Successful Bonsai show

The recently formed Warragul Bonsai Group presented its inaugural Bonsai Show as part of the Gardivalia event at the Community College Gippsland Warragul Campus recently.

The show featured more than 75 Bonsai of various shapes, sizes and varieties of show quality specimens. There was a mix evergreen, deciduous and native Bonsai on display. The oldest Bonsai on show was 53-years-old.

There was also a section showing to the uninitiated the progression of developing a Bonsai from a seedling to a Bonsai in three to four years.

Bonsai is a Japanese horticultural art form using particular cultivation techniques to produce small trees in pots that mimic the shape and scale of full-sized trees micking various environmental and terrain conditions. Contrary to general belief Bonsai can be cultivated to look older than it actually is by various Bonsai methods.

The venue was set up with a Japanese theme to complement the Bonsai which were on show.

The one-day event attracted more than 140 visitors ranging from many primary school children to more than 70 senior citizens.

Visitors came from far and wide, one as far as Perth. Other visitors came from Bonsai Groups from Mornington Peninsula, northern suburbs of Melbourne, Yarra Valley and Waverly.

President Ian de Bruyne said that the Bonsai Show was a resounding success having received many positive and encouraging feedback and compliments from Bonsai enthusiasts and lay community members. The show attracted seven local visitors to sign up as members.

Warragul Bonsai welcomes anyone interested in Bonsai to their meeting held each third Thursday of the month except for December. A practical workshop is held on the Saturday after the Thursday monthly meeting.

Meetings and workshops are held at the Community College Gippsland campus on 71 Korumburra Warragul Road, Warragul.