The scoring system is simple: “Provide a score of 1-5 for each display in the exhibit with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.”

As a starting point, I’d like to encourage the judging panel to take full advantage of the 1-5 scale. It’s perfectly reasonable, for example, to award equal numbers of 1s, 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s.

I think of 3 as being an appropriate score for displays of average quality among the displays in the exhibit. Scores of 4 or 2 can be applied to displays that are somewhat above or below average quality for the event. Scores of 5 are appropriate for trees that are contenders for awards. Remaining trees can receive a score of 1.

Bill Valavanis double checks his scores at the 2024 Expo

In the past, some judges avoided using scores of 1 or 2 arguing that the trees in the show were a high quality. Doing this effectively limits these judges to using a 3-point system – a system that’s far less granular than the 5 point approach.

Put another way, by using a 5 point system, we’re asking judges to sort the trees into five categories for the purposes of identifying the displays with the highest scores for each category.

That covers the basics for using a 5 point scale to score the show. How then to determine which displays receive which scores? Here’s where a judging rubric enters the picture.

The best outline of how to judge a bonsai show that I know of is Ryan Neil’s Judging Rubric from the 2015 Artisans Cup. After setting out how the judging will occur, the rubric describes successful displays in terms of both technical and artistic merit.

Engelmann spruce at the Artisans Cup

Among technical considerations, the rubric calls out tree health, branch density, and the idea of craftsmanship as it pertains to cleanliness, development, pruning, wiring, pot preparation, and accents. Among artistic criteria, the rubric calls out features to consider for each element of a display, the tree or trees, container(s), stand(s), and accent(s).

I think this is one of the strongest passages. Here’s the full section relating to trees.

• Material is of quality and value/interest
  
• Design is a good representation of the species as it occurs in the natural environment, OR design is a good representation of a shape as a bonsai. (Some trees look like trees in nature, other trees look like a bonsai. Both are equally as valid. Is the design well executed? Personal opinions and personal preferences are not welcomed or permitted. Judge Objectively!)
  
• Features of tree are well considered and utilized in design
  
• Design flaws may exist but have been addressed

In just a few bullet points, the rubric gets to the heart of the matter: is the tree interesting, and is the design well considered and well executed. Similar criteria guide the scoring for containers, stands, and accents.

My approach to judging often begins with a consideration of what the tree brings to the equation and what the artist does with it. All bonsai have starting points, whether as seeds in our care or ancient specimens found in nature. Characteristics inherent to a tree matter when evaluating bonsai, as does the work of the artist in terms of material selection, care, design, and maintenance.

To provide more structure to the process, I’ve created draft instructions for judges for the upcoming Expo. My hope is to receive feedback from the community over the next month so we can publish final instructions before the submission period opens on October 15th.

Draft Instructions for Judges

Feel free to check out the instructions and let me know if you have comments or suggestions that can inform future drafts.

News & Updates

[Local Event]

• The Redwood Empire Bonsai Society is hosting their annual exhibit this weekend at the Rohnert Park Community Center, 5401 Snyder Lane, in Rohnert Park, California. The event features an eighty tree exhibit and demonstrations both days from 1:00 – 4:00 by Sam Tan. Shopping options include member tree sales and a great selection of bonsai and supplies from thirteen vendors.
  
  I’ll be vending at the event so feel free to stop by and say hi!

[Regional Event]

• The Naka Memorial Exhibit Bonsai Show is this weekend, August 22 & 23, at the George J. Doizaki Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibit is open from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days.
  
  For those who haven’t visited before, it’s a juried bonsai event held in conjunction with the Nisei Week Celebration at the JACCC. If you get the chance to visit, be sure to thank event chair Julian Tsai and co-chair Ryan Pitts for coordinating the event. Learn more at the Naka Memorial Exhibit website.

Korean hornbeam before pruning

Half-way done

Front view – after partial defoliation

What this approach can hide is what a tree looks like from the side.

Left side

Back

Right side

To provide a better idea about the size and shape of the tree, this Korean hornbeam is 18″ tall, 27″ wide, and 23″ from front to back. The surface roots are 11″ wide, and three inches above the soil the trunk is 7″ wide.

