A visit to David Nguy’s garden

Getting to know David Nguy over the years has been a pleasure. The first time we had a chance to talk at length was on a trip to Japan about eight years ago. He invited me to his garden that day, and I’d been looking forward to seeing it ever since.

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to visit David and June at their home in Southern California. What a treat! Their huge garden is filled with a variety of species at different stages of development. Foremost among these species are one of David’s specialties – California junipers.

David Nguy

Most of the trees in the garden ranged in size from big to bigger. Here are some of the more developed specimens.

Grafted California juniper

California juniper

California juniper

California juniper

California juniper

Of course, David’s garden featured other species too, including the pine below.

Japanese Black pine

To the side of the main courtyard was a space filled with trees that were in much earlier stages of development.

California juniper

California juniper

Giant California juniper

Another large California juniper

I’d like to thank David and June for being great hosts on my visit, and Michael Roberts for making the trip possible. I hope I can visit again soon!

To learn more about David, visit his website, Bonsai Jidai.

News & Updates

There’s a lot going on this summer! Here’s an overview of events to check out.

Local Events

• Accent plant/kusamono workshop with Young Choe: bring your accent plants for a tune-up or design new creations from scratch! Workshop will be held in my garden in Alameda. Spaces are available for $100. Attendance is limited to six participants. August 12 from 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. in Alameda, California. Plant material and containers will be available for purchase at the workshop. Reply to this email to register.
• Bonsai Pot Exhibit at Hakone Gardens: see work by Denise Soultanian on display through December 26, 2025, at Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. If you plan to visit, call ahead to make sure that the CEC building is open to the public (they often have events in that space). See the Hakone Gardens website for details.
• Redwood Empire Bonsai Society annual exhibit, August 23-24 in Rohnert Park. Demonstrations by Mike Pistello both days. Learn more at the event website.

Regional Events

• The 47th Mid-America Bonsai Exhibit, August 15-17 at the Chicago Botanical Gardens. Sponsored by the Midwest Bonsai Society, the event features workshops, demonstrations, an exhibit and vendor garden. I’ll be doing a demonstration at 1:00pm on Saturday the 16th in the main auditorium. Learn more at the event website.
• Naka Memorial Exhibit Bonsai Show, August 16 & 17 at the George J. Doizaki Gallery in Los Angeles. Learn more at the event website.
• Wild Thing at the Clark Bonsai Museum: collected bonsai on display through October 6 at the Clark Bonsai Museum in Fresno, California.
• The 9th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York, September 13-14. Presenters include Toru Suzuki from Japan’s famous Daiju-en garden in central Japan, Juan Andrade from Costa Rica, and Tony Bebb from Australia, among others. Learn more at the event website.
• The American Bonsai Society’s 2025 Learning Seminars in Rochester, New York, September 12-13. This year’s line-up features Bjorn Bjorholm and Todd Schlafer plus 13 additional presenters. Pot contest new this year! Learn more at the event website.
• Bonsai on the Bay: the LSBF annual convention in Corpus Cristi featuring guest artists Mike Lane, Jennifer Price and me. September 18-21. Learn more and register at the LSBF Convention website.