Blog

Board Changes  We have made some changes to the Board of Directors in the past month.  Dani Fogarty has agreed to take over the vacant position of Publicity Director.  The Board voted him into that position during the October Board Meeting.  Dani has a film and video editing background and is a motion graphics animator.  I admit I am not sure what that means, but I can summarize it by saying that he knows his way around the computer and social media better than the rest of us.  He…

A Look Back and a Look Ahead   The pandemic made the years 2020 and 2021 challenging to keep PSBS alive and active, even holding some Zoom meetings at the end of 2021.  But there was nothing like beginning to see one another’s faces in person again on the first Wednesday of the month, beginning in March with the Mini Bonsai workshop presented by Linda and BC Bonsai.  My Japanese Wisteria is still growing and is 18” tall.  Seeing someone actually do what is being discussed is always my…

Parent and child style cork bark Japanese black pine. Photo courtesy of the U.S. National Arboretum. You can check out the cork bark bonsai above at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. It is in a parent and child style configuration that has been in training since 1980, when two prunnings from another cork bark pine bonsai in the Museum’s collections were grafted to a Japanese black pine rootstock. The trees represent a mature parent tree in the wild that has given rise to a younger succession which has…

Outdoor: The trees will need to be moved to a wintering area this month. If you need any supplies such as mulch, heater, or shelving, you should acquire them very soon. Have everything ready so you can put the trees away quickly if needed. Do not bring trees indoors on chilly nights. Be sure to water as needed both before winterizing your trees and while they are in winter storage. Do not fertilize. Remove leaves from deciduous trees and fruit or seeds before putting the trees into the wintering…

As winter is soon to be here, it is time for the semi-hardy trees to go into protection. This usually is around the end of October.  Read helpful hints on how serval senior members protect their semi-hardy trees.Some of the trees that are semi-hardy and cannot withstand a Chicago winter are:Japanese UmeSatsuki AzaleaChinese ElmCedar ElmPomegranateCoast RedwoodHarland BoxwoodKingsville BoxwoodOliveTrident MapleThe club recommends that for these trees you:Keep these trees stored in a cold house, garage, or other protected areaStore them in an area that does not get colder than 20…

FEATURED TREE Hornbeam (carpinus) Type: This genus has approximately twenty-five species from Europe, central eastern Asia, and North America. They are deciduous trees or shrubs with simple, toothed, and alternating leaves. The bark may be smooth or scaly, gray or gray-green dependent on the species.  They are fairly undemanding and take pruning well. (Girogi, 83) Style: Hornbeams are usually grown as informal upright trees. They are also grown in groves or group plantings, root on or over rock, slanting and semi-cascade styles. (Owen, 29) (Samson, 66-67) Summer Placement: Partial shade in…

President’s Letter for October 2022 As a Board, we are winding down on 2022 but also gearing up for a great 2023. There are three meetings remaining in the year, with Jennifer Price kicking off the series with a penjing planting on a marble slab on October 5th.  Jennifer, in her role as Programs Director, is also in the process of lining up an interesting speaker for the November meeting.  And finally, we plan a casual and fun meeting with our friends and colleagues in bonsai at the Christmas…

Back around 1988, I  took my first bonsai class at Morton  Arboretum.  The classmates shared chippings. This group of potcularia (plus 2 more already under lights) are results  from these cuttings. Developing them and experimenting on them has given me much pleasure over the years with minimal investment.  Arlene Knapp

THINGS TO DO THIS MONTH Outdoor: This is a time to be preparing for the coming winter. Decide where and how you will protect your trees; mulch bed, cold storage house, cold greenhouse, etc. Acquire any needed materials now so you are not caught without needed supplies when it is time to store the trees. Keep trees outdoors on cool fall nights. Do not bring winter-hardy trees indoors. Adjust watering to the changing temperatures. The soil is likely to stay damp longer on cool days, particularly cloudy days. Fertilization…

WOOD-FIRED STONEWARE BONSAI POTS Wood-fired means these pots were fired by hand in a wood-fired kiln after loading the wares into the kiln and bricking up the door. You begin a small fire in the firebox, which you build up very slowly. At the start, you are aiming for about 50-100 degrees per hour for the first 16 to 18 hours. After 24 hours, the temperature reaches 1950 - 2400 degrees. The last firing we did, we fired for 41 hours. During this firing, we burned two cords of…