Event Archives - GSBF Bonsai Garden at lake Merritt

The 25th Anniversary Celebration for the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

By George Haas

November 9, 2024

Today, the volunteer members of the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM) held a celebration for the first 25 years (November 6, 1999 to November 6,2024) of BGLM, located at Lakeside Park, Gate 4, Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California.

At 1:00 p.m., the sounds of Japanese taiko drums were heard throughout the Gardens at Lake Merritt and beyond, performed by six members of Sonoma County Taiko. The crowd of invited guests and the general public gathered around the entrance gate to the BGLM. Gordon Deeg, Director of the BGLM, spoke to the occasion and informed those in attendance of the past and present efforts of bonsai enthusiasts who created and cared for the BGLM. He honored a list of individuals who were instrumentally responsible for establishing the BGLM.

Folks like Japanese Americans Toicho Domoto and Bill Hashimoto, who as early as 1974 came up with the concept of a permanent home for bonsai. Groundbreaking for the BGLM occurred in 1997, and it wasn’t until 1999 that the bonsai garden’s gate was opened to the public.

A commemorative book was published for the BGLM to honor the donors, supporters and volunteers (more than 1,700 individuals), record the past 25 years and showcase the bonsai and suiseki viewing stones in the collection.

Hideko Metaxas was present for the occasion. She was the former President of the Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) instrumental in obtaining board approval for two collections, BGLM in northern California and the Huntington bonsai collection in southern California.

Della Shiba and daughters were present as well. Della’s husband, Dr. Seiji Shiba, was a founding member and initial director for the BGLM.

Bob and Polly Gould were also present. They were present in building the BGLM and served in various key positions since its grand opening.

Director Gordon Deeg has been there since the beginning, serving as director twice. He introduced Ms. Mayu Hagiwara, Consul and Director of the Japan Information and Cultural Center, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco.

Ms. Mayu Hagiwara spoke to those in attendance and was delighted to see how the ancient Japanese art form of bonsai was so popular and continued on to present day. She spoke of growing up in Japan and of being impressed with bonsai miniature trees. She spent time touring the BGLM bonsai and suiseki collection.

Dennis and Joanne Makishima were there too. Dennis was coordinator in the building of the BGLM and managed the installment of both American and Japanese designs in the bonsai garden’s layout. Dennis and Joanne donated their 40 years of bonsai trees and memorabilia to BGLM, resulting in the largest auction and sale ever. All proceeds went to create a curator’s fund.

By mid-day, the folks in attendance grew significantly. Sale of commemorative books and anniversary t-shirts was a success. All were invited to enjoy light refreshments.

I personally would like to thank all who attended to help celebrate the first 25 years of the bonsai garden. I am confident by the popularity and interest shown by bonsai enthusiasts and the general public that BGLM will continue to grow and flourish.

4. Ms. Mayu Hagiwara, Consul and Director of the Japan Information and Cultural Center, Consulate General of Japan in San Francisco Credit: Randi Keppeler

5. Ms. Mayu Hagiwara and Gordon Deeg Credit: Randi Keppeler

Oakland’s Autumn Lights Festival 2024

By George Haas

October 20, 2024

The annual fundraiser for the Gardens at Lake Merritt, Oakland, California is referred to as Autumn Lights Festival. The Gardens at Lake Merritt are a collection of 13 themed gardens which require volunteer help and levels of upkeep. The Gardens were established more than a half century ago. The Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt is located within the Gardens.

Autumn Lights Festival was hosted by the Friends of the Gardens at Lake Merritt (FGLM) on October 17, 18 and 19, 2024. FGLM was formed in 2004 and is an entirely volunteer organization. The mission of FGLM is to partner with the City of Oakland to enhance the seven-acre collection of themed gardens.

Autumn Lights Festival occurs over three nights in October; Thursday, Friday and Saturday, from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

The event brings together Oakland’s horticultural, arts and music communities to “delight and amaze attendees”, and to raise funds to sustain the Gardens’ facilities and FGLM programs.

Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt is permanent home to some of the finest bonsai on the west coast. BGLM is the only major all-volunteer bonsai garden in the country and houses some of the most important bonsai in the US. BGLM opened its gate in 1999. It is staffed and maintained by volunteers from throughout the greater San Francisco/Bay Area and is supported entirely by donations from the public and the bonsai community.

During Autumn Lights Festival 2024, more than 7,000 attendees visited the BGLM. They enjoyed the bonsai illuminated designs by BGLM artists Randi Keppeler, Rick Medress and Paul Jones.

