Welcome                               
 
The Blue Ridge Bonsai Society supports and promotes the art of bonsai in the region around Asheville, NC. We meet together monthly, providing companionship, education,  and workshops from beginner to advanced level and we exhibit in various shows during the year.

Goal for 2020: To help each member gain in knowledge of how to develop a show-quality bonsai.

​

- Members will be encouraged to create a written plan describing the future development of each tree. (This is useful for tracking what works and what does not.)

- Meeting activities in February, April, July, and August contribute to these goals.

2020 Meetings and Events

​

All meetings are located at the Asheville Botanic Gardens 

unless otherwise stated. 

 

Jan. 12 -  Wiring workshop with Rebecca Ayres, a wiring expert from the NC Arboretum.

​

After Rebecca's  presentation, we divided into small groups to practice and wire trees brought by members. 

 

Feb. 7 - Jesse McMahon presented principles of bonsai design, based on de Groot's well-known book.

               

MAR. 8 - Tom Snow, who is a bonsai volunteer at the NC Arboretum, leads a repotting workshop. (Bring your own tree, tools, and potting soil.)

 

Apr. 19 (not 12th) - THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED BECAUSE OF COVID-19

​

Members, please bring one of your trees that is closest to being ready for show. We  will break up into small groups, each led by an experienced member, review each tree and discuss and document its future development. We will also choose trees for our World Bonsai Day Exhibit at the NC Arboretum on May 9 and 10.

​

The Carolina Bonsai Expo at the NC Arboretum is now being held in June, so this meeting is also our first review for trees that are ready to be included in our exhibit this year at the Bonsai Expo.

                 

May 9 and 10 -  BRBS World Bonsai Day Exhibit at the NC Arboretum. No regular meeting this month.

                 

June 13-14 - 2020 Carolina Bonsai Expo. Special event at NC            Arboretum. 

​

June 28 (4th Sunday) Kusamono (companion plant) workshop with Young Choe, a professional in this specialized field. See http://kusamonochoe.com for her website. 

​

July 12 - Field trip to a local nursery to discuss how to choose beginner trees. Details being arranged. Exact date may change. 

​

Aug.  9 -  Discuss and plan the future development of our new nursery trees and work on our trees. Bring your own tools and wire.

​

Sept. 13 Annual visit from Arthur Joura, the Bonsai Curator at the NC Arboretum. Details of our activities at this meeting being discussed. 

​

Selection of trees for our own BRBS Exhibit in October.

​

Oct. 11 -  BRBS Bonsai Exhibit. Possible Special event.  Place and date for our exhibit are being arranged. 

​

Nov.  8 -  Annual BRBS pot luck and auction

 

Dec.  5-6 - 2020 Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo. 

Special Event in Kannapolis, NC.  No regular meeting this month.

Other Learning Opportunities
 
At the NC Arboretum:
​
Beginning Bonsai course taught by our own Rebecca Ayers. Two sessions in April. These are both sold out, but you can get on the waiting list.
 
Curator's Talk by Arthur Joura:
  • Radical Redesign, a demonstration. Saturday, March 14, 10:30 am - 2:30 pm
​
All classes are offered by Adult Education Programs at The North Carolina Arboretum.
Register online at ncarboretum.org. 
​
Contact Rebecca Caldwell at 828.665.2492 or email her at adulteducation@ncarboretum.org for more information.
​
​
Daniel Coffey will resume his $3 demonstrations on the second Saturday of the month at his River Arts studio. Watch for an email from Peggy with the details.
​
Dues for 2020
Please try to pay next year's dues at the January meeting if possible. Last year's members must pay by March to avoid being removed from our mailing list.
Treasurer Tom Snow can take checks, cash and most debit and credit cards.
Go to the Library page to download our new one-page bonsai reference list. One-page map to wisdom!
See Special Notices page for
  • Our election results
  • A special award
  • An interview with Felix
  • A link to more on Yuji Yoshimura by William Valavanis of International Bonsai.
​
See the Tips, Advice, and More page for
  • New advanced online courses from Bjorn, and a link to a review of these courses by Jonas Dupuich of Bonsai Tonight
​ 
See the Photo Gallery page for pictures of three bonsai exhibits taken by our roving photographer, Stuart Rogers:
​
  • The 2019 Winter Silhouette Show in Kannapolis in December​
  • The National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington, DC
  • Knoxville Bonsai Society's Winter Show in February, 2020
​ 
  • See the Photo Gallery page for pictures of our club display at the 2019 Carolina Bonsai Expo and some other remarkable trees from this Expo. .
​​
  • News about the 2020 Carolina Bonsai Expo: In 2020 and all years in the future, the Expo will be in June. For 2020, the Expo will be June 13 & 14, and the featured artist will be Ryan Neal from Bonsai Mirai in Oregon.
​
Meeting Times & Location 
 
Our regular meetings are held on the second Sunday of each month from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm in the meeting room at the
                    Asheville Botanical Gardens
                    151 W. T. Weaver Blvd    28804
 
Please go to the About Us page for driving directions and a map.
Membership 
 
Membership in the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society is open to anyone interested in the art of bonsai from the totally inexperienced to professionals.
 
Our annual dues are $30 for single memberships and $35 for families. More information is on the About Us page. Please feel free to attend a meeting or two before deciding to join.
​