The tree’s shape isn’t a perfect cone. The top branches are positioned towards the front, a common convention in bonsai design.

For my taste, the apex is too far forward. Over time I’d like to tilt the planting angle to position the top of the tree further back – maybe not right above the base of the trunk, but further back than it is now.

I’d do this all at once but it would change the appearance of the branches and make the tree look crooked in the pot. Instead, I’ll make minor adjustments over the coming years to see if I can create the shape I have in mind for the tree.

(Clockwise from top left) left side, back, front, right side

News & Updates

[Local Show]

• The Redwood Empire Bonsai Society is hosting their annual exhibit on August 22-23 at the Rohnert Park Community Center, 5401 Snyder Lane, in Rohnert Park, California.
  
  The event features an eighty tree exhibit and demonstrations both days from 1:00 – 4:00 by Sam Tan. Shopping options include member tree sales and a great selection of trees and supplies from thirteen vendors.
  
  I’ll be vending at the event so feel free to stop by and say hi!
  

[Regional Show]

• Preparations for the Pacific Bonsai Expo are ramping up. Tickets go on sale September 1st, and T-shirts are on sale now. Volunteer sign-ups will be online close to when tickets go on sale.
  
  Listen to the latest updates about the event on the Bonsai Wire Podcast.

[Online Store]

• A number of popular products are back in stock including bonsai soil (akadama, kanuma, and hyuga), cut paste, aluminum wire, and Biogold fertilizer.
  
• We’re also happy to announce that the commemorative album from this year’s Kokufu exhibit, the 100th show, is now available. Details below.

Applying fish emulsion (circa 2010)

This approach worked well for years, up until rodents began stealing the fertilizer and digging up the soil. I needed to make a change.

This began a journey, or maybe an adventure, to learn about fertilizer and water quality.

I dove into the topics, but it seemed like each successive discovery undid any previous discoveries I’d made. For example:

• I learned my pH was high (9.3)
• I learned how to fix this (by adding an acid to the irrigation water)
• I (later) learned that the water’s pH wasn’t really a problem (because the water in my area relatively clean).

It felt good to learn a scientific tidbit, and it felt great to introduce a new practice as a result of learning that tidbit. But the more I studied a given topic, the more clear it became that some bigger truth (often that my trees needed more or different nutrients) was the real culprit.

This pattern repeated itself for years until an idea popped into my head: that my water is similar to RO water (water that’s been filtered through a reverse osmosis system). I’d known that people with RO systems needed to add nutrients to their water to keep their trees healthy so I gave this a try. I used a chemical injector, a Dosatron, to test several products over the years and found that each produced different results. I also learned that chemical injectors aren’t the best solution for every garden.

Injectors are great when your trees have similar needs, but if different trees require different fertilizers, injectors can add a layer of complexity. For example, I fertilize pines heavily in spring, but I don’t apply as much fertilizer to mature deciduous trees. Later in the season, I apply more fertilizer to deciduous trees and reduce the fertilizer that pines receive. And when bonsai are in early stages of development (when I’m building trunks), I fertilize heavily all year.

To make sure every tree receives the right nutrients, I add a baseline of liquid fertilizer to my irrigation water and use solid fertilizers to supplement this. Easy, right?

Well, if that’s all there is to it, why are there signs of mineral deficiencies in the garden?

Mineral deficiencies in plum, ilex, maple, and quince

The short answer is that I’ve under-fertilized my trees for several years in a row now. I’ve failed to follow a good schedule and I’ve failed to use the diversity of products required to meet my trees’ needs.

Here’s another thing I got wrong. I looked for, and tested, what I thought might be a “good” fertilizer for the garden. What I’m doing now is taking a step back and ask a more basic question: what minerals do my trees need to be healthy?

From plant science classes I know that trees need primary nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), secondary nutrients (calcium, magnesium, and sulfur) and trace elements (like iron, copper, zinc, and manganese). If my water is similar to RO water and my soil doesn’t provide much in the way of essential minerals, then I’m responsible for providing the bulk of the nutrients my trees need to be healthy with fertilizer.

