President’s Message
April 2026
🌺Spring Is Here
Well, ready or not, spring has arrived—and it came in hot. With the warmer‑than‑normal weather, many of our trees woke up early this year. That meant weeks of pinching and cutting to keep those internodes from stretching out like they were training for a marathon. I know I was out there every morning trying to keep up with my maples, removing that second set of leaves from every bud. A lot of work, but worth it.
Of course, travel got in the way for me on a few trees, and now I’ve got some long internodes to deal with. Hopefully I can make up for it during defoliation season. Oh well—none of us are perfect, and the trees like to remind us of that.
🌿April Happenings
We’ve got a couple of exciting events lined up this month:
Our Third Thursday demonstration with guest artist Jennifer Price
The Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival on April 25–26
I’m looking forward to both.
🌸Cupertino Cherry Blossom Festival
This is one of Midori’s two annual shows, and it’s always a fascinating one. With traditional Japanese music and performances in the background, we get a steady stream of visitors who stop, admire our trees, and ask great questions. It’s a wonderful chance to share bonsai with the broader community
One of the best parts is that we have tables set up so members can work on their trees during the show. If you have a tree you’d like to display—or one you’d like to work on during the weekend—please join us. You don’t need to commit to both days; even one day of participation is a big help. We’ll have sign‑ups available at the next meeting.
🌱First Thursday — Workshop
We’re switching things up this month:
The workshop will be on the First Thursday, and the demo will be on the Third Thursday.
Bring your trees and let’s get some hands‑on work done together.
If you still need to repot, Drew has a few bags of soil left, including the sought‑after Aoki blend for $50/bag. Please contact him ahead of time so he can bring what you need: (831) 402‑6845 DTucker1286@gmail.com
🌟Third Thursday — Demonstration by Jennifer Price
We’re very fortunate to welcome Jennifer Price this month. Jennifer began her artistic career as a classically trained ballerina, and she brings that sense of form, movement, and elegance into her bonsai work.
She began her bonsai journey studying with artists such as Walter Pall in 2015 and more recently with Michael Hagedorn. Jennifer now travels the world sharing her knowledge and has been a guest artist for the Australian National Bonsai Federation, as well as at shows in Sweden, Copenhagen, and soon at the next ABS convention in New Orleans.
Of course, none of those gatherings will hold a candle to our Midori Bonsai Club meeting. So let’s make sure we give Jennifer a warm welcome and a great turnout for her demo
A word from BGLM
Thank you from the Bonsai Garden
I want to thank everyone who volunteered at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt’s Mammoth Fundraiser. It was a HUGE success financially and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
The BGLM is looking for more volunteers, see attached link for the volunteer information form on the website. When you sign up, the form will come to Suzanne Muller.
Join Us as a Bonsai Garden Volunteer
We are looking for the following volunteer positions:
• Docent coordinator and scheduler
• Bookkeeper
• Docents
• Security manager for the collection
Please contact me for information regarding the description for each position listed if you are interested.
– Suzanne Muller, Director
25th Anniversary Photo Album On Sale Now!
Learn about the history, collection of bonsai and suiseki, and all the volunteers and supporters for the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, Oakland, California
123 page full-color album covering the first 25 years of the Bonsai Garden.Softcover $35 Hardcover $65
If you can't visit in person, contact George Haas at gwhaas@comcast.net for details in shipping and handling your purchase.
Previously
Photos from last month’s Juniper seminar, led by Eric Schrader of Pacific Bonsai Expo fame, and Tree Acquisition seminar, led by our very own Jack Callon!