When many start in bonsai, why do they think that ‘sticks in pots’ are bonsai when there is so much accessible information to the contrary? I am, of course, filtering out the online dross of which there is much.  The counter-argument of course is that only a few have the talent, time and let’s be honest money to create a top bonsai.

In all the years I have been involved with Bonsai I have met many individuals who have told me that having and creating bonsai has changed their life for the better.  You have probably heard about some of the most talked-about mindfulness techniques, like meditation, but there is an increasing amount of evidence suggesting that many hobbies including Bonsai can also act as effective mindfulness exercises.

Unbeknown to me I had been infected with a condition that would take over my life. Be careful it WILL happen to you

The growth of bonsai ‘experts’ on the Internet continues apace. Bonsai groups are plentiful on social media, especially Facebook where a group can have well into the thousands of members. And why are very few professional bonsai artists active on Facebook or other social media platforms?, and those who are rarely pass comment or judgment.

In this episode I explore with the help of a well know female bonsai practitioner the issue as to why there are “so few women in bonsai” Over the last few years the discussion has spasmodically raised its head, and a recent well-intentioned thread on social media went as far as to ask for suggestions as to how the perceived lack could be remedied. When this was published in Bonsai Focus it caused a storm.

Can this rapid progression of excellence in the West be sustained and to what level will the art of bonsai develop in the future?  In other words, if the West stays on the current trajectory of excellence in bonsai, how long will it take before we equal and perhaps overtake Japan in quality and maturity of trees? Can we, will we ever achieve this?

Hawthorns have been the bedrock of my personal collection, and many of my top award-winning trees have been from this genus. There is hardly a time when I am not working on a hawthorn, and what that means, as you will probably have gathered, is that my favourite tree and favourite bonsai are one and the same.

If you create Bonsai acceptance for an exhibition can be seen to equal success in two ways. It is a positive, affirming and encouraging event, and it enables your Bonsai to be seen and potentially achieve the (perhaps more meaningful) success of connecting with the audience. For these reasons, acceptance for exhibition should be enjoyed and celebrated. Is this why so many go through the pain of Exhibiting their trees.