Colorado Springs Bonsai Community?

hardybonsai

hardybonsai

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Hi Everyone! I moved to Colorado Springs almost two years ago. When I moved here, I tried reaching out to the Pikes Peak Bonsai society in a couple of ways, and all indication points to the club is defunct, possibly due to COVID (The fire station where they met at told me that they cancelled the usage of their common spaces due to COVID). After that, I focused on getting my family and garden set up here, and did not pursue finding local bonsai friends/a club it anymore until now.

I am wondering if there are any Colorado Springs bonsai folks that would be interested in study groups, possibly forming a club, generally helping each other out? Or perhaps you know someone in Colorado Springs that practices bonsai and could share my email with them, hardybonsai@gmail.com. As you all know, bonsai is extremely difficult to do alone, I would loved to be engaged with the community again.

Thank you!
-George
 
Hey!... That's my main horticulture interest, too!!!

Greetings wayward wanderer. You can remained sheathed and at ease... All is safe here, in the TinyForest.

The Woody Dwarves (Pa-Is) alerted us of your coming and the feast has been prepared.

Pleasure to make your acquaintance!

I'm unfamiliar with the geography of Colorado as far as distribution of cities... So I'll just start calling Colorado folk here! 🤪🤣

@ShadyStump @Colorado

There is many more... I just figured they could help you, and/or get the ball rollin'.
 
Thank you for the reply and leads (now to figure out how to use these @ things on here haha)! Colorado Springs is about 1.5 hours south of Denver for reference, people call it "Southern" Colorado sometimes, but it is really more central.
 
😲 What?!
Another Coloradan who's NOT in Denver?!🤯
😁

I'm in Cañon City, and there are a few more Colorado types on BNut, mostly up north though.
The Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society is based out of the Denver Botanical Garden and hosting the American Bonsai Society's annual convention this year in June. There are likely members in the Springs. Phelan Gardens there in Colorado Springs has some decent pre-bonsai from what I can tell from their website, but I rarely have extra money to spend so haven't been.

Great yamadori down in my neck of the woods, if you can get it out of the rocks, that is.
 
Haha yes, another non-Denver person in Colorado. I am familiar with the RMBS and drove to a meeting once (which was seemingly cancelled so I did not meet anyone...), and that the ABS learning seminar is there this year. I most recently moved from the Portland area to Colorado Springs, so it is a bit shocking there is no club here after being a part of such a large club. I suppose it makes sense given how difficult Bonsai is in Colorado.

If anyone hears of any Colorado Springs people in search of a community, please send them my way!
 
I wouldn't say it's difficult to do bonsai here, just very different constructions than most other climates. In a place where 30F temperature swings between day and night in winter are the norm, and 100F in August turns to sub-zero in February, you can't just trust the tag when thinking hardiness zones. We also have to rethink what the term, "full sun," really implies.

If you're still getting a grasp on the new climate, I don't mind filling you in.
 
I have figured out the category 2 hurricane force winds, regular high speed drying winds, large damaging hail, -20 F temperatures, and hard freezes/big snows after May 15th. But I have not figured out the sun here! I would really appreciate it if you could fill me in on what "full sun" implies in our area.
 
While most plants are grouped into shade, part-shade, and full sun, many trees that can take dusk to dawn sun exposure in their native or preferred growing regions wither in ours. It's the heat, lack of humidity, and thinner atmosphere I believe. The most common offenders are Japanese Maple, Dogwood, Boxwood, Yew, Alberta Spruce, and Viburnum. They need morning sun and afternoon shade here. Or potentially vice versa. But morning sun = gold here.
 
That's the gist of it. Morning sun, afternoon shade is about the best. Watch the UV index. Similar summer conditions in a lower altitude will often peak at 8, but here it can hit 11 routinely. Native species will take it no problem, but you'll actually get much fuller foliage with some afternoon shade. It's the photosynthesis vs transpiration ratio. Too much transpiration and the plants go for fewer, bigger leaves.

Winter time, southwestern exposure is pure murder. Those 40+ degree temp swings will freeze a tree solid, then roast it by afternoon. Just look around, and you can see it on the trees in town, out in the woods, wherever. The southwestern corners are dead or abused.
 
