(UPDATED 3/14/2023) Description and review of the annual American Bonsai Association Sacramento (ABAS) Bonsai Show and Sale. NEW: See “Update” below.
On the second day of the ABAS Bonsai Show and Sale, I stopped by the Iva Gard Shepard Garden and Arts Center (Shepard Garden and Arts Center).
Every year I make an effort to patronize the bonsai show, as I am always intrigued by the small trees and their elegant beauty. This year was no exception.
See related blog post: Shepard Garden and Arts Center
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About the American Bonsai Association Sacramento
ABAS was established in 1958 to accommodate the interest in the ancient art of Bonsai of English speakers. It traces its roots to the Sacramento Bonsai club.
Sacramento Bonsai Club
The Sacramento Bonsai Club was established in 1946 by previously interned Japanese Americans whose meetings were conducted in Japanese. The club promotes the art of bonsai and suiseki (viewing stones).
Bonsai Show and Sale
The annual ABAS bonsai show and sale is held on the second weekend in April. It is always well attended. Note: Use entrance on Park Way, next to the parking lot.
The bonsai exhibit and sale fills both the interior rooms and the exterior courtyard. Long tables display the bonsai, some of which are for sale while others are only on exhibit. Also on sale are very young trees and bushes, as well as bonsai related equipment.
Bonsai enthusiasts and professionals alike are only too happy to answer questions and provide advice and guidance to anyone who asks. That day I noticed a young man holding what I think of as a “beginner” tree in an intense conversation about tree care and training.
One of the functions of both the ABAS and the Sacramento Bonsai Club is to help those interested in pursuing bonsai. In short, both organizations provide classes and workshops that teach development of proper tree structure and analysis of desirable bonsai characteristics. There is a lot to learn!
Finally, the ABAS event also features a demonstration and talk by an expert on both days. The year the demonstration and related talk was by Andrew Robson, a Bonsai artist and teacher specializing in deciduous trees.
As an Aside…
Have you ever purchased and/or received as a gift a bonsai that did not survive your loving care? I unfortunately have.
I did not know, for example, that all bonsai (with the exception of some tropical bonsai) must reside outside. Where exactly outside? That depends as sunlight tolerance varies by species.
Lastly, I also have learned that more bonsai plants die as a result of poor drainage than from over-watering – which I am pretty sure was the cause of my trees demise.
Update
(3/14/2023) The 2023 Bonsai Show and Sale will be held on the weekend of April 8 & 9, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. See the comment section below for additional information.
Comments on the ABAS Bonsai Show and Sale?
Do you belong to ABAS or the Sacramento Bonsai Club? What would you add?
Bonsai Show and Sale Snapshot:
- Two-day Show and Sale (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
- Second weekend in April
- Beginner workshop & Demonstrations
- Free Admission
- Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3030 McKinley Blvd., Sacramento, CA 95816
- Parking Lot and Street Parking
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The American Bonsai Association’s (ABAS) 63rd Annual Bonsai and Suiseki Show & Sale will take place this year on April 8th and 9th, 10AM to 4PM, at the Shepard Garden and Arts Center, 3330 McKinley Park Blvd. in Sacramento. We will again have a beautiful exhibition of Bonsai and Suiseki (Japanese Viewing Stones), demonstrations at 1:30 PM, daily raffles that will include the demonstration trees, many vendors as well as a large member consignment table, and a beginner’s workshop on Sunday at 10AM (reservations are required). Please visit our website to learn more about the event, the club and the art and culture that is bonsai.
Thanks Dodie! You beat me to it.