BSA October 2012 Meeting

BSA Notes October 2012

By Jane Hebert, BSA Editor

The Bonsai Society of Acadiana (BSA) will meet on Wednesday October 3rd, 2012 at 7:00pm. BSA meets on the First Wednesday of each month at the Ira Nelson Horticulture Bldg, 2206 Johnston Street, Lafayette, LA.

NEW BUSINESS  

1. A reminder to all BSA Members, LABS is Saturday October 6^th, 2012 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  See newsletter for more details
2. BSA Annual Auction is on hold at this time. We have discussed the possibility of a Swap Meet later this fall. If you have any ideas or suggestions, feel free to contact a BSA Board Member.
3. BSA is planning to have Dana Quattlebaum for a workshop in November 2012. If you would like to be there and are unable to make our monthly meeting – check your email for updates from BSA President Boyd Snellgrove.

RECENT NEWS –

On our last monthly meeting on September 5th, 2012, BSA Director Johnny Hardcastle presented “Mixed Forest”.  Here is a photo of the Mixed Forest he brought from his collection.

This forest includes Saunders boxwood, azaleas, Hinoki cypress, and Korean hornbeam.

Johnny began this Mixed Forest while working with Dana Quattlebaum 2 years ago.  He started with a large, shallow oval pot and used a naturalistic approach to placement. Unlike traditional forest plantings where all the trees are of specific variety, i.e. Elm; this planting utilizes larger trees like boxwood as the main tree and smaller trees like azalea as understory trees.

“Mixed Forest” plantings are sometimes referred to as “Tiny Landscapes” as they follow similar approaches in tree placement. Johnny provided several excellent tips to keep in mind when planting a Mixed Forest including (1). Choosing trees that have similar requirements like sunlight, soil, water and drainage, and disease resistance and, (2). Keeping in mind the “scale” of items included, like rocks, water features and paths, to make sure they appear as they would in nature.

We would like to thank BSA for providing the snacks and drinks at this meeting.

FOR ALL OF OUR MEMBERS –Annual Dues are collected in June.  Dues are $20.00 per person, $30.00 per couple.

BLOG/USEFUL INFORMATION:    Check http://www.acadianabonsai.blogspot.com for any updates on upcoming events, current information on BSA, and a list of vendors/companies that sell quality materials.  This is your best source for information you might have missed if you are unable to attend meetings each month.

UPCOMING EVENTS:                     

October 3rd, 2012                            BSA Monthly Meeting                   Snacks will be provided

October 6, 2012                                LABS in Lake Charles, LA – see newsletter for details

November 7^th, 2012        BSA Monthly Meeting – may change depending on workshop date with Dana Quattlebaum if both are on the same week – check your email for details.