I considered myself unlucky at first, that the most sun my bench gets is morning at my new place. After last summer it feels like a blessing! I have mine on the southeastern side of a covered porch and I keep my more sun tolerant stuff in the yard where they get an hour or two or afternoon sun before the building shades them out. Even then I have to water twice a day in the summer Dx
 
I had times last summer that I had to water my vegetable garden twice a day. Pretty sure I spent more on water than I saved on produce.
Last summer was exceptional though. Harsh by any standard.
 
hardybonsai said:
Hi Everyone! I moved to Colorado Springs almost two years ago. When I moved here, I tried reaching out to the Pikes Peak Bonsai society in a couple of ways, and all indication points to the club is defunct, possibly due to COVID (The fire station where they met at told me that they cancelled the usage of their common spaces due to COVID). After that, I focused on getting my family and garden set up here, and did not pursue finding local bonsai friends/a club it anymore until now.

I am wondering if there are any Colorado Springs bonsai folks that would be interested in study groups, possibly forming a club, generally helping each other out? Or perhaps you know someone in Colorado Springs that practices bonsai and could share my email with them, hardybonsai@gmail.com. As you all know, bonsai is extremely difficult to do alone, I would loved to be engaged with the community again.

Thank you!
-George
Click to expand...

There are lots of active practitioners in the Colorado Springs area. I would recommend coming to a Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society meeting/event to meet other folks from the Springs. I believe there is already a group that meets regularly.

Welcome!
 
Thanks for the rundown on the sun, Shady/August! August, I am kind of in a similar situation with my yard position. There is a tree that is perfectly positioned to block out most of the afternoon sun (depending on the time of year)...But seems like it's not so bad haha.

Thanks TJ, plan on going to the February RMBS meeting to see if I can meet any Colorado Springs people.
 
Hope to see you folks at the RMBS meeting! I think I'll be attending for my first time. I'll be at the ProGreen expo that day for work too... Horticulture galore!

@Colorado at 24 do you figure I might be the youngest person there? I'm a bit intimidated 😅 but looking forward to it!

Edit: figuring the way this conversation is going, it might be fun to have a "Colorado" thread. Seems like there's a lot of us maniacs on BNut!
 
August said:
figuring the way this conversation is going, it might be fun to have a "Colorado" thread. Seems like there's a lot of us maniacs on BNut!
Click to expand...
I've run across a couple others, but they're not so active here. Still might be fun though.

Anyone going to an RMBS meeting, mind asking about the notion of localized community chapters for me? I'd like to test the waters there.
I know there are other people doing bonsai somewhere around here just by the selection of pots at the local garden shops, but I haven't been able to find them. Maybe if there was a larger organization backing up the SEO I could get a southern Colorado chapter going and then it'd be worth joining. Heck, virtual attendance might be worthwhile if anyone is up for that.
 
ShadyStump said:
😲 What?!
Another Coloradan who's NOT in Denver?!🤯
😁

I'm in Cañon City, and there are a few more Colorado types on BNut, mostly up north though.
The Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society is based out of the Denver Botanical Garden and hosting the American Bonsai Society's annual convention this year in June. There are likely members in the Springs. Phelan Gardens there in Colorado Springs has some decent pre-bonsai from what I can tell from their website, but I rarely have extra money to spend so haven't been.

Great yamadori down in my neck of the woods, if you can get it out of the rocks, that is.
Click to expand...
what type of trees do you collect in your neck of the woods?
 
Kyleboldy2003 said:
what type of trees do you collect in your neck of the woods?
Click to expand...
Allot of one-seed juniper and piñon pines up close, and rocky mountain juniper here and there, but higher up it turns to ponderosa and Douglas fir really quick, then spruce.
If you dig around @Hartinez threads, he finds some great sagebrush. No shortage of that here either. Scrub oak should make great bonsai, but finding something wild worth the effort of collecting is tough. I like to keep an eye out for nice alder leaf mountain mahogany, too.

That's just the highlights of what's right near town.
Very different climate than MI, but you should be able to make most of these things survive there so long as you keep fungal issues under control.
 
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