This year, BGLM participated in the Art Market by selling its 25^th anniversary book, t-shirts and logo items.

Photographs by Randi Keppeler.

Repotting the California Juniper #418

By George Haas

On September 29, 2024, at the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, Oakland, California, a special team was assembled to take on the task of repotting a giant California juniper (Juniperus californica), estimated to be over 1,000 years old.

The team leaders were Peter Tea, a notable bonsai professional, and Bill Castellon, a well-known Japanese landscape contractor.

The subject bonsai is #418, California juniper, 58 inches in height, 36 inches in diameter, informal upright style. “Yamadori” means in Japanese “collected from the wild.” This tree was collected sometime in 1980s by Ray Thieme and Richard Ramirez of the Fresno Bonsai Club. Presumably, Harry Hirao escorted them in search of the bonsai material at Jawbone Canyon in the Mojave Desert, located in southern California. It was then six feet tall with a 36-inch diameter trunk. Once collected, it was placed in a 48 by 48-inch wooden box to recover from the digging.

The tree was initially styled by Harry Hirao and Jack Sustic at the 2003 Golden State Bonsai Federation (GSBF) Convention in Fresno, California. Styling took four men most of the two-day event, and still required many more hours of detailed wiring. The demonstration tree was displayed at the convention next to its future pot, a 48 by 35-inch rectangle clay container. The large pot was purchased by the GSBF Fresno convention.

The impressive California juniper bonsai was donated to the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt by Ray Thieme in 2004. The tree is located outside the bonsai garden’s perimeter fence, next to a large limestone boulder or Chinese Gongshi (also known as scholar’s rock). The giant bonsai beckons visitors to the bonsai garden.

All bonsai require re-potting from time to time. A general rule for a large bonsai tree would be five to seven years due to the following factors:

Age of the tree
Size of the tree and pot
Breakdown of the soil or compacted soil
Root growth or root bound
Water flow decreases

The last time this California juniper was re-potted was 16 years ago.

Peter Tea was requested to repot the California juniper. The task would require the assistance from his apprentice Travis Hendrix, clients and helpers Bob Ricker and Tony Henninger, and volunteer Michal Tiede.

Bill Castellon brought a metal tripod for lifting the giant tree and root ball from the pot.

The wooden flatform required repairs by placing new boards to support the weight of the tree and pot.

The tripod was positioned directly over the tree and pot. Then, a large amount of soil was removed from around the root ball and container in order to free up the tree and make it easier to lift the tree and root ball from the container.

Peter described the overall health of the tree as good though he expected more root growth considering the tree was in the pot for 15 years or so. When removing the soil to get the tree out of the pot, he did notice that the soil was very wet. He used a thick layer of pumice on the bottom of the pot to keep it a bit dryer. The soil mix for the rest was large 33% Akadama, 66% pumice. As he moved to the topsoil, a smaller soil was of the same mix percentages. He also added starter fertilizer on different levels of the soil to help the roots recover from the repot. Peter would recommend using some sort of spray irrigation instead of the soaker hoses because the soil is now so porous that they may not give enough coverage of the soil. Also, the core of the tree was fairly dry so getting water closer to the center would be helpful, especially since the center is where all the roots are now.

1 Tripod positioned directly over the juniper

2 Work begins to remove soil from root ball and container

3 Removing soil to free up the juniper and root ball

4 The tripod and hoist made it easy to lift the tree and root ball from the container

5 The juniper is freed and wheeled into the garden’s workshop area where work would take place

6 Work on repairing the wooden platform is undertaken by garden handyman Fabian

7 The pot is cleaned thoroughly and drain holes are screened off

8 Tie down wires are inserted in the holes through the bottom of the pot

9 Soil mixes are put through a sieve to remove fines

10 Steps are taken to replace the large pot on the newly repaired wooden platform

11 The juniper is again lifted and returned to its pot

12 The tripod is removed and work on replacing soil begins

13 Soil is replaced using a measured amount of sieved pumice and Akadama

14 The work of adding soil mix is crucial and overseen by Peter Tea

15 After a thorough watering, (L to R) Travis Hendrix, Peter Tea, Bob Ricker, and Tony Henninger pose for a photograph and job well done!

