Welcome to the Iowa Bonsai Association's website. IBA was founded in 1979 to promote appreciation and development of bonsai. Meetings are held on the third Saturday of each month from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. You may come and go as your time permits and work on trees or just socialize and observe. See the calendar page for details! We meet at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden.
Join us! Members will enjoy a helpful, supportive atmosphere no matter what your experience level, opportunity to participate in workshops, bonsai shows and collecting trips, access to the association's library of books and a monthly newsletter. If you are interested in becoming a member or would like to get to know more about bonsai, please attend one of our meetings or contact us.
By jenjo on August 15, 2017
The workshop was held at the Magruder farm. I arrived with two trees that I had first worked on with Bjorn while at Brussels. The first was a large Prostrada juniper and the other was a small, not quite shohin sized white pine. May – 2017 DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
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By jenjo on April 14, 2017
The Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden hosted the Earth Day Spring Bonsai Exhibit, Saturday April 22nd & Sunday the 23rd. Our Earth Day hands-on participation activity this year featured a tree, on a turntable stand, with signage inviting the public to find the side they prefer as a front.
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By jenjo on April 14, 2017
On April 1, 2017, members of the Iowa Bonsai Association and, by gracious invitation, members of the Eastern Iowa Bonsai Association, had the privilege of working with Bonsai artist, Todd Schlafer, at the Magruder’s home. April – 2017 DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
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By jenjo on April 14, 2017
On April 1, 2017, members of the Iowa Bonsai Association and, by gracious invitation, members of the Eastern Iowa Bonsai Association, had the privilege of working with Bonsai artist, Todd Schlafer, at the Magruder’s home. Todd is a student of Ryan Neil’s and is from Denver, Colorado. He collects very fine conifers from the Colorado […]
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By jenjo on April 14, 2017
Bonsai pots have many drain hole configurations. One of the trickier situations is figuring out how to arrange wires to tie in your tree, when the pot has only a single drain hole and no wire holes. March – 2017 DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
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By jenjo on April 14, 2017
This time of year we begin preparation for repotting season. This is fairly easy if you have only one tree and you plan to put it back into the same pot. All you need is some fresh bonsai soil and a bit of number two aluminum wire. February – 2017 DOWNLOAD NEWSLETTER
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Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden
909 Robert D. Ray Drive, Des Moines, IA