I may not know the exact requirements of my trees, but thinking holistically, I can now begin experimenting knowing that I’m responsible for more than just the NPK blends found in popular products.

I’m taking a similar approach with clients and friends around the country who may have very different water sources. The first step is learn as much as possible about what’s in the water. If there’s too much of something unwanted (like sodium), we talk about strategies for improving the water quality (like using filters or RO systems). When obvious nutrients are missing, we try adding them with one or more products and seeing how the trees react.

While some trees can put on new growth within weeks after treatment, it’s more common to see changes take place over months or even years. Related, even when you see new growth after trying a new product, this doesn’t mean that one product is better than another, it just means your trees were missing something they needed. How much of it they need or when they’ll need more of it is a question best answered over time.

In light of all of this, I’m taking more notes about my approach and will continue sharing periodic updates on the topic.

Healthy pine foliage

News & Updates

[Resources for Watering and Fertilizing Bonsai]

• Addison Galambos recently invited Eric Shrader and me to talk water quality on the Bonsai Builder’s Podcast. For more on the topic, look for his discussions with Eric Forrester.
• Addison is the author of a wonderful resource about soil and water for bonsai at Teeny Tree Science.

[Recent Podcast Episodes]

For anything other than water/fertilizer related content, check out the following discussions.

• Chat with Gianne Souza (fun traveling to learn bonsai)
• Chat with Zane from Zane’s Trees (learning, teaching, and promoting bonsai)

Japanese black pine

The tree appears to have been trained as a literati, or bunjin bonsai, but it’s in the Chinese Pavilion so you look for signs that the tree may have been trained with different aesthetic goals in mind.

Nearby, another pine catches your attention. This one differs from your idea about what bonsai, or possibly what penjing, typically look like. You look closer.

Black pine

There’s a roughly asymmetrical silhouette, the foliage is arranged in pads, and the primary branches extend mostly downward from the trunk, and yet the tree looks different somehow.

Thinking about how penjing differs from bonsai can be a fascinating exercise whether or not you’re familiar with concrete design goals for either approach to growing small trees in containers.

The trees in the Chinese Pavilion offer wonderful opportunities to study the apparent differences between bonsai and penjing. They might lead you to ask, is there room for both in my collection? Are there ways of incorporating one approach with the other for a given tree? Are some trees better candidates for development one way or the other?

Consider the Chinese elms below. The first may not look out of place at most bonsai exhibits.

Cork bark Chinese elm

The second might catch our attention – or is it a typical example of a wind-influenced design?

Chinese elm

The above elm suggests that the line between bonsai and penjing may involve extent. For example, it’s common to create bonsai designs in which a tree takes on a form that evokes an environment with strong prevalent winds. If we dial this up, a tree may look like its branches are actively blowing in a strong wind. As our artistry suggests stronger and stronger wind, do we cross into penjing or can we still say we are working within common conceptions of bonsaI?

We can apply the same questions to basic design precepts. The trident maple below is a good example of a tree with a trunk that mostly flows to the right but the apex and key branch both flow to the left – a very common pattern. The trunk, however, is in this case composed of exposed roots – a less common feature of trident maple bonsai.

Trident maple

What if we keep the basic elements the same but exaggerate the height of the upper trunk – is this still bonsai or have we ventured into penjing territory?

Trident maple

What about when there are multiple apices, key branches of great length, and very strong indicators of flow to the left and right – have we crossed a line from bonsai to penjing?

Trident maple

Because I’m not well-versed in the tropes of penjing design or familiar with the techniques, I try to leave judgement aside and focus on appreciating the differences in approach. I also look for signs that the trees have been carefully cultivated over long periods of time.

The branches on the pauper’s teas below show great age and make for very compelling designs.

Pauper’s tea – Sageretia thea

Pauper’s tea

Both Pauper’s teas have branches that convey great age (the branches have good size, movement, taper, and complexity), but they aren’t like each other (the former’s branches are mostly lateral whereas the latter’s branches extend upwards as much as outward).

