Minutes of the June 4, 2023 meeting of the Michiana Bonsai Study
Present: Ben Auber, Larry Benjamin, Susan Braun, Diane Buday, Lisa Chilik, John Deguara, Mary Hesser,
Robin Lynn, Jimmie Lyon, Kevin Mann, Janie Minick, Wanda Walker and Al Whitfield
Location: Home of Larry Benjamin, Bristol, IN
Program:
We dispensed with the business portion of the meeting, except to welcome Janie Minick, from Ft. Wayne, as a new member.
We also welcomed her friend, Robin Lynn, who joined her to check out our club. Since many had brought material that needed attention,
we got right down to work.
Ben Auber worked on a trident maple while his son, John, visited with Larry's grandson, Trey. Al Whitfield started
re-potting a Fukien Tea. Mary Hesser worked on a dwarf Hinoki cypress. She also created a three tree planting of variagated
Ficus benjamina. Kevin Mann brought a conifer to work on. Both Jimmie Lyon and John Deguara had multiple trees that
needed attention. Diane Buday had a juniper that she wanted to see how to wire. (We never quite got to that - something to do
later.) Janie Minick got one tree ( a Ficus ?) re-potted before turning her attention to a pine that has been in the family for years.
She eventally decided to do some wiring on it to redirect some branches. Larry helped to wire some branches as well as pull
down another after drilling a hole in her plastic pot to attach the wire.
At about this time Al had a health episode. Larry's son-in-law took him to the emergency room at Elkhart General Hospital.
He was there until around 7:00 PM tests. Fortunately, the diagnosis did not reveal a serious problem.
Around 3:00 PM we took a break, went inside, and enjoyed the refreshments that Al and Diane Buday had brought.
One focus of discussion were the upcoming club events. In July we are invited to join the Ft. Wayne club for their annual
auction and picnic. (Attendees bring a dish to share.) In August (the 18th - 20th) we are encouraged to attend the 45th Annual
Mid-America Bonsai Exhibit at the Chicago Botanic Garden - 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, IL. In September we meet at the
home of John DeMaegd. In October we meet again at Larry's home. Finally, to close at our club year, in November we get together
at the Ho Ping House for a luncheon.
Check out the fine photos below, thanks to Lisa Chilik.
