Members of the Miami Lakes Garden Club are inviting the community to their opening meeting of the 2017-2018 year on Monday, September 25, at the Mary Collins Community Center, 15151 N.W. 82 Avenue.
The club is presenting Ed Trout, an expert in the art of bonsai, to speak at the opening meeting.
Trout was raised in Key West and be came interested in the art of bonsai in the early 70’s. He is the past president and a lifetime member of the Gold Coast Bonsai Society, one of the first clubs established in Florida, and is an honorary member of several other Florida and Texas bonsai clubs. He is a past president and member of the American Bonsai Society, former board member of the National Bonsai Foundation at the U.S. National Arboretum and a former board member of Bonsai Clubs International.
Trout has contributed several articles to various publications including Bonsai Today and Bonsai Focus. Some of his trees were used in the current Sunset Book edition on bonsai.
Trout has traveled extensively to lecture and share with others what he has learned and has exhibited his trees at many conventions, including the 2005 World Bonsai Convention in Washington, D.C. and the 2012 and 2014 National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York.
Trout has also been invited to display trees every year since 1994 at the Japanese Pavilion at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT theme park. He was honored to be a finalist for the 1994 Ben Oki Award and to have selected trees in the Top 100 of the World Bonsai Contest in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2006.
For those interested in learning about the ancient art and to meet members of the town’s Garden Club, visit the club during its meetings on the fourth Monday of the month at 7 p.m. For more information call President Dottie Wix at 305-331-3895.