President's Message

by David Johnson

NO, WE AREN'T GOING TO CARVE THE TURKEY

Toronto Japanese Garden Club Exhibition

I would like to congratulate the Toronto Bonsai Society membership for our largest participation in the Toronto Japanese Garden Club's Flower and Bonsai Fall Exhibition for many years, if not the largest ever. Almost forty bonsai were shown and almost thirty members came. Some trees were displayed with full fall colour. Others lost their leaves on site and some had not turned yet. We can always count on the evergreens to be as green as ever.

I want to thank the Toronto Japanese Garden Club for accommodating our clubıs request for more display tables and doing such a good job setting up the exhibition.

Norman Haddrick gave a fun filled bonsai demonstration to a full house.

A special thank you goes out to members that participated.

December 11 General Meeting - A Carving Clinic

At our December meeting we will be having a carving clinic. Its purpose is to explore this often advocated but seldom demonstrated bonsai technique as well as a prep for the holiday turkey. Carving helps to create deadwood areas on bonsai that mirrors the deadwood we see on the ancient trees we try to emulate.

We are planning to have a couple of members give short presentations on the subject. Then, we will break and these presenters will show how they do their carving. Given the time of the year, we will probably be working on tree branches which the club will provide.

Members are invited to join in this hands on clinic, at your own risk. Please bring safety glasses and gloves and your bonsai tools, in particular, pliers and an exacto or utility knife and root pruners. Members can work on fresh tree branches to get a feel for this work which can be tried during the full of the growing season so that the trees can heal themselves from this work.

In keeping with our traditional celebration of the season, members are encouraged to bring winter solstice goodies for the coffee break.

On behalf of your executive, all the best for the holiday season and new year.