2020 events

2nd Jan - no meeting
16th Jan - first meeting
26th Jan - UK Bonsai Association Auction Heathrow
6th Feb - club meeting - bring trees proposed for Swindon Winter Image
20th Feb - club meeting & ABC Winter Image Show
23rd Feb - Swindon winter image show - club is invited to display trees
28th Feb to 1st Mar - Club trip to the Trophy exhibition in Belgium
more to follow

First annual baby spruce competition

As a club with some long-standing members and excellent show trees seen nationally and internationally, sometimes it is good to get back to basics.

About a year or so ago I stumbled across some small spruce trees in my local garden centre at something like 75p each for an established seedling maybe 125mm high. A dozen were purchased and handed out to everyone who attended the next club meeting, with the instruction “do your best and bring it back for a show in a years’ time”.

So last night was the first annual baby spruce competition. Bad weather and illness meant the numbers were down a little but still we had 5 interesting trees on show and a couple of email entries via the club WhatsApp group.

First was Chris’s lovely composition on rock

Second was Pauls semi cascade (i think he's been sitting next to brock too long)

Thirdly my slanting style composition

It was interesting to see how identical 75p saplings have taken different paths within a year.

Special mention to Dave Shaw who hand painted the lovely screen you can see in some of the pictures and who brought along his kit for people to have a go.

Then we had a lovely Xmas buffet provided by Chris, some excellent nibbles, many thanks

Happy Christmas and a Happy new year

Ashfield Bonsai Club Xmas Dinner - Seafish Ripley 12 Dec

CLUB AUCTION AND AUCTION TREE SHOW, (rags to riches).

The meeting held on the second Thursday in November is auction night, one of the highlights of the year. A chance to pick up (and move on) some material. Credit as always to resident auctioneer JB who kept the activities on track and with great humour. As usual I travelled home with more things than I arrived with, but some interesting projects for the winter.

As an encouragement to buy cheap material and develop it into show condition, we also hold the auction tree club show on the same night. Only trees or material bought through the auction over the years can be entered.

  

Last night’s winner was club secretary Paul who had bought the winning Pyracantha as a stump in a box from Chris (seem here handing over the trophy) and in quite a short period developed it into the show winning tree seen here in a lovely Dan Barton pot the colour which will really show the Pyracantha berries to good effect in future. Obvious mirth between the seller of the cheap raw material cheap, and the subsequent winner of the show. Great laughs as always.

DAD, THERES A PEACOCK ON MY BONSAI!

courtesy Paul Warder:

AUTUMN IN SYMONDS YAT, NEAREST PERFECT TREE EVER?

BTA DONCASTER EVENT SUNDAY 27TH OCT

Sunday, a nice sunny morning and after the clock change an extra hours lie in!. we had a quick club trip up the M1 to Doncaster for the BTA autumn event. Turned out to be a decent show, most of the usual friendly faces, though maybe less traders than last time? we stocked up on soil for the coming repot season, and a few pots etc. the obligatory sausage sandwich from the cafe upstairs, and back down the M1 in time for an afternoon at home.