Dungeness Bonsai Society Spring Bonsai Show
When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, June 8
Where: Pioneer Memorial Park clubhouse, 387 E. Washington St
Cost: Free; donations accepted
The Dungeness Bonsai Society is hosting their 43rd-annual spring bonsai show at the clubhouse at Pioneer Memorial Park June 8, and they’re preparing for a colorful and creative event to show off their craft.
Longtime society member Ron Quigley is bringing several trees from his own collection to the event, and he’s excited to show them off.
His personal collection may be smaller these days — he decided to trim down a collection of bonsai trees that was around 50 down to just seven trees last year after a health scare — but his bonsai are still impressive for their quality.
“Bonsai is a living art form, one that’s always changing,” Quigley said. “Watching it evolve and through the trees is a joy.”
While most bonsai practitioners generally have an idea of what they want the tree to look like before they start “training” the branches with careful trimming and the use of flexible aluminum or copper wires, Quigley said that often nature can force changes.
“Sometimes even something as simple as wind will force you to change and adapt,” he said. “Sometimes the tree grows or changes in ways that make you do something else. It’s a constant search for balance.”
Quigley said that the Dungeness Bonsai Society will have around 50 trees in all on display on June 8, representing various examples of the five core styles of bonsai, a word that literally means “tray planting.”
The event, at the clubhouse building located in Pioneer Memorial Park, will be for people of all stripes in the bonsai world, with anyone from those simply curious about what it is to full blown enthusiasts. Quigley says that they’re expecting anywhere from 300 to 400 attendees.
The society is always hoping to attract new members as well, he said. The group meets at 10 a.m. the first Tuesday of each month at the same location as the spring show. They’re accepting members of all experience levels, and particularly welcome novices eager to learn the art of bonsai.
A common Juniper formed into a “cascade” that hangs down well below the pot it’s contained in. Sequim Gazette photo by Conor Dowley
A common Juniper formed into a “cascade” that hangs down well below the pot it’s contained in. Sequim Gazette photo by Conor Dowley
A common Juniper formed into a “cascade” that hangs down well below the pot it’s contained in. Sequim Gazette photo by Conor Dowley