16 Bill Castellon gives a thumbs up to the completed task!

17 Thanks to Yuri Aono the automatic drip irrigation hoses are hooked up to water the juniper

The First 25 Years of the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt

On November 9, 2024, the Golden State Bonsai Federation’s Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, in Oakland, California, will be celebrating its first 25 years. Special arrangements are in the planning for an afternoon of celebration.

Location: Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt (BGLM), 650 Bellevue Ave., Gate 4, Lakeside Park, Oakland, California.

Time: 1:00 to 3:30 p.m.

It was as early as 1974, when the concept for the bonsai garden came about during a conversation between Toicho Domoto and Bill Hashimoto, two notable Japanese American bonsai pioneers. They were interested in preserving bonsai produced in northern California. They understood bonsai required a permanent place to continue to thrive. They asked themselves what will happen when we can no longer care for and maintain our bonsai trees? The answer to their question was and is the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt.

On April 5, 1997, an official groundbreaking ceremony was held at the site located within the Gardens at Lake Merritt. Construction took more than two years. Support for the bonsai and suiseki display garden came from individuals and bonsai clubs throughout the State of California. Hundreds of volunteers and donors were responsible for making the concept into a reality.

BGLM opened its gates to the public on November 6, 1999, by hosting a grand opening celebration of bonsai and suiseki, held on site at the Gardens of Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park Garden Center. Dennis Makishima was master of ceremonies for the grand opening, including then Mayor Jerry Brown, Consul General of Japan in San Francisco, John Naka, Harry Hirao and other Japanese American bonsai artists, Yasuo Mitsuya of Japan, Recreation and Parks Officials, and many more. In addition to the ribbon cutting, there was a lively celebration inside the Lakeside Park Garden Center; well attended. The San Jose Taiko drum performers were present.

Since the gates were opened to the public, the collection has dramatically grown in size. The most significant historic and legacy trees include the historic Daimyo oak brought to the U.S. during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration in the 1860’s, the 500 year old Japanese black pine donated by Mas Imazumi, was featured at the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. Other legacy trees were donated by famous bonsai pioneer artists; Harry Hirao, Jimmy Inadomi and John Naka, just to name a few.

A commemorative book, “Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt: The First Twenty-Five Years,” showcases the very best bonsai trees and suiseki viewing stones in the collection and celebrate the many donors and volunteers who have contributed to the evolution of what is now a museum quality bonsai and suiseki garden.

Sale of the book will take place at the following:

Oakland’s Autumn Lights Festival – October 17, 18 and 19, 2024
2024 Pacific Bonsai Expo – October 26 and 27, 2024
Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt Gift Shop – starting October 26, 2024
Mammoth Auction & Sale, March 1 and 2, 2025

Hours of Operation: BGLM is open Tuesday thru Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 to 3:30 p.m. Closed Mondays.

If you would like more information about the bonsai and suiseki display Garden/Museum, check out the BGLM website at https://bonsailakemerritt.com.

George Haas
BGLM Marketing Manager
gwhaas@comcast.net

California Coast Redwood

BGLM Volunteer Appreciation Day

By George Haas

September 7, 2024

1 Volunteer Appreciation Day, September 2, 2024

On September 2, 2024 (Labor Day), the Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, Oakland, California, hosted its Volunteer Appreciation Day. It was a special day to recognize and show appreciation to all volunteers who care for and operate the Bonsai Garden.

The Bonsai Garden is an all-volunteer organization. The Bonsai Garden collection is permanent home to museum quality bonsai and suiseki art. Volunteers for the Bonsai Garden are considered its greatest assets since there would be no collection without the dedication and special talents of so many individuals. The volunteers fill roles that include:

o Bonsai

o Docent

o Gift Shop

o IT/Social Media, Writing Skills

o Landscaping

o Photography/Videography

o Special Events

Volunteers need no special experience since training is provided to individuals wanting to learn and support the Bonsai Garden.

Volunteer Appreciation Day is the opportunity to reward certain individuals for their talent, time and energy contributed to the Bonsai Garden. This year the following individuals were recognized:

Jan Smith, Treasurer

George Haas, Marketing Manager

Linda Soliven, Docent and Historian

Emily Gallivan, Photography and 25^th Anniversary Book

Robert Henderson, former Docent Instructor

Jeanette Arnold, Associate Curator

Rick Trumm, Associate Curator

Janet Nelson, Associate Curator

Bob and Polly Gould, years of support

Mas Nakajimi, Suiseki Collector

Kathy Shaner, Curator 1999-2022

Gary Tom, Curator