June Newsletter
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
Musings from the Garden... The Blue Ridge Bonsai Society's Monthly Newsletter A message from the Board …
Hello BRBS Members!
It's June and that means the time has FINALLY arrived! The ABS Learning Seminars happen THIS WEEK, and we couldn't be more excited! This event is one that you won't want to miss, and I hope to see many of our members at what is sure to be a phenomenal gathering! Between the workshops, seminars, vendors, tree display, and social events there will surely be something for everyone.
Our club membership is well-represented at this national event. There are several members who will be vending, and we hope that you'll be able to support them as you're able. In addition, a few of our members are giving seminars and will be imparting some of their knowledge to others, and I know each of those seminars will be absolutely fantastic. Lastly, many of our members will have trees on display that are testaments to their dedication and hardwork. As a club, we should be proud of what we've collectively been able to accomplish and use this as momentum as we continue to learn, grow, and support each other in this demanding, complex, but beautiful journey in bonsai.
As we embark on this event in conjunction with The North Carolina Arboretum and The American Bonsai Society it's important to remember and acknowledge the effort of so many who have devoted their time and energy into putting this event together. Along with everyone on the current and past Boards of Directors, there are event chairs who are coordinating activities for a particular area of the event. Those chairs are Peggy Snow (Tree Display), Greg Hinson (Vendors), Ricci Gilbert (Workshops), Chris Pazoles (Volunteers), and myself (Registration). All of us, though, know that we would not be able to put this event on without the support of volunteers, many of whom are members of our club. THANK YOU to everyone who is volunteering. We know how valuable time is and cannot extend enough thanks for giving this event and our club some of your time.
There are a few people who are deserving of a hand shake or fist pump when you see them at the event. Chris Pazoles, Felix Laughlin, and Dan O'Neal have been championing this event for nearly 3 years. They've each been meeting with Arboretum and ABS staff to make sure all the puzzle pieces fit together and ensuring that this event will be the best possible event it can be. I know this means long meetings, long days, likely some lost sleep, and lots of strategizing and planning. The time and dedication that have been put into this event is immeasurable, and we're all extremely fortunate to have this group leading this effort on behalf of BRBS.
Again, we should be very proud of what our club has been able to put together. I hope to see many of you there and am looking forward to hearing about something you've learned, seeing something you've purchased, or hearing about the next exciting technique you want to try out!
With my best, Patty Dennis-Jones BRBS VP, Programming BRBS May Event World Bonsai Day Celebration at The North Carolina Arboretum
BRBS helped support The North Carolina Arboretum in their World Bonsai Day celebration and opening of the Bonsai Garden Exhibition over the weekend of May 9th. It was a fantastic weekend all around - the weather was spectacular, Arthur Joura's demonstration pruning a once-forgotten boxwood was entertaining and informative, many BRBS members interacted with Arboretum guests and answered questions related to bonsai, and it seems that everyone was incredibly excited about the opening of the Bonsai Garden! Bonsai Curator Arthur Joura demonstrating pruning techniques during a discussion about pruning strategy, goals for the tree, and life in general Crowd at the Bonsai Pavilion during Arthur Joura's demonstration Upcoming Events
4-7 June 2026 American Bonsai Society Learning Seminars, TNCA The North Carolina Arboretum and the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society welcome the American Bonsai Society to Western NC for Bonsai in the Blue Ridge.
Bonsai professionals from across the country and internationally will be in attendance to provide instruction and demonstrations for attendees each day. In addition, there will be trees on display, vendors, and social events for all in attendance.
Week of 8 June 2026 Multiflush Pine work Have you ever wondered how to properly decandle and / or wire multiflush pines? Club member Matt Robison has graciously extended an invitation to club members to join him as he performs this work on his multiflush pines. For more information or to sign-up, please contact Patty Dennis-Jones at blueridgebonsai.programming@gmail.com.
12 July 2026, 1pm BRBS Club Member Summer Picnic, Burning Blush Brewery This year's summer picnic will be held at Burning Blush Brewery in Mills River, NC. Burning Blush has both inside and outside seating options and a food truck (LIttle Blue) will be available for club members to purchase the lunch of their choice from a menu of wraps, burgers, salads, and sides. Club members in attendance will receive a stipend towards your meal upon check-in so come on out and enjoy the afternoon with your fellow bonsai enthusiasts!
9 August 2026, 1pm Club Meeting, Bullington Gardens Club member Greg Hinson will give a presentation entitled "It Doesn't Take 20 years. What You Can Do in 5 years" where he will share techniques to speed the development of bonsai using his own trees as examples. Members should feel welcome to bring a tree to work on or seek advice about from others.
