About Our Club
Kusamura Bonsai Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching people how to create and improve their bonsai. We’re one of the oldest English-speaking bonsai clubs in northern California. Our monthly meetings feature lectures and workshops designed for beginning and intermediate students.
If you’d like to know more please visit one or more of our monthly club meetings to observe our activities. If you’d like to become a member just ask someone at a meeting that is wearing a name badge.
Meetings are held the third Friday of the month, from 7 PM to 9:30 PM.
Monthly Meeting
Monthly meetings consist of:
- Demonstration or Workshop
Most of our meetings are devoted to a demonstration by a bonsai expert explaining some Bonsai technique. For example, how to style an black pine or olive, or how to select nursery stock that will make a good bonsai. Sometimes the speaker will be a member of our club but other times they are outside speakers like Kathy Shaner, Peter Tea, Jonas Dupuich, Gordon Deeg, etc.
A few times a year our meeting will be a workshop where experienced members or ourside speakers will assist attendees who have brought in a tree for advice.
- Show and Tell
At most meetings there will be a “Show and Tell” table on which members display plants they feel are of interest in relationship to the meeting subject or for color, flowering, fruiting, or other features. - Benefit Drawing
At the end of the meeting we have a Benefit drawings of bonsai-related items conclude each meeting. The demonstration tree will usually be part ofthe drawing. This is one way to get trees, pots, etc. that you’re interested in – and raises money to pay for our meetings.
Other Events
Throughout the year we have other events, such as our Annual Show, Classes, Workshops, Potting Party and Annual Garden Tour. For more details see Benefits of Being a Member.
Responsibilities
Dues are $45 per person or $55 per family. Renewal is each January. If you join after September your dues also cover the following calendar year.
Being a member of our club has some other responsibilities. Each year our club puts on a show, usually in April somewhere in Palo Alto. This 2-day event is designed to share our love of bonsai with our neighbors and invite them to join our club. Each club member is expected to have three trees in this show, although we realize this isn’t feasible for our newest members.
To support our club activities we sell “starter bonsai” to the public at our annual show. The club buys trees from specialist bonsai nurseries and club members convert these into reasonably priced trees that people considering bonsai as a hobby can learn basic bonsai care.
We ask each member of Kusamura to donate trees or bonsai related items. First year members are asked to donate at least one tree while longer-term members are expected to donate three trees to add to those bought by the club. If you come to club meetings you’ll often find something from the raffle table that would make a good starter bonsai.
Tell Me More
We’ve collected three documents with helpful info for those of you interested in bonsai or who have just joined our club.
- Benefits of Being a Member – A quick summary of what our club provides to its members
- Member Thoughts – Several newer and long time members discuss what Kusamura Bonsai means to them
- FAQs – Everyone has a few questions, so we’ve tried to answer the most common ones
Want to Join Now?
Just fill in the membership form below and we’ll add you to our member directory. You’ll begin receiving club newsletters and other information in a few days.