I really appreciate the work that Michael James and the curator’s team at the Museum do to keep these trees in shape. It can’t be easy to work in different idioms, but I imagine it’s a lot of fun.

It had been many years since my last visit to the museum which made it really fun to see how the trees had changed. It was also an opportunity to see a number of new trees, including one that was on loan for the event from Bob Chilton and Todd Stewart of Gardens Unlimited: a giant Chinese elm known as “Emperor.”

Chinese elm – “Emperor”

Another tree that was relatively new to the garden was a tall Douglas fir donated by Bjorn Bjorholm and Richard Le.

Douglas fir

The museum also includes two of the most famous trees in the country, John Naka’s “Goshin,” and the “Yamaki Pine,” a roughly 400 year-old tree, also known as the “Peace Tree,” gifted to the US in 1976.

Foemina juniper – “Goshin”

Japanese white pine – the ‘Yamaki Pine’

The Yamaki Pine was part of the 53 tree donation that kicked off the Museum 50 years ago. Celebrations for the anniversary are in the planning stages and will be held later this year.

R.A.F. Dwarf Scots pine

Ezo spruce

The Museum is somewhat of a living time capsule as it represents bonsai that came into the collection from different regions at different times. And although the trees continue to change as they mature, they represent initial inspirations of diverse artists making it a great place to study our country’s evolving history of bonsai practice.

Bald cypress

Japanese beech, white pine, Korean hornbeam

The National Bonsai and Penjin Museum is a great place to visit and the price – admission is free – is hard to beat. If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it.

Trident maple

Japanese maple

Not long after my visit, I had a chance to speak with the Museum’s curator, Michael James, for a discussion on the Bonsai Wire Podcast. It was great to learn about Michael’s tenure at the Museum and how many doors volunteering at the Museum can open.

The above trees can be found at the Museum in the main courtyard, in the North American Pavilion, or the Japanese Pavilion. Up next: trees from the Chinese Pavilion.

News & Updates

[Local Event]

• The East Bay Bonsai Society will be host their annual bonsai auction on Wednesday, July 8th, at Lakeside Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Avenue, in Oakland, California. The auction will start at 7:00 pm with a preview at 6:00pm. Auction is open to all buyers. Established and starter bonsai trees, pots, tools, and more! Credit cards, checks and cash accepted. Sales tax added to purchases.

[Exhibit Books]

• Catalogs from the 100th Kokufu exhibit will be available next month! Stay tuned for details in the coming weeks.

[Pacific Bonsai Expo – Vendors]

• Interested in vending at the 3rd Pacific Bonsai Expo? Registration for vendor tables is open now at the Pacific Bonsai Expo website.

The exhibit investigates ways in which the environment, the culture, and the expression of bonsai differ in fifteen countries around the world.

Shimpaku grafted on Sierra Juniper (Brazil)
(all photography by Matthew Aimonetti)

Hemlock and eastern white cedar (Canada)

Although the exhibit is best experienced on-site at the museum, you can see images of the trees on display, listen to interviews with professionals from around the world, and read all accompanying text via the Bloomberg Connects app and website.

Trident maple forest (China)

Korean hornbeam (Korea)

The exhibit is organized in a way that reflects the spread of bonsai beginning in China and eventually reaching Korea, Japan, and beyond. Some of the trees featured came from these countries or have been worked on by prominent figures from these countries.

White pine (Japan)

Japanese maple (Japan)

Pyracantha (Taiwan)

When I first heard about the project I wondered if the focus would be on explaining why trees from a given country can have an identifying “look” to them not found elsewhere. Instead, what I found was that gaining a broader understanding of the context within which a community operates determines not only why trees may look one way or the other (based on the local environment or how native trees develop in these spaces) but how a given community interprets what it means to do bonsai (via imports and exports, focusing on native or exotic material, or establishing aesthetic norms or goals for the hobby).

