Field Trip

To register for the next Club-guided Spring Dig, email us today. We usually go out on a Saturday or a Sunday in May as soon as the ground has thawed and the buds have emerged on trees.

info@bonsaiwinnipeg.ca

Club Guided Digs

Two of the most interesting activities that the Bonsai Winnipeg plans each year are the Spring and Fall Digs. A day trip is planned to an area usually within about an hour’s drive of Winnipeg. Members meet at a pre-arranged location, then form a convoy (car pooling encouraged) to a pre-scouted site in search of the perfect bonsai starter tree. Experienced members demonstrate the right way to dig a tree in the wild. You can then search the area for the perfect little twisted tree that you can take home, pot up, and begin the transformation into a wonderful bonsai. And the price is great, just show up with a smile.

There is usually more than one tree that ends up in the trunk of your car over the next couple of hours. All that is required in the way of tools is a shovel and a container big enough to hold your prize tree, which may vary from a small bag or pail, or a large container for the experienced member after the "big one". Other digging and pruning tools may be required, but these can always be borrowed from someone else at the time. Within reason these are rain or shine events, and occur in early spring, so you are advised to bring appropriate clothing and footwear, including rubber boots.

Once on the hunt, you’ll find that a little drizzle will not sway a bonsai enthusiast, and the sun is usually prevalent anyway. Many participants like to stop on the way home for a bite of lunch, and a chance to compare their new-found treasures, and stories.

These digs are a terrific and inexpensive way to obtain hardy native material. They are also a great social event. Since it does involve walking in highway ditches or woods, and adults are often busy with the digging and carrying, it may not be advisable to bring young family members unless supervised closely by another adult.