RANCHO MURIETA, CA (MPG) - River Valley Garden Club members presented awards and learned about Bonsai trees at their monthly meeting at the RMA Building on Jan. 28. 

The first award was a $200 grant to a Boy Scout for his Eagle Scout project focused on gardening. The other two awards were certificates recognizing service to the club. Roger Steel from the American Bonsai Association of Sacramento was the featured speaker.

One reason the garden club diligently raises funds through plant sales, including the upcoming Garden Stroll on May 11, is its longstanding commitment to promoting local horticulture. The club directs its proceeds toward scholarships for college students studying horticulture and provides grants for local gardening and beautification projects.

The club’s $200 grant to Boy Scout Alexander Hoberg to support his Eagle Scout project was significant, as it aligns with the club’s mission. He plans to revamp the Consumnes River Elementary School Garden to make it usable during the winter months.

The club didn’t present Hoberg with the usual giant check at the meeting, as they had already provided him with a regular-sized check to begin his project. Instead, they invited him to share his plans for the CRES Gardens.

After introducing himself as a member of Scout Troop 633, Hoberg outlined his plan to revamp the school’s existing garden, enabling students to grow crops during the winter. His project includes constructing greenhouses over the plots and lining the fences with chicken wire to keep out mice and voles. Additionally, he plans to plant fruit trees on either side of the garden.

“The impact form this garden would be giving the elementary school children experience in agriculture, which would spark some future interest in the industry,” Hoberg said.

Hoberg is building on a foundation laid by the garden club, which initially established the CRES garden several years ago. In 2024, Berniece Jones led an effort to restore the garden after it suffered from vandalism and neglect. Members of the garden club and Scout Troop 633 collaborated on the project to bring it back to life.

That was one reason the club presented a Penny Pines certificate to Boy Scout Troop 633 at the January meeting. Alexander Hoberg, Zachary Homes, and Hunter Steichen accepted the honor on behalf of the troop.The club also presented Karen Hoberg, a long-time supporter and garden club member, with a Penny Pines certificate dedicated to her mother, the late Marian Hoberg.

The club supports Penny Pines, a U.S. Forest Service program that enables organizations to contribute to reforestation efforts. Each time the club donates $68, enough to reforest an acre, it receives a Penny Pines certificate and has the opportunity to dedicate the contribution in honor of a person or organization.

Vice President Margaret Watson Hopkins introduced the featured speaker, Roger Steel, who is affiliated with the American Bonsai Association of Sacramento. She noted that Steel studied for 15 years under Kathy Shaner, the first female bonsai graduate recognized by the Nippon Bonsai Association of Japan. After completing his apprenticeship, Shaner encouraged him to share his knowledge by teaching others the art of bonsai.

A bonsai tree is a miniature tree grown in a pot using specialized techniques to control its shape, size and overall aesthetics.

Steel brought smaller bonsai trees and two students to the garden club meeting. He began by explaining that the first syllable in bonsai is pronounced like “bone,” not “bon.”

Steel explained that bonsai is an accessible hobby that anyone can take up. He emphasized that the key is to start by learning a few basic techniques rather than trying to master every nuance right away.

Steel recommended that beginners start with an inexpensive nursery tree like a juniper rather than attempting to create a bonsai from scratch. 

He explained that this allows new practitioners to learn the fundamentals without a significant investment. 

Regarding care, Steel advised dedicating about 20 minutes per month to each bonsai tree, focusing on proper watering, fertilizing, and pruning. He recommended using a slow-release fertilizer like EB Stone and cautioned against overwatering or overfertilizing, as both can cause problems. He places fertilizer inside empty tea bags to prevent fertilizer from washing away, allowing for controlled nutrient release.

Steel also discussed the artistic aspect of bonsai, encouraging participants to consider the overall “story” or design they want their tree to convey. He demonstrated techniques such as wiring branches to create movement and shape and methods for repotting and root pruning to maintain the tree’s desired proportions.

Throughout his presentation, Steel emphasized the importance of patience and working with the tree’s natural growth characteristics rather than forcing it into an unnatural form. He shared his own experiences, both successes and mistakes, to illustrate the learning process.

More about the art of bonsai can be found at www.abasbonsai.org.