*TNCA = The North Carolina Arboretum **EC = Education Center ***BYOT = Bring Your Own Tree Club News American Bonsai Society Learning Seminars
Volunteers receive $50 off registration by volunteering for a minimum of 4 hours - Can you help support this event?
The ABS Program is at the top of the page linked below. ABS registration is after the program.
BRBS Website Members Only Login / Section
The Members Only Section of the new BRBS website is LIVE!!! Have you checked it out yet?!?!?
This forum is your space to ask questions, share ideas, show-off your trees, and connect with your fellow BRBS members outside our normal events each month. If you've been wanting to show someone a new technique that you're trying out or show off the beauty of a special tree in your collection, you can do so here in a space that is free of judgement, supportive, and encouraging.
Have you been searching online for information, but are finding differing opinions and suggestions? Ask on the forum! One great thing about asking someone in the forum is that you'll get region specific information and who knows...you might just gain a new friend and bonsai work partner!
If you did not receive an email to reset your password, please email Henry Mayo at h@hmayo.com or Chris Pazoles at blueridgebonsaisociety@gmail.com.
Thanks to Henry and Billy Schweig for all the effort in getting the new website up and running. It's been A LOT of work and the club can't thank you enough for your time and effort! Bullington Gardens Greenhouse Restoration Fund Bullington Gardens has been a very good friend to our club, allowing us to use their meeting space for a variety of activities over the past several years for a small donation. Their vintage greenhouse, an essential component of their operations, was severely damaged by an ice storm this past winter, and they are raising funds to repair it ($125,000). On top of this loss, they lost many plants in the greenhouse that were slated for their annual plant sale, their largest revenue generating event. The BRBS Board of Directors recently voted to donate $500 towards their greenhouse repair project. If you would like to make an additional, personal donation, you can contact Joe Neigel at jneigel@agelus.net. A Note About pH Over the last year I had noticed some yellowing of the needles on my hemlock and leaves on some Chinese elms. So the other day I ordered a pH meter off Amazon (Elitech $29.95) and checked my water pH. Surprisingly it came in at 8.4 way too high for plants in pots. The water dept water quality reports have been saying it averages about 7.6 which itself was a bit high but tolerable. However since Helene and the lead in water panic I suspect the water dept has been running the pH higher to avoid dissolution of lead in pipes. At any rate the quick fix was to add a bit less than 1/8 tsp of food grade citric acid powder available from some grocery stores and of course Amazon. This brought the pH down to a decent 6.2-6.4. If you decide to treat your water don’t overdo it since 6.2-7.3 is the ideal pH range for plant nutrient availability. You can buy relatively inexpensive pH test strips off Amazon that will get you in the ballpark of pH 6-7 instead of having to mess with pH meters, calibration buffers, and storage solutions, etc.
Thanks to Larry Puckett, BRBS Board Member, for submitting this information to include in this month's newsletter! Looking for Yamadori panelists!
Have you collected Yamadori? Would you be willing to be part of a discussion panel for an upcoming club meeting?
If so, please contact Patty Dennis-Jones at blueridgebonsai.programming@gmail.com
https://bonsai-misadventures.blogspot.com/2016/03/yamadori-bonsai-in-nature.html Private Sessions with Jennifer Price
These sessions are outside the normal club meeting and workshops and can be half or full day, payable directly to Jennifer.
For more information and to reserve a time, please contact Patty Dennis-Jones at blueridgebonsai.programming@gmail.com.
Name Badges
Our club is growing A LOT and managing the name badges is becoming more challenging.
We ask that each member pick up and keep their own name badges going forward.
Please remember to bring them to club events!
The board is always looking for ideas for what you’re interested in learning about and workshops that would help you with your bonsai journey. If you have a topic, reach out to anyone on the board. We’d love to hear from you!
Current Board President: Chris Pazoles Vice President: Patty Dennis-Jones Treasurer: Mark Martinez Secretary: Pam Van Tassel Webmaster: Henry Mayo Member At-Large: Felix Laughlin Member At-Large: Billy Schweig Member At-Large: Jessica Pindjak Member At-Large: Larry Puckett Member At-Large / Past President: Peggy Snow Monthly Tips For the the month of June, be sure to pay close attention to your trees. They continue to be extremely active and should be monitored daily.
Check out more monthly tips on the BRBS website! Monthly tips have been moved to the Members Only Section. You'll need to log in, navigate to the Members Knowledge Base, and filter based on monthly tips (or scroll through the items).
|
Comments