A visit to Walter Pall’s garden

One of this year’s highlights was getting to spend time with Walter Pall in his garden. After joining his master class for a few days in Zorneding, Germany, I headed to Walter’s garden to record him talking about his trees. The result was a series of nine videos in which Walter shares stories of how he acquired his trees, how he approaches styling, and what he gets out of growing bonsai.

Walter Pall sharing the story of Scots pine

For years I’d been wanting to get a better understanding about the work Walter does. Although seeing photos of bonsai does a good job of expressing the basic idea of one’s work, I’ve found that meeting artists and experiencing their trees in person offers a more complete picture.

Walter’s garden

This was definitely the case in Walter’s garden. Through his naturalistic approach to styling trees, Walter conveys stories about the hardships trees face in harsh alpine environments. A good example of this his “candelabra” European spruce – a tree that has taken on the candelabra form after losing its central leader.

Candelabra European spruce

His work with deciduous bonsai allows viewers to enjoy the trees year round. Were he to create a fuller silhouette, it would be harder to see the trunk and branch structure when the tree is in leaf.

Japanese maple

Japanese maple

Arakawa maple

Throughout the garden were stone slabs, some natural and some artificial, which made compelling containers for the trees.

European spruce

European spruce

European spruce

Ezo spruce

You can learn more about Walter’s trees and hear the stories behind them in the series “Nine Trees with Walter Pall” on YouTube.

News & Updates

[Winter Shohin School]

• Spaces are filling up fast for the 2026 Winter Shohin School. This year’s event will be held in Alameda, California. Headliner Daisaku Nomoto will lead the two-day event focusing on shohin display and development. Learn more and register online.

[WBFF Photo Contest]

• Submit a photo of your tree to the World Bonsai Friendship Federation’s Photo Contest for a chance to win a trip to the 10th World Bonsai Convention in Malaysia! Accepted photographs will be registered in the WBFF 2026 ebook and will be displayed during the convention.
  
  Entries will be judged by Masahiko Kimura. The submission period is open now but will be closing on March 26, 2026. Learn more and submit your photos at the WBFF Photo Contest Website.