2004 Bonsai Activity

Mas and Gary Ishii Demonstration

February 2004 meeting. Mas and Gary Ishii of Chikugo-En Bonsai Nursery, 18110 S. Western Avenue, Gardena, CA 90248, 310-323-4011, have traditionally given a grafting demonstration at Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai every February since the club was founded.

Gary and Mas prepare the grafting materials.

They start with several small junipers.

Gary does most of the talking.

Mas does fine trimming.

Mas picks up material.

Gary hands off a grafting sample to the audience.

Mas keeps working. The grafted scions are shimpaku juniper.

The audience is attentive.

Milton is handed a sample juniper. The lower two are grafted scions.

Working together.

The product will go into the benefit drawing.

Gary shows the small trees.

Mas begins work on a larger San Jose juniper.

Gary continues discussion.

Preparing to graft.

Mas demonstrates technique with his extremely sharp knife.

Working.

Preparing a scion.

Covering grafts with grafting compound.

Ted Oka Demonstration

March 2004 meeting.

Ted Oka is a founding member of Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai.

Ted has been taking lessons from Mas Ischii for many years.

Ted is an expert with shimpaku juniper.

After wiring, the bonsai is prepared for potting.

Ted brought an example of the raft style.

Preparation for potting continues.

Some gravel for the pot's bottom.

Working the soil in around the roots.

Another scoop of potting mix.

Continuing.

More potting mix.

Some more.

Rick and Ron zoome in for a closer look.

Example tree.

Watching.

Cutting wire.

Continuing.

Final adjustments.

More adjustments.

More soil.

Final adjustment.

Ron Arias won the demonstration bonsai.

April Meeting Demonstration

Ben Oki is the curator of the bonsai collection at The Huntington.

Thelma and Ron Kholer.

Bob Lawlor won the demo tree.

May 2004 Annual Show

"Serenity Through Bonsai" is our annual show theme.

Setting up on Friday night.

The plant sale area.

This is Ron Arias's tree.

The Saturday free beginners' workshop.

Club members show the beginners how it's done.

Milton explains bonsai.

Bob Lawlor helps.

After lunch is the Saturday round robin demonstration.

A nice view of the tokonoma show aisle.

The demonstration gets underway.

Bob Lawlor, Jim Peerson, Rick Wagner, and Ed Walters do their respective things.

Jim describes his tree.

The finished bonsai are lined up on the stage for the benefit drawing.

Drawing prizes also include pots.

Ron and Thelma Kholler.

Getting ready for the Saturday evening reception pot luck.

Ron Arias with his bonsai.

John Luhnow built the tokonoma. Beautiful.

Rick Wagner's 13 tree Monterey cypress forest, from seed.

Frank Goya is the Sunday afternoon demonstrator.

Frank's juniper saikei is beautiful.

May Meeting Demonstration

June Meeting Demonstration

Penny Jensen

Penny Jenson is the most experienced bonsai instructor I know.

Penny was my (Rick Wagner's) teacher when I was just beginning in 1986.

Here, Penny demonstrates with a nice Juniper.

Penny's depth of knowledge of bonsai is very impressive.

There was a good turnout at the June meeting.

Benifit drawing items.

Tools, pots, trees, and bonsai.

Penny demonstrates wiring technique.

A very nice kengai (cascade) style.

The finished kengai.

Bob Lawlor was the lucky winner of the demo tree.

July Picnic

Every July, the Sunday after the 4th of July weekend, we have our annual Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai picnic.

Jim Peerson starting setup of the food table.

Setting up the eating and drinks table.

Rick Wagner wiping the benches of the bingo prize table.

Ed Walters takes a close look at Rick Wagner's 13 tree Monterey cypress forest.

Maybe thinking about playing chess?

We had the fire ring site near the tennis courts.

Members work on trees and exchange ideas.

Some nice bonsai material.

Ron Kholler watches the work.

Jim Peerson and John Luhnow render assistance.

Peggy looks at a nice large California juniper.

Working on a nice moyogi juniper.

Penny Jensen arrives.

Susan Pine.

Ron and Thelma Kholler.

Barbecuing lunch.

The overcast weather was perfect.

Chow time.

Jim and Dawn brought their dog.

Past President Patty Theaker sits on one of the fire ring logs.

It's good to bring comfortable chairs.

Continuing the grilling.

Patty with her tree.

John Luhnow, drawing chair, gets prizes ready for the bingo game.

Getting ready for bingo.

Playing bingo.

Players intent on their boards.

Bingo!

Relaxation.

Before the bingo.

Jim Peerson with the members' trees.

Members work on trees.

Enjoying the outdoors.

Photos of Rick's Bonsai

In July I took some photos of some of my bonsai.

Thirteen tree Montery cypress forest, from seed.

Orientalis (sweet gum) chokan, from seed.

Coral tree, from seed.

Portugese cork oak, from seed.

August Round Robin Demonstration

Every August members participate in a round robin demonstration.

Ted Oka looks at the elm raft he brought.

Rick Wagner assists Ted.

Look at all that foliage on the liquidamber twin trunk (from seed) that Rick Wagner brought.

Work continues.

Doyle Saito takes a look at one of the benefit drawing books.

Lots of activity.

Rick lends a hand with a juniper.

The twin trunk liquidamber is a challenge. Complete defoliation is the order of the day.

The crew tears into the twin liquidamber (American sweet gum).

Herb and Doyle share a joke.

John Luhnow lends a hand with the liquidamber.

Watching the progress.

Ted works on.

Wiring the elm raft (later won by Rick Wagner and subsequently re-donated after several years).

Working on the elm.

Still wiring.

Ed Walters is wiring the liquidamber.

Penny Jensen assists with the elm raft.

The liquidamber has potential.

Jim examines a tree.

Ed walters wires the liquidamber.

September Harry Hirao Demonstration

Harry Hirao is "Mister California Juniper" because he popularized the species with his extraordinary trees collected from the wild (from private land with permission, of course).