I recently had the opportunity to speak with the curator and creator of the exhibit, Aarin Packard, on the Bonsai Wire Podcast. During our chat Aarin provides an overview of how the exhibit came together and shares some of the discoveries that made their way into the exhibit. For example, in Mexico a big part of the challenge is finding species that survive extreme heat, seasonal monsoons, and hurricane-force winds while responding well to bonsai training techniques. In Canada the extreme cold in winter and the compact growing season characterized by explosive growth rewards species with very different characteristics.

Black pine (Taiwan)

Yew (England)

The exhibit is open now and runs through December 19, 2027. Here are some links for learning more.

• Plan your visit to the museum
• Read about Bonsai United on the Bloomberg Connects app and website
• Listen to curator Aarin Packard on the Bonsai Wire Podcast

The collection got its start almost 70 year ago with thirteen trees from Yuji Yoshimura including the zelkova below.

Japanese Zelkova
Training began in 1909

Today the collection features over 150 trees managed by curators Kevin Bielicki and Matt Turner.

American Arborvitae
Training began in 2016

San Jose Juniper
Training began in 1975

Two weeks from now, the team at Longwood Gardens will be hosting their first Bonsai Festival featuring demonstrations, lectures, vendors, an auction, and an exhibit featuring trees from six local clubs. It’s an ambitious program featuring presentations from Chase Rosade, Bill Valavanis, Bob Mahler, Sergio Cuan, Sean Smith, and Owen Reich. For anyone interested in visiting Longwood Gardens, seeing the bonsai on display, or enjoying presentations from the guest artists, I highly recommend attending.

Chinese Elm ‘Yatsabusa’
Training began in 2010

White Pine ‘Miyajima’
Training began in 2004

Although I missed catching up with curator Kevin Bielicki when I was in town, I had a chance to talk with him on the Bonsai Wire Podcast and learn more about his role at the garden and the challenges of managing such a diverse collection.

As you likely noticed, the trees pictured here represent a good mix of exotic and native species presented in a variety of styles and stages of development. It’s a really fun mix that offers challenges for the curator’s team and great opportunities to improve trees that have been bonsai for a long time.

Japanese Black Pine
Training began in 1949

Mountain Hemlock
Training began in 1995

Hinoki Cypress
Training began in 1930

Ezo Spruce
Training began in 2004

Hinoki Cypress
Training began in 1970

Bonsai workshop

To learn more about the Bonsai Festival or catch the conversation with curator Kevin Bielicki, check out the links below.

News & Updates

[Regional Event]

• The Bonsai Festival at Longwood Gardens will be held June 24-29 and feature lectures, demonstrations, vendors, and a special exhibit organized by local clubs. Guest artists include Chase Rosade, Bill Valavanis, Bob Mahler, Sergio Cuan, Sean Smith, and Owen Reich. Learn more about the Bonsai Festival.

[New Podcast Episode]

• I recently had a great chat with Kevin Bielicki, curator of the Bonsai Collection at Longwood Gardens. Check out the episode on your favorite player or at the Bonsai Wire Podcast.
  
  Stay tuned, more episodes are on the way.

[Local Exhibition]

• The Sei Boku Bonsai Kai is hosting their annual exhibit this weekend (June 13-14) at the San Mateo Garden Center in San Mateo, California. Show hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. both days. Demonstration at 1:00 p.m. with Steve Jang Saturday and workshop (silent observers welcome) from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Sunday. ​Learn more at the Sei Boku website​.
  
  We’ll be vending with tools, supplies, and a selection of small trees. If you’re in the area, come by and say hi!

• Removing weeds and replacing the surface soil
• Removing flaky bark (when it’s not wanted)
• Removing discolored foliage
• Cleaning deadwood features
• Looking for signs of pests or disease
• Lightly cutting back foliage as needed

Cleaning up a tree is a good way to get to know it. I like removing flaky bark as it can hide insects or dieback on the trunk. I like removing the top layer of soil to reduce the number of weeds (or weed seeds) and to get an idea of the degree to which water might penetrate the soil when it’s watered.

On the trident maple below, I knew that cleaning up the surface soil and trunk would be obvious starting points (thanks to Nick for doing the work).

Trident maple

Flaky bark

Upon closer investigation, I noticed that some of the interior foliage received very little light. Because the tree had ample new shoots, I thought it would be best to thin or shorten the upper branches.

