday, April 6. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. with the workshop immediately following. Location is the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas.

Trees, including nursery stock, should be provided by participants for the workshop. Repotting, styling and pruning ideas will be suggested by experienced club mentors. All are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and soil mix if available. Individuals with an interest in bonsai regardless of levels of experience are encouraged to attend, observe and inquire about this living artform.

A raffle will be held for bonsai materials and members will also have trees available for purchase.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. For more information, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or [email protected].

CANCELED!

Sorry, we have cancelled this meeting due to the expected low elevation snow storm. Saturday, March 2 meeting at 10 am in the San Andreas Central Library.

The doctor will be in to demonstrate grafting techniques Doan “Doc” Ward will be the guest speaker at the Mother Lode Bonsai Club’s Saturday, February 3 meeting. His presentation will focus on different types of grafting techniques, specifically on Japanese and trident maple varieties. The club meeting will start at 10 a.m. and will be immediately followed by Ward’s free demonstration. All are invited to attend at the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. Ward is a well-known western bonsai expert, who resides in Granite Bay. His interest in this hobby started 42 years ago and has expanded into conducting classes to encourage this “living art” form. He has lectured at Sierra College (horticultural department) in Rocklin, taught Master Gardeners’ classes for years, and currently leads weekly instructional groups on a variety of bonsai topics. “Grafting is simply the process of taking a part of one plant and combining it with another,” he said. “There are several reasons why. For example, a branch might be needed is one spot to create more volume for a fuller look. A section of a trunk would look better with some thickening. The top may need a new apex. You could also change the foliage type. These are all ways to improve the aesthetic appearance of your bonsai.”A raffle for bonsai materials and a mentor-led workshop will be held after the demo. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring a bonsai tree, along with tools, wire and table covering.For more information on the Mother Lode Bonsai Club, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or [email protected].

Demonstration today with Dave Anderson on potting nursery stock into bonsai. We had 22 club members in attendance. Awesome raffle prizes. Great to see new and former members. We'll keep you posted on upcoming events.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club will host a free hands-on educational workshop for the public as part of its monthly meeting on Saturday, January 6. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. with the workshop immediately following.

Location is the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. Club members and the general public are invited to bring their bonsai trees, including nursery stock, for the workshop. Repotting, styling and pruning ideas will be suggested by experienced club mentors. Participants are encouraged to bring their tools, table covering and soil mix if available. A raffle for bonsai materials will also be held, along with club member sale items for purchase.

Mother Lode Bonsai Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the central valley. Everyone is invited to attend regardless of levels of experience with bonsai. For more information, contact Bev Meyerhoff at (916) 934-6916 or [email protected]

At our December meeting, Jerry Braswell talked about the art of suiseki. Jerry also sells suiseki, and their stands and stands for bonsai as well. Also pictured is Vince Owyoung, demonstrating how to prune and wire a Japanese maple for a club member.

Most of us love Japanese maples, not just as bonsai but as the lovely decorative trees for our gardens. Here’s an article on how to aesthetically prune a Japanese Maple.

Aesthetic Pruning of Japanese Maples: An Introduction - Iseli Nursery On Saturday, July 30th, Iseli Nursery partnered with the Portland Japanese Garden to host a hands-on Japanese maple pruning workshop during the final day of the International Japanese Garden Training Center’s “Waza to Kokoro–Hands and Heart” seminar. Led by Sadafumi “Sada” Uchiyama, the ...

Great visit to https://www.shinzenjapanesegarden.org/ today across the street and during the state cross country high school championships. A must visit if you are in the area. It's one of three Golden State Bonsai displays in California. The other two are Lake Merritt in Oakland and the Huntington Library.

Nice to see new and familiar faces at the Motherlode Bonsai Club.

NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
President: Bev Meyerhoff 916-934-6916 or [email protected]
Publicity: Doug Lau 209-588-6834 or [email protected]
Local bonsai club hosts fall pruning demo
Regardless of their size, most trees require some form of pruning to help establish their basic shape by removing non-essential or overgrown branches. Fall is traditionally pruning season for the majority of bonsai trees and the Mother Lode Bonsai Club’s free demonstration will provide valuable ideas on this practice used to maintain their structural design.
The next club meeting will be on Saturday, October 7 at 10 a.m. in the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road (off Mountain Ranch Road) in San Andreas. The public demo by David Anderson will follow a short organizational meeting. There is no charge for admission or parking.
Anderson has been raising bonsai trees for over 60 years. He is currently the club’s demonstration coordinator and one of the most experienced teaching members with extensive knowledge in multiple types of trees. According to him, “Weather is vital when considering bonsai pruning. It all depends on the type of tree and the outside temperatures. We’ll take a good look at different varieties and generally, show how to carefully trim and prune them.”
A raffle for bonsai materials and a mentor-led workshop will also be held after the demo. Workshop participants are encouraged to bring a bonsai tree, along with tools, wire, table covering, and any questions.
For more information, contact the club’s president Bev Meyerhoff at 916-934-6916 or [email protected]. Everyone is invited regardless of their levels of experience in bonsai. Members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the Central Valley.

The Mother Lode Bonsai Club will reconvene on Saturday, September 9 after a short summer break. The meeting will start at 10 a.m. in the San Andreas Central Library, 1299 Gold Hunter Road.

For more information on the Mother Lode Bonsai Club, contact Doug Lau at (209) 588-8106, or [email protected]. Club members come from Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne counties, as well as the San Joaquin Valley.