Root over Rock Work Session

Future Events and Programs

March 24, 2007: The next railroad bed maintenance work session is on March 24th at 9:00 a.m. This is a good opportunity to meet with other members, play (without any risk) with someone else's plants and bonsai tools and contribute to the Botanical Gardens. The railroad maintenance work sessions are the 4th Saturday of each month from 9 a.m - NOON. If you could see the faces of the little boys and girls when they see the train and watch it go through the different railroad areas, you’d be rewarded many times over for giving your time here.

April 3, 2007: Dennis Coad will do a program on plant preparation for the show. Work session break-out: Bring the plants you’d like to submit for the show to get help in preparing them for presentation. As in past years, we would like everyone to have at least one plant in the show.

April 27, 28, 29: LABS Bonsai Show: Dennis is working out the show layout and will know how many plants we can accommodate. Although it seems like a long way out, we would like for members to start thinking about it now. Future programs: We’d like your suggestions and ideas for future programs. Contact Tony George via phone or email. His contact information is at the end of the newsletter.

Bonsai Events/Shows/Opportunities in the Southeast: The following bonsai events in the Southeast were presented by members:

March 23-25, 2007-Lake Charles, LA, USA:
Lake Charles Bonsai SocietyLake Charles Bonsai Society’s Annual Exhibit at the SW Louisiana Garden Festival 2007 at Burton Coliseum. More information can be obtained at http://www.gardenfest.org/ or http://LCBSBonai.org.

April 28, 2007 - Mobile, AL, USA: Annual Tri-City Bonsai ShowThe annual regional bonsai show for Northwest Florida will be held on April 28 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.. Trees from Mobile, Ft. Walton Beach and Pensacola, FL will be on exhibit. This one-day event will be held at the West Regional Library in West Mobile, at Grelot Rd. between University Rd. and Knollwood, Mobile, AL. Free admission. Inside display. Contact http://www.bonsai-bci.com/(Empty%20Reference!mailto:acbsbonsai@aol.com for more information. Directions to the library http://www.mplonline.org/cothill.htm

May 25-27, 2007 Brussel's Bonsai: Rendezvous is Brussel's Bonsai annual convention held over Memorial Day weekend. Europe & America’s top bonsai masters will be on hand at America’s Finest Bonsai Nursery. Featured guest artists include Kenji Miata, Yasuo Mitsuya, Roy Nagatoshi, Michael Hagedorn, Kathy Shaner, and John Powell. Resident artists include Brussel Martin and Dana Quattlebaum. Rendezvous activities to include Friday night reception and catfish dinner, lectures and demonstrations, workshop observation, Saturday and Sunday continental breakfast, Saturday night Southern dinner, catered lunches, refreshments all weekend, and great door prizes.

March 6th 2007 Meeting

Living Arts Bonsai Society (LABS) Newsletter:

26 attendees were present for the March 6th meeting including two visitors, Nathan McGee and Sarah McGilvrey. The door prize, which was Kathy Shaner's 2007 Calendar with beautiful bonsai photographs, went to our lucky winner.

The revised February 2007 meeting minutes were submitted and approved by attending members.

31 members have renewed their membership during 2007 as of March.

To renew: make check for $20 payable to LABS and send to:
LABS
1009 Appalachee Dr.
Huntsville AL 35801

Include your e-mail, home phone and mailing address with your check.
To continue receiving the LABS Newsletter, renew your membership at the start of each calendar year unless previous arrangements have been made.

Old Business:
Kathy Shaner’s workshop was well received; all sessions were sold out.

Kathy asked that we reduce the number in her workshop to no more than 5 each session. Also she asked that we schedule her for lectures next year to go over basics like soil, potting,etc. She is moving closer to the area and will possibly have more opportunities to work with us throughout the year in 2008.

Six people helped clean up the miniature railroad area at Huntsville Botanical Gardens on February 24th. The area continually needs leaves and trash picked up, weeds pulled and bushes pruned. If you have time during the week to help in this effort, please contact Bob White to coordinate the work that needs to be done.

Next railroad cleanup day is March 24th.

New Business:

Dennis Coad explained requirements for the bonsai exhibit and distributed a sheet entitled "How to Prepare a Bonsai for Exhibition". All members are encouraged to have at least one bonsai in the exhibit. This year the LABS exhibit coincides with the grand opening of the Botanical Garden's new Bonsai home where the old butterfly garden existed. This is an opportunity for us to work with the Garden and the public in cultivating interest in bonsai.

Dennis and Tony George encouraged volunteers to sign-up to help with the LABS exhibit set-up Friday, April 27th. Need volunteers to take shifts for working the various areas of the exhibit within the Arbor on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and Sunday afternoon. We will be able to sell pots, soil, bonsai-related items in conjunction with the exhibit. Olga Lavan will have more information at the next meeting (colored stickers, etc.)

Carol DeFiore moved that an exploratory committee is formed to get details about an extended field trip to Japan. Kathy Shaner mentioned that there are some good tours with bonsai as the theme. Motion was passed.

The Huntsville Botanical Garden needs help in training six docents about bonsai on March 29th from 11-1. Any volunteer interested should contact Maam (Joyce) White.

LABS Scheduled Program:

The scheduled root-over-rock presentation did not occur as Butch Campbell, the evening's presenter, was under the weather and could not attend the meeting. We did have a work session after business adjourned.

LABS Future Scheduled Programs and Events:

March 24, 2007:
The next railroad bed maintenance work session is on March 24th at 9:00 a.m. This is a good opportunity to meet with other members, play (without any risk) with someone else's plants and bonsai tools and contribute to the Botanical Gardens. The railroad maintenance work sessions are the 4th Saturday of each month from 9 a.m - NOON.

If you could see the faces of the little boys and girls when they see the train and watch it go through the different railroad areas, you’d be rewarded many times over for giving your time here.

April 3, 2007:
Dennis Coad will do a program on plant preparation for the show.
Work session break-out: Bring the plants you’d like to submit for the show to get help in preparing them for presentation. As in past years, we would like everyone to have at least one plant in the show.

April 27, 28, 29: LABS Bonsai Show:
Dennis is working out the show layout and will know how many plants we can accommodate. Although it seems like a long way out, we would like for members to start thinking about it now.

Future programs:
We’d like your suggestions and ideas for future programs. Contact Tony George via phone or email. His contact information is at the end of the newsletter.

A plea for help from the Huntsville Botanical Gardens:
Needed - Bonsai Display Pedestals
If you enjoy woodworking projects, this is a great job for you! A new Bonsai display is under construction on the site of the old butterfly house. It will be open to the public on April 1st. We need approximately 12 wooden pedestals constructed to display our wonderful Bonsai collection I have the dimensions and all of the details, if you are interested in assisting with this project. You may also see Alyson Shabel or David Hayes on the horticulture staff for more information. The pedestals need to be completed by mid-March.
If interested, contact:
Bernadette Williams
Volunteer Coordinator
Huntsville Botanical Garden

Kathy Shaner Workshop