Bonsai Time Podcast

In this episode, Kevin, Kelly, and Ryan discuss how we can better preserve history through our bonsai and elevate them into an ambassador role between cultures and places. Kevin was specifically thinking about the famous Yamaki White Pine Bonsai that survived an atomic bomb and was later gifted by Japan to the US National Bonsai Museum. This tree has a powerful presence for all those who visit it. Likewise, Kevin compared it to his...

In this episode, Kelly sat down with Cheryl Manning in California for a wide-ranging interview spanning from her time as a student of the California bonsai greats like John Naka and Harry Hirao to her time as a bonsai apprentice in Japan. See last week's episode for Part 1 which focused on Cheryl's time in bonsai as an apprentice in Japan and how she got started in the professional scene.

The video version is ⁠⁠here.

Show notes, rele...

In this episode, Kelly sat down with Cheryl Manning in California for a wide-ranging interview spanning from her time as a student of the California bonsai greats like John Naka and Harry Hirao to her time as a bonsai apprentice in Japan. Stay tuned for next week's Part 2 which focuses on how she has seen the California bonsai scene evolve over her professional career.

The video version is ⁠⁠here.

Show notes, relevant pictur...

This episode is the second of a two-part series. In this episode, Kamo-sensei narrates and demonstrates, composing 6 Ohara Ikebana, a prominent form of Japanese flower arrangements. Members of Central Ohio Ohara Ikebana hosted this event at the Yosoko Center in Columbus, Ohio to share the art of Ikebana with the public. In the prior episode, COOI president Joe Rotella presented on the history of Ohara Ikebana.

The video version of t...

This episode is the first of a two-part series. In this first video, Joe Rotella explains the history of Ohara Ikebana which is one of the more prominent forms of Japanese flower arrangements. Joe and other members of Central Ohio Ohara Ikebana hosted this event at the Yosoko Center in Columbus, Ohio to share the art of Ikebana with the public and to host a Japanese master named Kamo-sensei who demonstrates the art of Ikebana in th...

Kevin, Ryan, and Kelly sat down to look forward to another new year of doing bonsai and podcasting. We discussed potential new resolutions and directions for our bonsai lives and the podcast although not our plans all can be made public yet. Kevin also posited some potential trends from other forms of art that he hopes may one day be adopted in bonsai. Enjoy the episode and let us know, what is your bonsai resolution for the year?

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Ryan, Kelly, and Kevin sat down to reflect on our past year in bonsai. What goals have we set out in our bonsai lives and where do we stand on meeting them? We also unpacked other milestones from our last year in bonsai such as taking and leading new workshops, caring for public collection bonsai, attending bonsai shows, and new trees and folks we’ve enjoyed meeting along the way!

The video version is ⁠⁠⁠here⁠.

Show notes, releva...

In this episode, Ryan sat down with Ellen Veselenak and Mellissa Marguerite of the Green Witch Gardens (formerly known as The Flower Market) in Monroe, Michigan. In the interview, the gang discussed Melissa's and Ellen's personal history with plants, how they came to purchase The Flower Market, their approach to caring for Michigan's largest bonsai nursery, and their long-term goals for their nursery and for the local b...

In this minisode, international bonsai deadwood carver extraordinaire Will Baddeley, bonsai nursery owner Rob Hoffman, and your host Ryan discussed the merits and situations to use various bonsai deadwood carving techniques. They also share other tips to help you create convincing deadwood that adds to the sense of age and ruggedness of your bonsai.

Darren Bloomfield is a British bonsai artist who moved to Japan over a decade ago as an English teacher. In this interview, he and Kevin share practical tips for foreigners who travel to Japan or even for others who might want to move to Japan as well as insights into the Japanese hobbyist bonsai community and how it compares to the hobbyist community in the west.

After spending 6 years as a full-time bonsai apprentice in Japan, Bjorn Bjorholm moved back to his home state of Tennessee, USA, to create his own bonsai nursery known as Eisei-en. Now, years after success in this endeavor, Bjorn has just relocated his family and his nursery to Kyoto, Japan! Find out what's in store for those who visit his new nursery and for those who utilize his bonsai learning platform, Bonsai-U, as it will ...

For this next 3-part series, Kevin and Ryan interviewed Josh Hooson of Bonsai-en Nursery in Australia. In this second episode, Kevin, Ryan, and Josh share from their experience how bonsai has positively impacted their lives and hypothesize on other ways we may not always think about in which this artform creates benefits for the practitioners and those around us. Also, check last week's minisode for information on Josh's ex...

For this next 3-part series, Kevin and Ryan interviewed Josh Hooson of Bonsai-en Nursery in Australia. In this first minisode, Josh shares his background both in bonsai as an entrepreneur and advice from his experience in starting a bonsai business. Check back next week for the deeper discussions we had with him as well in regarding the benefits of bonsai and the bonsai mindset.

For this next 2-part series, Kevin and Kelly interviewed Bob Pressler regarding a bonsai scholarship that he helps organize. They talked about why you should apply and how you can boost your odds of success! The Ben Oki Scholarship Fund is awarded by the California Bonsai Society to two recipients a year. Each recipient is granted $1000 to use to further their bonsai education to give back to the bonsai community. Your co-hosts, Ke...

For this next 2-part series, Kevin and Kelly interviewed Bob Pressler regarding a bonsai scholarship that he helps organize. They talked about why you should apply and how you can boost your odds of success! The Ben Oki Scholarship Fund is awarded by the California Bonsai Society to two recipients a year. Each recipient is granted $1000 to use to further their bonsai education to give back to the bonsai community. Your co-hosts, Ke...

For this special 2-part Earth Day series, Kevin and Ryan interviewed Dr. Gordon Bonan, a Colorado-based bonsai artist and climate scientist. We asked Gordon in this wide-ranging interview to distill his scientific findings from climate modeling, how it may impact us as humans, bonsai artists, and our trees, and how he approaches sharing information on the subject with the public. In part 2, we also have some listener questions he a...

For this special 2-part Earth Day series, Kevin and Ryan interviewed Dr. Gordon Bonan, a Colorado-based bonsai artist and climate scientist. We asked Gordon in this wide-ranging interview to distill his scientific findings from climate modeling, how it may impact us as humans, bonsai artists, and our trees, and how he approaches sharing information on the subject with the public. In part 2 coming next week, we also have some listen...

In today's episode, Kevin interviewed Rodney and Charlie Clemons at their bonsai nursery in Georgia. Rodney is well known online as a specialist in Boxwoods, but less well known is the story of his wife Charlie who is an accomplished bonsai artist in her own right. Here they share their intertwined story.

In today's episode, Kevin, Kelly, and Ryan met up to share recent listener questions and submitted tree pictures. There was vigorous discussion online about Benjamin Keating's work potting bonsai into metal sculptures which we talked with Ben about in the last episode. Many listeners wondered about the viability of these trees long-term, so we posed the question to Ben and relayed his response to go deeper into that subject...