Monthly Club meetings are held on the second Tuesday of each month commencing at 7:30pm at the Newlands Senior Citizens Centre, 49-53 Murray Road, Coburg.
Saturday morning workshops for members are held approximately every two months at the same venue.
Latest from our Club Meetings
- Final Club Meeting for 2024 – Tuesday 10th December
The 2024 year is done and dusted, but the bonsai life continues, of course.
The December 10th Club meeting was our final one for this year, held as usual at the meeting rooms at the Newlands Senior Citizens Centre, Murray Road, Coburg, commencing at 7:30pm.
Apart from the end of year pizza and celebrations, we reviewed progress on the Club project tree, and took the Casuarina on another step in its development. The Melaleuca forest put together earlier in the year was also reviewed and expanded with a couple of air-layered plants, and a little further crown development work was undertaken on a Ficus which featured at a club meeting earlier in the year.A great turn-up of members, both in person and online via Zoom, for a fitting end of year review and celebration.
The Melaleuca forest planting, and the Allocasuarina – what do we want to do with them? 
Ficus, before some further work on branches 
The Ficus should develop well over the coming summer, after this bit of work. - November Club Meeting – Tuesday 12th Nov.
The November club meeting, on Tuesday 12th November, was primarily a workshop night for members to work on their trees with advice or assistance from others as needed. The evening’s program included a review of several trees from the display table, as well as a critique session for a group review of a few trees put forward by members for analysis.
The trees reviewed were a varied lot, from some young trees which were just beginning their bonsai journey, through to a more substantial “garden rescue” tree. As usual, there is always plenty for everyone to learn through these critique sessions, and, of course, for many of the trees there is often no single answer as to what the tree could become in later life.
A well- attended meeting on the night, with several new members welcomed into the club.
This was a recent large garden rescue Callistemon 
There were several possibilities suggested for this large Banksia 
- October Club Meeting – AGM and triple demo
The end of one year and the start of another for the VNBC – this October meeting on Tuesday 8th October is the club’s Annual General Meeting and election of office bearers, followed by a parallel triple demonstration by Craig, Quentin and Marcela.
The usual club meeting place at the Newlands Senior Citizens Centre, Murray Rd, Coburg, commencing at 7:30pm.
- Club meetings – July and August 2024
At the club workshop night at our July meeting, we had quite a selection of trees to discuss, review and make suggestions for further development, as well as plenty of work being done by members on their own trees.
All eyes on the Sheoak! And at the club meeting on 13th August, Allan Harding, one of our Sydney-based club members, and the key person for the Penjing Australia Facebook pages, presented to us. Alan demonstrated and explained his Penjing approach using a Kunzea provided by the club, discussing the relationship between Penjing and Australian native species.
Allan Harding discusses the possibilities of developing this Kunzea plant using Penjing principles 
Looking at a possible future design for the Kunzea - Club meeting Tuesday 11th June
Keeping our native species bonsai happy, healthy and growing can be a challenge at times, when the natural world contains a wide range of pests and diseases looking for any opportunity to find new habitat.
The Club’s June meeting on the night of Tuesday 11th June will provide a focus on the various pest and disease problems which we may encounter in growing Australian plants as bonsai. We will take a look at identifying problems, recognising the damage that they may cause in our trees, and finding the best solutions to managing the various pests and diseases.
This will be an opportunity to bring along pictures and samples (with some care, of course, to avoid any disease problems which may spread to other plants) for discussion and resolution.
We will also talk about the best management methods to avoid or minimise infestations in our trees and the damage that they may cause.
- Club meeting Tuesday 14th May
The club’s monthly meeting on 14th May 2024 featured a presentation by Damian Bateson on bonsai potting mix composition, and the importance of microbial activity in soils. This is an element which is often neglected in our thinking about potting mixes, and so it is certain that we will be challenged in what we do with our bonsai mixes.
Damian has a strong background in landscape garden design and construction, with a wide-ranging experience and interests in different garden and landscape styles as well as bonsai.
Damian discussed a range of considerations for bonsai mixes, including different components, particle sizes, aeration needs and nutrients.
- Club meeting 9th April – Group Plantings
The April club meeting was a very interesting night, with quite a few members bringing along examples of group plantings with a range of different native species for display, including Eucalypts, Leptospermums, and Melaleucas.
Some of the group plantings on display 
Eucalyptus polyanthemos, Red Box The main part of the meeting included a demonstration of a group planting of Melaleucas by Quentin, while several members also brought in groups to establish or to gather advice on.
The group plantings being developed by members at the meeting included quite a range of possibilities, and we are looking forward to some interesting bonsai in future exhibitions.
- Club Meeting Tuesday 12th March
At our meeting on 12th March, we had a good members’ workshop night, along with a demonstration by Quentin of separation of an air-layered ficus, which he set up at a club meeting late last year.
Air layered tree ready for separation (the original base and root mass was really a bit ugly! 
Cutting the old trunk below the new root system 
Settling the new root system into a pot. - Change of club meeting venue from January 2024
As of January 2024, we have a new venue for all club meetings and Saturday Workshops this year. The venue is now the Newlands Senior Citizens Centre, located at 49-53 Murray Road, Coburg, approx 1km to the east of our previous meeting rooms.
- December Club Meeting – Tuesday 12th December
The Club’s final meeting for 2023, to wrap up the year and to prepare us for 2024.
What is it that helps show a tree at its best in an exhibition? We will have plenty of discussion, demonstration and advice in relation to works being carried out on trees in preparation for the Club’s exhibition to be held in March, to assist members who have bonsai that they may wish to put on display. Members are encouraged to bring one or two trees that they may be considering for display at the exhibition, to see what may be needed to be done over the next couple of months to exhibit them at their best.
And of course, there will be plenty of time on the night to socialize, celebrate, talk about bonsai, and to review what we have all done over the year.
Where? – Harry Atkinson Centre, Coburg Lake Reserve, Park St, Coburg, commencing at 7:30pm.
