Winter weather can have you down sometimes. It is important to add seasonal interest to your garden. Nothing puts on a winter show quite like a Camellia. This large Camellia is located at D&L nursery and stands about 5ft tall.
We will be pulling double duty at our February meeting on Monday the 10th.
Part 1) Styling Competition
The North Florida Bonsai Club will host our styling competition during the
February Meeting. Alex is obtaining material and if you are interested in
participating please signup via this link: https://northfloridabonsai.com/club-stylingsign-up-form so Alex can get a headcount and guarantee your spot.
We will be using some 3-gallon junipers for the competition. Contestants will have up two hours to style their material. NFBC will provide the trees and wire.
Participants need to provide their own tools and other supplies. Judging will be
done by the club president (or designee), the district trustee, and a people’s
choice vote. Whoever wins our contest will represent District 3 and participate in the finals at the 2025 BSF Convention. Winners will act as “apprentices” to the various instructors and artists during the Convention, assisting with wiring, defoliation, etc. during workshops or demonstrations. The first-place winner at the convention receives $1,000 towards the study of bonsai or related arts.
Even if you are not participating, come to encourage your peers, see the
marvelous transformations and cast your vote for people’s choice.
Part 2) Demonstration/ Discussion on Material Selection Alex will also be leading us on a discussing on how to select bonsai material. The goal will be to maximize your knowledge and allow you to be selective when we go on our field trip. If you have never been to a dedicated bonsai nursery it can be overwhelming and, like a kid in a candy store, you want everything. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the moment. The goal of this presentation is to help everyone come home with awesome trees on the 16th. Speaking of which…
Bonsai Nursery Field Trip
Now you can all relive your favorite days of elementary school with a FIELD
TRIP!!!!! Ask for extra pocket money because on Sunday February 16th we will be
visiting a 3-acre bonsai nursery owned and operated by Richard Turner in Vero
beach.
This is not an advertised nursery or one that is generally open to the public. Although Richard has a ton of bonsai trees for sale, this is still a side-project for him. He opens his nursery one Sunday a month for a workshop and we will be going down as a group to enjoy the program and buy material. There are all kinds of trees available to purchase but, being in central Florida, there is a heavy focus on tropicals. Mr. Turner has a lot of trees and some trees haven’t been getting a ton of care over the last few years, so they will need a little TLC to get back to full health. However, there are some fantastic trees to be had at very reasonable prices.
Logistics
Richard Turner’s nursery is located in Vero beach so
we will meet at Buc-ees Saint Augustine (200 World Commerce Pkwy) to carpool down. Richard’s weekly workshop normally starts at 10am so we will leave Buc-ees at 7am since it’s about a 3hr drive.
– We will have a signup sheet to try to plan for drivers and passengers at the February meeting.
– Plan to meet at Buc-ees around 6:40 to sort out travel buddies and buy snacks/drinks.
– If you plan to drive separately text me and I can send the address
We can stay as long as we would like but the workshop normally lasts from 10-2 which would get us home around 5pm.
FYI – Richard is not a formal business so BRING CASH. He might accept checks but to my knowledge does not take any electronic payment methods or credit cards.
“The process of looking for pre-bonsai can differ from person to person depending on one’s interest in growing bonsai. You can select trees that give you an opportunity to work on skills you want to improve or buy a tree with great potential that requires a significant amount time to develop. In either case, the goal is typically the same: to find the best trunk possible (the tree with the greatest potential) that’s within your budget.”
– Jonas Dupuich of Bonsai Tonight
Elections – NFBC Executive Board
A big thank you to those who have volunteered to step-up as members of the club executive board for the next two years. In accordance with club by-laws, the election of the NFBC executive board shall be presented by the below written ballot.
President: Alex Stanford
Vice President: Kelly Harrison
Treasurer: Tina Mattucci
Secretary/Newsletter: (open)
Webmaster: Noël
District Trustee: Joe Stumpf
These leaders will be elected by simple majority. These candidates currently run unopposed and will be assumed to be supported by membership votes baring anyone else volunteering for a position either by emailing me at [email protected] or by expressing an interest in person at the
February meeting. Thank you again to these representatives for your future service to our club. The
energy and enthusiasm of these new leaders should lead to exciting new idea and
opportunities for NFBC.
Seasonal Advice
Please visit our new dedicated Seasonal Advice Page here.
Registration available now at Kawa Bonsai Society Joy of Bonsai. The event is being held at Schley’s Bonsai. If you have not been before this is a fantastic opportunity to combine a trip to a great bonsai nursery along with a wonderful event.
The event includes everything you would expect from a bonsai exhibition with demo’s, workshops, vendors, and an exhibit of high-quality trees. The admission price has always is incredibly reasonable and well worth it. See you there.
Sponsorship
We now have a dedicated page for our Sponsors. Visit the Sponsors page for more details about: Florida Bonsai Nursery Supply and Sunway Landscape Services.
Bonsai Classifieds
If you have something you are interested in buying/selling, please send contact
information for inclusion in future newsletters.
NFBC Membership
– Membership is discounted to $15 for the 2025 year
– Visitors are always welcome at meetings and events
Soil
– The cost is $25 for a five-gallon bucket.
– (Currently out of stock. The domestic pumice supplier is having a permitting
issue that as limited production. We are trying to navigate through this.)
Trees & Supplies
– Alex Stanford runs Florida Bonsai
Nursery and Supply in Jacksonville. The nursery has a wide variety of trees, soil, pots and more. Ongoing specials for NFBC members.
For up-to-date hours and contact information See Florida Bonsai Nursery & Supply
– Josh Brown also has bonsai and pre-bonsai available. Please contact him
at [email protected] for information.
