Bonsai Tree Exhibition
Venue: NWU Botanical Gardens Gallery (North-West University, Building H5, Hoffman Street, Potchefstroom. 2530)
The Wag-‘n-Bietjie Bonsai Kai will be hosting its annual exhibition in the gallery of the NWU Botanical Gardens on Saturday 29 March, 10:00-13:00. All are welcome and entrance is free.
The Wag- ‘n-Bietjie (“Wait a bit,” the folk name for the buffalo thorn tree) Bonsai Kai is a non-profit association with a 35-year history dedicated to the promotion of bonsai cultivation among bonsai enthusiasts, gardeners, and visual artists:
"We advance public knowledge of trees (large and small), their conservation as well as their integration with visual art. We are also dedicated to involving children, and our exhibitions on campus align with NWU’s community outreach objectives. One of our members is Prof. Caroll Hermann (from Mahikeng campus) who has developed a model for psychological counselling using bonsai."
The first Bonsai Tree Exhibition took place in 2013, and has since continued almost every year (with a break during the COVID-19 pandemic).
The exhibition promises to offer a rich display of trees ranging in age from one to one hundred years. They include indigenous species like wild figs, baobabs and spekboom, and exotic trees like Japanese black pines and bougainvillea.
The bonsai allied crafts of saikei landscapes and suiseki aesthetic stones will also be on display. Kai members will be on duty to answer questions from visitors who are also welcome to bring their own bonsai for advice.