After pruning and thinning

I don’t normally do a lot of pruning on new trees unless they are showing signs of good health. In general I focus on getting new trees as healthy as possible, repotting them when it’s seasonally appropriate, and then doing normal work when I have a good understanding about what’s going on above and below the roots.

A new Sierra juniper had some yellow foliage and really flaky bark. To learn more about the state of the trunk, the first step was to remove the yellow foliage and flaky bark.

Sierra juniper

After getting started, it became clear that there was a lot of dead bark on the deadwood.

Deadwood in need of cleanup

Although there wasn’t time to fully clean the deadwood, a quick cleanup made a huge difference (thanks Mike).

After removing old foliage and cleaning the lifeline

A new oak tree was growing well when I brought it home. When the tree is ready I’d like to reduce the branches by about 80 percent. Before doing so, however, I’d like to repot it and confirm that it grows well in my area (it’s either a canyon oak or a coast live oak, I’m not sure which). In the meantime, I performed light cutback to reduce the branch density and see how the tree responds.

California oak

After light cutback

I plan to repot all three trees this coming winter. In the meantime, I’ll be thinking about ways to improve them in the new year.

And for those who are curious where these trees came from, all three were picked up at Lotus Bonsai Nursery in Placerville, California.

News & Updates

[Regional Event]

• The US National Tropical Bonsai Exhibition is coming up this fall and they’re looking for 100 of the best tropical bonsai in the country. To participate as an exhibitor, check out the US National Tropical Bonsai Exhibition website. The deadline for submissions is July 1, 2026.

[Summer Intensives]

• The spring sessions have sold out but there’s still space for the summer intensives coming the first two weekends in August. We’ll be focusing on seasonal pruning, wiring, plus deadwood design and maintenance. Learn more and reserve space now for the summer Bonsai Development Intensives.

[2027 Pacific Bonsai Expo]

• Vendor tables will be going on sale July 1. Stay tuned for more info soon!

Size is the most important attribute to consider (to keep the tree healthy), followed closely by shape. From there I consider color and quality (I don’t like using show containers when trees are in development).

The more I’ve tested different options, the more I’ve learned about which attributes of a container can complement, or fail to complement, a tree’s best characteristics.

While repotting a Chinese cork bark elm this winter, I realized I had a lot of options on hand. We looked at fourteen different containers, many of which would make a good new home for the tree. Here are the options shown in pairs to give an idea of the effect that color and shape can have on the selection process.

Options 1 and 2, Yamaaki ovals

Options 3 and 4, Rayner and Shuho

Options 5 and 6, Mazan ovals

Options 7 and 8, Rayner and Mairhofer

Options 9 and 10, Yamaaki and Atkins

Options 11 and 12, Hanna and Chinese unglazed rectangle

Options 13 and 14, Chinese unglazed oval and Rayner

I went with a green oval not because it was my favorite but because I thought it was a good match for the current stage of development. The size and shape are about perfect for the tree, and the color is dark enough that it’s a good match for the dark, craggy bark.

Chinese cork bark elm in glazed oval by Mazan

To give a quick rundown on the other containers, I can say that the first two options are both too “heavy” for the tree. They’d be suitable for a more massive tree with a larger trunk.

Options three and four have less pronounced lips and may be good options if the crown fills out with lots of heavy branches and lots of small twigs.

Five and six are a bit deep for the trunk but the simple shapes are a nice fit. Seven and eight are shallower but I don’t know that the shapes of these ovals are as effective at complementing the shape of the trunk (they might be better with trees with more flare low on the trunk). Comparing five and six with seven and eight can give insight to whether one prefers brighter colors or more subtle colors.

Although nine and ten are both nice colors for the tree, both feel overly heavy for the tree. Nine is too deep and ten is too wide. Were ten smaller and the silhouette of the tree much wider, it could be a good option.

Eleven and twelve are outliers. Eleven offers the most drama whereas twelve would only be an option if the silhouette were much larger and even then it would still be a bit much for the tree.

