November 2026
🍁What a show!
As I reflect on another wonderful show, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed their time, energy, and talent to make it such a success.
Every year, I am amazed by what our club can accomplish when we come together. From the beautiful trees on display to the countless hours spent planning, setting up, greeting visitors, answering questions, and cleaning up afterward, this show is truly a team effort.
Throughout the day, several visitors from neighboring clubs took the time to tell me how much they enjoy our show and how well it is put together. Hearing those comments always makes me proud, but more importantly, it reminds me that our reputation is built by the generosity, dedication, and enthusiasm of our members.
The trees may be the stars of the show, but it is you the club members behind them who make the event very special. Thank you for sharing your trees, your knowledge, and your passion with our community. Because of all of you, our annual show continues to be one of the finest in the area.
I am grateful to be part of such a talented and welcoming group. Thank you for helping make this year's show one to remember.
🫒First Thursday Meeting
Our first Thursday meeting of the month is one you won't want to miss!
We are fortunate to have Mehrdad joining us for an in-depth presentation on olive bonsai. Mehrdad has a wealth of experience with this hardy species and will be sharing practical techniques and insights that can help all of us improve our olive trees.
Better yet, he will be bringing a tree for a live demonstration, giving us a chance to see the techniques in action and learn how to begin the process of leaf reduction. If you have an olive bonsai of your own, please bring it along for discussion and advice.
Here are a few words from Mehrdad:
Dear Bonsai Artisans,
I am very excited to join you all this Thursday for our session on olive trees.
During our time together, we will explore everything you need to know about this wonderful species, including collecting, styling, soil selection, wiring, and propagation. I will also demonstrate the specific techniques required to successfully reduce leaf size. To help visualize these steps, I have purchased a tree and will do a live pruning demonstration to show you how to begin the leaf-reduction process.
Please feel free to bring your own olive trees to share with the group and discuss.
I look forward to seeing you all on Thursday evening!
We hope you'll join us for what promises to be an informative and enjoyable evening. Whether you're already growing olives or simply curious about the species, you're sure to come away with new ideas and inspiration. 😊
📅 Third Thursday
Our Third Thursday workshop will be our last regular workshop of the year! 🌳
As always, bring any trees you have questions about or need help with. Whether you're wrestling with a design decision, wondering about next steps, or just looking for another set of eyes on a tree, this is the perfect opportunity to work together, share ideas, and help each other move our bonsai forward. The best part of these evenings is the chance to learn from one another and enjoy the camaraderie that makes our club so special.
Before the workshop, we'll be holding a board meeting at 6:30 PM as we begin planning next year's schedule and activities. We'd love to hear your thoughts about what worked well this past year and what you'd like to see from the club going forward.
Your ideas, suggestions, and feedback help shape the direction of our club and are essential to keeping Midori vibrant, engaging, and enjoyable for everyone. Whether you have a new program idea, a workshop topic you'd like explored, or simply thoughts on how we can make the club even better, we hope you'll share them with us.
We look forward to seeing you there for an evening of bonsai, friendship, and planning for another great year together!