Living Art Bonsai Society (LABS): November 2007

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Bonsai-related Merchandise for Sale

http://www.cafepress.com/livingartbonsai

Go to the above link and buy some bonsai-related merchandise for gifts this Christmas (or for yourself). The photos on the items are from our member's Spring 2007 bonsai exhibit. Money earned from the sale of these items goes back to LABS to help fund guest artists visits, wire, etc. New merchandise will be added.

LABS November Meeting

Minutes of the November 7, 2007 meeting are as follows:

Eighteen members attended. Phil presided.

Minutes of November meeting and current treasurer's report were approved by the membership.

Announcements and business matters presented by Phil:

The education room is not available for our December meeting due to the Botanical Garden's Galaxy of Lights. Tony moved that we eat/meet at the Chinese Buffet in Madison across from Old Time Pottery/Wachovia (where the steak house used to be for anyone who has been around Madison for awhile) at 7 PM on December 4th. The movement was passed by the members attending. The link below will give you directions; if it doesn't work by clicking on it, copy and paste it into your internet browser:

http://maps.google.com/maps?li=d&hl=en&f=d&iwstate1=dir:to&daddr=9016+Madison+Blvd,+Madison,+AL+35758+(China+Buffet)&geocode=1422881223688109293,34.675412,-86.755064&iwloc=1&dq=Chinese+restaurant&ei=zek8R9O0Ko2crQKEp7zOAg

The January 2008 meeting happens to fall on New Year's Day and IS STILL PLANNED. It will be a working session.

Phil chose seven DVD's, based on members' preferences, and announced the total cost as $153.70 plus shipping. He has not been able to order these DVDs yet.

No update from Tony regarding Guy Guidry as a guest bonsai artist for a spring workshop for our members.

Bob White, chairman of the nominating committee, introduced LABS 2008 officers:

President: Phil Terry
Vice President: Tony George
Secretary: Joyce White
Treasurer: Charlene and Wes Harris

Thank you to all the outgoing officers: Olga and Carol

Reminder that LABS members' dues are payable as of 1/1/08.

Door prizes were donated by Carol & Lee Bates and Olga Lavan. Thank you!

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Phil presented the night's program on how to sharpen tools in preparation for the Jan (Feb?) meeting, which will be a workshop on sharpening/maintaining bonsai tools as a "you do" rather than watching Dennis.

2008-2009 Living Art Bonsai Society (LABS) Officers

President is Phil Terry and he may be contacted at pnterry2 at mmm dot com. Vice President is Tony George and he may be contacted at Tony George georgeaj01 at comcast dot net. Secretary is Joyce White and she may be contacted at Jmaam6226 at yahoo dot com. Treasurers are Char & Wes Harris and may be contacted at Wharris945 at yahoo dot com. Show chair is Dennis Coad and Tony George. Dennis may be contacted at dlcoad at knology dot net. Work Sessions are scheduled by Maam (Joyce) White and she may be contacted at jmaam6226 at yahoo dot com. Note: To prevent online data harvesting by spammers and junk mail companies, the above addresses are presented without symbols. Substitute "@" for at and "." for dot when trying to contact an officer.

Club Information

Living Art Bonsai Society (LABS) is the place to learn the art of bonsai and to share the joys of this ancient art. Membership in the club is available to anyone interested in bonsai. Annual dues are $20 per person or family, payable on or before the meeting in January. The dues for new members joining after the first quarter of the year are reduced by $5 per quarter, and the full membership dues become due again in January. Monthly newsletters, bonsai programs, exhibits and other activities as well as a web site are provided to members. Bonsai is an exciting and rewarding hobby. Membership in the Society will allow you to share that excitement with others.

What is a Bonsai?

Bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh), the art of growing miniaturized trees or shrubs in containers, is a living art, constantly changing throughout the seasons. The bonsai artist may choose from numerous species of trees or shrubs to create a design to resemble a mature tree in nature. Through the practice of bonsai training and maintenance techniques, the tree improves with each year in culture, and the grower advances in knowledge and skills with each year of study and experience. From its beginning in China and its later refinement in Japan, the art of bonsai has spread around the globe. To qualify as a bonsai, the trained tree must be planted in an appropriate bonsai container. Bonsai are usually grown in shallow containers, though some styles are best displayed in deep containers. Bonsai can also be planted on rocks or slabs. It is very important to have adequate drainage holes in all bonsai containers and a planting mix that drains well. Most small leaved trees and shrubs that tolerate pot culture make good bonsai subjects. Bonsai created from tropical plants may be grown indoors. Hardy evergreen and deciduous trees require a cold dormant period to remain healthy, therefore they must be grown outdoors most all year. Some winter protection may be necessary during severe cold periods. Miniaturization is accomplished by restricting the growing area to a small container, regular trimming of foliage and roots and applying appropriate watering and fertilizing techniques. The position and direction of trunk and branches are controlled with the use of aluminum or annealed copper wire which is coiled around the trunk or branches before bending them to the desired position. As wired areas expand with growth, the wires should be removed to avoid damage to the trunk and branches.

Living Art Bonsai Society (LABS)

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Bonsai-related Merchandise for Sale

LABS November Meeting

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Bonsai Web Sites and Online Bonsai Suppliers

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Huntsville Botanical Garden

2008-2009 Living Art Bonsai Society (LABS) Officers

Club Information

What is a Bonsai?