Category: Classes

The BSOB club is hosting a joint beginner and intermediate class during this year’s Brevard Zoo event. These bonsai classes will be part of the annual 2-day cooperative event between Brevard Zoo and the Bonsai Society of Brevard (BSOB).  The classes will be held concurrently allowing beginners and intermediates to participate together.

The class will be held in the Brevard Zoo during the Bonsai at the Zoo event on August 17-18, 2024. The class fee includes entrance to the zoo during the weekend event.

The Beginner Class will introduce students to the basics of bonsai. Participants will use a pre-bonsai Dwarf Jade (Portulacaria afra) to learn tree styling, wiring, potting, and care. The students take home a finished bonsai with tree, pot, soil and care instructions.
Beginner class costs:
$40 member and $60 non-member (includes membership to BSOB).

The Intermediate Class is reserved for club members who want to expand their bonsai repertoire.  We will use a Hollywood Juniper to give intermediate students instruction on creating a conifer style planting.  The class will focus heavily on shaping and wiring.  This class includes the tree and wire.  The student will need to bring their own tools. There will be no re-potting, soil, or pots for this class because replanting is recommended in winter.
Class costs:
Medium tree: $40 member
Large tree: $50 member

Where: Brevard Zoo – Nyami Nyami River Lodge
When: August 18, 2024
Time: 10:30am to 2:30pm (30 min break at noon)

Go to the shopping area to signup and pay for the class.

Questions? Please contact Scot at: treasurer@bonsaisocietyofbrevard.com.

• Since the beginning of the Flower and Garden Festival in 1997, Bonsai Societies of Florida (BSF) has partnered with Walt Disney World (WDW) to display Bonsai in the at Epcot. However, this is no ordinary display and by no means is it the usual process for creating an exhibit.   What looks to a Disney ticket holder as perhaps just another exhibit among the thousands of plants and flowers, took months of planning to have the trees on their stands.  
• This year Disney will exhibit bonsai in both the Japanize and China pavillions.
  • Japan will host classic Japanize bonsai styles
  • China will host styles that lean toward Chineze traditions, often referred to as Penjing

Details and Applications:

Please go to this link to read more about the event, process, and application. Applications need to be submitted by December 31, 2023.

Epcot 2024 Entry Form – Bonsai Societies of Florida (bonsai-bsf.com)

• The Bonsai Societies of Florida (BSF) uses the styling competition to promote the art of bonsai.  
• The three levels of styling competition are: Local level, District level, and State level.
  • BSOB Local level: 16 Dec 2023 at December BSOB club meeting (1pm)
  • District 6 level: 3 Feb 2024 at Joy of Bonsai (11am, Deland)
  • State level: BSF Convention (Memorial Day weekend 2024)
• The winner and second place are announced at the BSF convention. The State winner receives an educational grant of $1000.  The second-place winner gets $500.  Grants are to be used for bonsai educational purposes.
• Please signup in advance if you are interested. Go Here.

BSOB Eligibility:

1. Must not be a bonsai “professional”
2. Must be at least 18 years of age
3. Must be a club member in good standing
4. Must never have won first place in a previous BSF Scholarship Competition – State level.
5. Must be able to compete at the District level competition 

BSOB Local Rules:

1. Materials will be of the same species and of similar quality. 
   Juniper is usually the planned species and will be distributed by lottery.
2. The BSOB contest is usually 2 to 2.5 hrs long.
3. Wiring is permitted.  Club wire will be available for contestants.
4. Tools and supplies will be the responsibility of the contestant. 
   Borrowing tools prior to the contest is permitted. 
5. Once the contest starts there is no participation or interaction between contestants and others in the audience.
6. Plant needs to be in the pot for judging.  Pot can be cut back, root ball worked on, but plant needs to be placed back in the pot for judging. 
7. Judging at the local level is to be done by the club president (or designee) and the district trustee (or designee).  All designee(s) will be decided at the club meeting prior to the start of the competition.
8. Judging will be based on bonsai techniques and design appropriate to the tree while maintaining the health of the tree.
9. Rules can be changed by past board members who attend the club meeting prior to the start of the competition.

It’s that time of year when bonsai clubs announce their membership drive for next year. Please take a moment and consider your membership standing. If you have paid for next year, thank you! If not, BSOB has a new website service provider that enables secure online payments. Our site uses industry standard commerce tools to enable online credit card purchases.

Go to the top menu, click on SHOP, select your items, see your cart, and checkout using a credit/debit card.

The BSOB club is hosting another beginner class to introduce students to the basics of bonsai. This class will use pre-bonsai Green Island Ficus material to help students learn tree styling, wiring, potting, and care.

The class will be held in the Brevard Zoo during the Bonsai at the Zoo event on August 19-20, 2023. Class includes tree, pot, soil, wire and 2023 membership to BSOB. The fee also includes entrance to the zoo during the weekend event.

Where: Brevard Zoo – Nyami Nyami River Lodge
When: August 19, 2023
Time: 10:30am to 2:30pm (30 min break at noon)

If you are interested in attending, sign up by paying HERE.
And/or please contact Scot at: treasurer@bonsaisocietyofbrevard.com.

Please see the class flyer for more information.

Our club has recently hosted two completely full “Introduction to Bonsai” classes. We have scheduled the next class on April 1, 2023. If you are interested in attending, please contact Scot at: treasurer@bonsaisocietyofbrevard.com.

Please see the class flyer for more information.

The BSOB club website has entered a blooming phase as depicted in this Paper Flower tree (bougainvillea glabra) shown at the Hwa Fong Exhibition.

BSOB has a new website service provider that enables secure online payments. Our site uses industry standard commerce tools to enable online credit card purchases.

Go to the top menu, click on SHOP, select your items, see your cart, and checkout using a credit/debit card.

Our club has hosted two completely full “Introduction to Bonsai” classes over the summer. We will schedule the next class soon. If you are interested in attending, please contact Barb at: newsletter@bonsaisocietyofbrevard.com.