THE Eastern Province Bonsai Society’s annual Bonsai Show will take place at the Sherwood Garden Centre, Walker Drive, on November 21 and 22.
This society is celebrating its 47th year of existence and is the second-oldest in the country.
“Love, that’s what makes a bonsai. Our love of bonsai has seen the club grow through the years,” said Jenny Shute of the EP Bonsai Society. A bonsai was not just a pretty little pot plant. It had taken years of love and care to grow, she said.
She also said the care of and attention to the trees were to be compared to having a pet. Daily checks for bugs, water and problems that could occur overnight were part and parcel of their lives.
In today’s world with many having to downsize gardens, bonsai was an ideal way to keep nature within reach.
She said that we in South Africa were the envy of the world with the wide variety of trees and shrubs that with skill and know- how were turned into wonderful Bonsai. The wild olives, some 100s of years old according to the rings on their branches, boerboom, acacia, wild peach, fire thorn, the mighty boabab and the spekboom were but a few of the trees that were used in the Eastern Cape for the creation of a bonsai.
Growing bonsai is suitable for all ages. The club is proud of its young members, who are called acorns. They love to share their hobby with their friends at school.
At this year’s show there will be more than 100 trees on display and when one considers that each one is different, they are worth viewing. There will also be the normal sales tables with trees, pots, wire, stands, tools, etc.
Advice will be given by senior growers. Demos on Saturday will be at 11.30am and 2.30pm and Sunday’s demo will be at 1.30pm. Doors open from 9am to 5pm on Saturday and 9am to 4pm on Sunday. You could be the lucky raffle ticket winner of a bonsai tree and repotting service for a fee. Entrance fee is R20 for adults and R10 for learners. Children under 12 can attend for free.
