UPCOMING EVENTS
September
Sept 1 & 2 – Friday & Saturday Minnesota State Fair Show (Guest Judge: Andrew Robson)
Sept 3 & 4 – Sunday, Monday – Open Workshops with Andrew Robson (Registration closed)
Sept 5 – Tuesday, 7:00 PM – General Meeting * (Presenter Andrew Robson)
Sept 9 & 10th – 8th National Show *
Sept 16 & 17 – Introduction to Bonsai Workshops
Sept 23 – Saturday, 12-4 pm– Bonsai Concepts Class* (free for members)
Sept 26 – Board Meeting (Zoom Meeting)
October
Sept 30 & 1 – Fundamentals with Peter Tea (Level 4) Registration Closed
October 3- Tuesday, 7:00 PM – General Meeting * Presenter Peter Tea
October 14 – Saturday, 10am – Fall Auction
October 21 – Saturday, 12-4 pm– Bonsai Concepts Class* (free for members)
October 24 – Board Meeting (Zoom Meeting)
November
November 7 – Tuesday, 7:00 PM – General Meeting *
November 18 – Saturday, 12-4 pm– Bonsai Concepts Class* (free for members)
November 28 – Board Meeting (Zoom Meeting)
December
December 5 – Tuesday, 7:00 PM – General Meeting *Holiday Party (register here)
December 19 – Board Meeting (Zoom Meeting)
Please check for changes prior to event.
You can also get live updates on our events page on Facebook >>
FEATURED ARTICLES
Andrew Robson Shohin Presentation (Click to View>>)
2023 State Fair Winners & Slide Show (Coming Soon>>)
Repotting a Black Pine (Click to read >>)
Repotting tips (Click to read >>)
Potting with Ryan Neil (Click to read >>)
History of exhibiting at the State Fair (Click to read article)
State Fair 2022 Slide show (Click to view)
Meet the 2023 Board and Chairpersons (Click to view)
Jack Wilke Interview (Click to view)
Lands End Merch (Click to view)
Nursery Tour with Lionel Flood (Click to view)
Missed a General Meeting? (Click to view past programs)
Most Recent Board Minutes (Click to view >>)
Visit with Suthin – Garden Tour (Click to view >>)
ANNOUNCEMENTS
GENERAL MEETING
The club meets on the first Tuesday of each month (except January and July) for a presentation. July will be moved to the 11th due to the holiday. Starting October 2022, in person events will be held at:
Amherst H. Wilder Auditorium, Auditorium A
451 Lexington Pkwy N, St Paul, MN 55104 Click for map >>
We’re pleased to announce that visiting bonsai professional, Peter Tea, will be presenting at the October general meeting.
After a short presentation, we’ll open the floor for you to ask Peter questions; “everything you always wanted to know about bonsai, but were afraid to ask”. Peter’s extensive knowledge and experience with developing and styling trees is an invaluable resource for those of us practicing bonsai.
We will be taking questions live that evening, but we also want to encourage you to submit your questions ahead of time so we can compile a list of topics for discussion. Please email me at dale.n.krueger @comcast.net with your questions by 02-Oct.
Also check out Peter’s website where he has posted many resources available for you: https://www.ptbonsai.com/
See you there!
Dale
October 3 2023 Meeting:
Topic: Q & A (See above)
Presenter: Peter Tea
https://www.ptbonsai.com/
The October presentation will available on Zoom!
(Click for Link)
Note: Some of the demos aren’t suited for Zoom, we will do our best to make sure you can see the demonstration.
Missed a General Meeting? Some are recorded.
View here >>
AUCTION
Next auction will be Saturday October 14, 2023.
Each year MBS sponsors a Spring and Fall Auction. This is a fun and exciting event where members can buy or sell trees, pots and other bonsai-related materials during the live or silent auction. It’s one of the best ways to obtain new material for your collection, or make room on your benches. A percentage of the sale is retained by the society to help fund other events.
Check or cash only please.
When:
Time: 10am – 2pm (Open to the Public)
9am – Seller Check-in only (Must be a member to sell)*
10am – Public viewing starts
11am – Bidding starts
Where: Washington County State Fair Grounds, 12300 40th St N, Stillwater, MN 55082
*A current MBS membership is a requirement for selling at the auction. If your membership is not current as of the auction date and you choose to sell items, your proceeds will be held by the club until you rectify your membership status.
BONSAI CONCEPTS
Concepts is held monthly (except December and January)
Each meeting begins with a classroom session followed by our helping you with your trees.
September 23 Class:
As the days get shorter and cooler, we, along with our trees, begin to get ready for the fall. This month at our Concepts meeting, we will be talking about what work we do to prepare our trees for wintering. We will discuss what we can do now and plan for the rest of the fall. We still have time to finish some work on most of our trees. In fact, is an excellent time to work on most conifers, both pruning and styling.
So, grab your tools and supplies and meet us at noon on Saturday, September 23 at the Washington Co. Fairgrounds!
All are welcome to come and learn, with or without trees.
Cost: Free for members! No signup required.
When: Saturday, Noon-4pm (See dates in link below)
Topic: Each month will focus on seasonal care
Instructors: Dale & Sue Krueger (dale.n.krueger[at]comcast.net)
Skill Level: Beginner, Intermediate, All Levels
Location: 12300 40th St N, Stillwater, MN 55082
Typically held in the Hooley Hall building
SOIL PREORDER
The soil is in!
All the soils have arrived and are ready for pick up. Please confirm your totals and arrange a time to pick it up as soon as you can (I would like my turnaround back). Contact me by email, or text to set up a time to pick it up. For those first-time purchasers, I am south of Stillwater. If you need directions, let me know, I can give you the directions on your email/text reply.