Finally, thirteen and fourteen are fine options for training pots. Thirteen has no characteristics that show off the tree’s best features unlike fourteen which calls attention to the texture of the trunk. A slightly smaller version of fourteen could work if one is going for a more quiet approach to container selection that eschews color.

Looking back over the options above, I wish I had something red as bright colors can be fun for trees with craggy bark.

Have any other suggestions? Feel free to make them in the comments below.

News & Updates – World Bonsai Day Edition

[Northern California Tree Sale]

• Lotus Bonsai is hosting their annual sale in Placerville, California, on May 16-17 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. both days. This year’s event is unique as all of their trees are for sale. To learn more about the nursery and find contact information so you can plan your trip, visit the Lotus Bonsai Nursery website.

[Washington D.C. Area Event]

• The Potomac Bonsai Association’s Potomac Bonsai Festival is this weekend. Held each year on World Bonsai Day weekend, the Festival is hosted on the grounds of the U.S. National Arboretum. The weekend activities include bonsai displays, display critiques, vendors, workshops, demonstrations, bonsai learning sessions, children’s activities, and museum tours. Former curator of the Arboretum’s bonsai collection Jack Sustic and I will provide the critiques and demonstrations.
  
  I’m really looking forward to the event and I hope to see you there! For more information and a complete schedule, visit the PBA website.

[Pacific Northwest Event]

• The Pacific Bonsai Museum is hosting its annual Bonsai Fest this weekend from 10-4 on Saturday and Sunday. The event features a show, demonstrations, shopping opportunities, and the opening of Bonsai United, the highly anticipated exhibition focusing on the impact of culture on bonsai style and development. Learn more about Bonsai Fest and Bonsai United on the Pacific Bonsai Museum website.

Peter Warren, Kaya Mooney, and I were invited guests at the event and we had a great time. In addition to performing demonstrations and leading workshops, we had the opportunity to critique the exhibit. When the time came for us to get started, Kaya and I decided to blend our groups together and do a group critique which was fun as we got to point out different things that had been done well and offer multiple suggestions for improving the trees on display.

Before we got to the exhibit, we got to enjoy trees from the Longwood Gardens’ Bonsai Collection.

Eastern white cedar

Exposed root satsuki azalea

The trees in the exhibit were mostly set up in traditional displays with stands and accents with awards recognizing excellence in several categories. One award winner was the white pine below. It’s a great example of an informal upright bonsai with good balance from the highest branches to the lowest.

White pine

This hinoki cypress has been in training for a long time. Kaya noted that although the tree doesn’t take the typical formal upright form, it has gentle movement appropriate for a hinoki and branch pads that convey age as well as the trunk.

Hinoki

I really enjoyed the Chinese elm forest below as it does a good job of suggesting a much larger stand of trees growing in nature. The slender branch tips and ascending primary branches are the composition’s key features for suggesting scale.

Chinese elm forest

The critique participants enjoyed an extended conversation about flow when looking at this Colorado blue spruce. Although it’s clear that the owner intends the tree to flow to the left, different elements of the design suggest flow to the right which to create an interesting composition.

Colorado blue spruce

The larch forest below makes a nice contrast to the elm forest above. Because the trunks are larger and the primary branches extend from the trunks slightly downward, the composition creates an impression of much older trees. As fine twigs continue to develop, this group planting will convey age well.

Larch forest

The last three trees were shown together in a kifu-size display. They’re great examples of the branch density that results from good techniques applied repeatedly over time.

Black pine

Shimpaku

White pine

Thanks again to everyone who participated in the event and took the time to say hi. To learn more about how you can participate in the future, visit the MidAtlantic Bonsai website.

2026 Spring Intensive Dates

It’s been a number of years since I’ve made time for teaching regular classes at my workshop and I’m really excited to get back to it! I’m starting with intensives as I’ve found them to be the most effective and satisfying way to improve one’s trees and skills.

This season’s courses will cover timely techniques including pinching, pruning, and decandling plus other seasonal topics. The dates are June 6-7 for session 1 and July 11-12 for session 2.

Registration is now open – learn more about the Bonsai Development Intensives today!