Bonsai at Flower Festival
Tuesday, 14th October 2014
Les Kingma from the Sundays River district will talk about, and demonstrate, bonsai growing at this year’s Grahamstown Flower Festival in the 1820 Settlers National Monument on Gunfire Hill.
The flower festival, organised by the Albany Horticultural & Lilium Society, was previously held in the Makana Botanical Gardens, but because of rain and inclement weather, it was resolved to move it indoors this year. The festival takes place over the weekend of November 1 and 2, 2014.
Kingma’s interest in bonsai started in 1976, and his preferences are indigenous trees growing in the Eastern Cape, particularly the wild fig species.
He spent many years as a member, committee member andchairperson of the Eastern Province Bonsai Society. He has attended many bonsai conventions over the years where he shared experiences and ideas with the view of improving his artistic skills in the “wonderful living art of bonsai”.
A talk and demonstration that should attract a good number of interested gardeners will be that presented by Jo-Jo Tanks representative Eugene Cerino on the wide range of Jo-Jo Tanks and their applications.
Children form an integral part of the flower festival, what with their own flower competition and their own talk and demonstration.
Adele Steck of Red Leaf Nursery in Port Alfred will present the workshop “Super Succulents” aimed at children between the ages of six and 10. In the workshop she will show participants how to make cuttings of succulents in eggshell halves. The succulents root quickly and the children can then use the eggshells as planters and put them in the ground once they are a little bigger.
Also from Port Alfred, Gary Burgess of Homegrown Practical Aquaponics will present a talk on aquaponics, whichis the cultivation of fish and plants in a single recirculating system. He will place emphasis on the fact that aquaponics is fun, organic and wholesome.
Ian Weir is CEO of Essential Amathole, a company producing organic essential oils and which is linked to the Hogsback community. Essential Amathole produces a range of organic essential oils and medicinal plant extracts for the global market. Weir will talk about essential oils and the company.
The two-day Grahamstown Flower Festival will be held in the Monument, utilising the foyer, fountain area and one of the halls.
Also on the programme are the ever-popular flower competitions for adults and children, live musical entertainment by school bands, a treasure hunt for children and garden stalls.
One item not on the programme this year is the open garden section which the organising committee decided to hold over for a while for the festival to settle into its new home.
For more flower festival information visit website www.grahamstownflowerfestival.co.za