See you soon,
Dale Krueger
dale.n.krueger(at)comcast.net
651 324 4638
Note: There are only a few bags of akadama left
CONVENTIONS
BONSAI CENTRAL
Bringing the best to the Midwest!
Artists: Bjorn Bjorholm, Andrew Robson, Tyler Sherrod, Young Choe, Marija Hajdic and Mauro Stemberger
Where: St. Louis
When: May 3-5 2024
Website: https://bonsai-central.com/
Cost: Please go to website for workshops and admission
SEE MORE EVENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY >>
MENTORSHIP PROGRAM
Are you a newcomer to the world of Bonsai? Or have you been at it a while and are looking to learn more? We have great resources for you, including the Society Website, the Facebook page, and the Basics and Bonsai Concepts classes.
If you feel you would benefit from additional assistance in helping you nurture and grow your trees, please consider joining the MBS Mentorship Program.
Under this program, you will be assigned to a Bonsai Society Mentor based on your location in the Twin Cities, and will work with a Mentor along with other folks like you interested in learning more about how to best manage your bonsai trees.
If interested, please contact Bryan Evarts at MBSMentorProgram[at]gmail.com.
WEBSITE UPDATES – MEMBERSHIP & PAYMENT OPTIONS
As a member of the Minnesota Bonsai society, you will receive a member number. You will need this number to sell at auctions and to confirm your membership for some events.
To find your member number – click login on the top right corner of the website. Once you are successfully logged in, it will display on the top right hand corner. See the orange circle on image in the top right. You can also request a badge at the in-person general meetings that includes your name and member number. Note: If you create a new user name and account, it will generate a new member number for you. So please don’t create a new one if you already have an existing account.
If you are having difficulty with accessing your membership or renewing please contact Celina (celina[at]minnesotabonsaisociety.org).
CLICK TO JOIN OR RENEW HERE >>
STAY INFORMED
An email version of this newsletter is sent periodically for reminders.
If you do not see the emails, check your “junk mail” folder or “spam” folder. We make every effort to ensure that these emails are delivered. If you do not see the email in your inbox, please check your junk mail folder and add us to your white List or Safe Sender List.
You are automatically added to the email list as a member, if you wish to unsubscribe, you can click “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the newsletter.
If you want to be added to the list, please email administrator@minnesotabonsaisociety.org.
You can also follow us on Facebook for any last minute cancellations due to weather or venue changes.
WOMEN’S BONSAI GROUP
There is a new women’s bonsai group starting. See information below.
“The Purple Pot Society is open to bonsai practitioners of every gender and race. It is our mission to support, encourage, and inspire women to pursue bonsai. We also want to advocate for the diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented groups within the bonsai community.
Mission: To support, encourage, and inspire female* bonsai artists and advocate for diversity and inclusion of all underrepresented groups within the bonsai community.”
They also have a facebook group!
MINNESOTA BONSAI SOCIETY FACEBOOK GROUP
For those of you who are on Facebook*, we have started a new group in order to share ideas, pictures and ask and answer questions.
Just click this link Minnesota Bonsai Society Community Group and hit the “Join” button. As this group is just for MBS members, you will be asked if you are a member and will then be approved within a day.
*If you are not on Facebook for concerns about privacy, you have the option to create a new email address just for this purpose, and then make a profile using a nickname. Your profile picture can be a tree, your dog, or whatever you choose. You will be required to give them your birthdate which you have in common with millions of people, but you may block all information about yourself.
VOLUNTEERING
Call for volunteers!
People new to bonsai are welcome for their perspectives on what would help them advance their skill base. If you wish to volunteer for this in 2024, email administrator@minnesotabonsaisociety.org.
It will be a good way for the participants to get to know more professionals and have a say in program content.
We are always looking for volunteers, if you are interested to see what positions are available, or how you can help, please email administrator@minnesotabonsaisociety.org.
2023 STATE FAIR EXHIBIT
2023 State Fair Winners & Slide Show (Coming Soon>>)
Come view our largest bonsai show at the Minnesota State Fair, where we exhibit on the Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Exhibit is free with your State Fair admission.
Thank you to all the volunteers that helped over the weekend, it would not happen without you. And to Cheryl for organizing the event!
We will post a slide show of the trees and winners soon.
2023 Visting Judge: Andrew Robson
BECOME A MEMBER
JOIN THE MINNESOTA BONSAI SOCIETY!
Memberships includes access to the MBS library, free bonsai concepts classes, and meetings. Plus discounts to attend member only workshops and events. A one year membership for up to 2 members of a household is just $40.00. Join here >>
GIFT CERTIFICATES
WORKSHOP OR MEMBERSHIP GIFT CARDS
MBS offers two gift card options – a $75 workshop gift card that includes a 1 year free membership or a $40 Membership gift card.
Purchase one here >>
FACEBOOK GROUP
HAVE BONSAI QUESTIONS?
Please join our member only Facebook group. This group is intended to foster information exchange and community for members of the Minnesota Bonsai Society. All are invited to post pictures of their bonsai and bonsai-related items, questions and answers to questions. Click to Join group here >>
RESOURCES
Looking for pots? Wire-cutters? Finding supplies in a store can be a challenge in Minnesota. Some supplies can be purchased at the auctions, general meetings and bonsai basics. MBS also does bulk orders of akadama, pumice and lava every couple of years. Watch the newsletter for updates. We have also compiled a list of online vendors you can purchase from. View List >>