I’d like to return, for a bit, to Boon Manakitivipart’s visit to Japan this past fall. Among his photos were a handful from a familiar garden, that of Mr. Okamoto in Central Japan. Okamoto is among the top bonsai professionals in the area. Over the years he has produced and worked on many famous trees […]
Excursions
Excursion posts feature visits to bonsai gardens in the U.S. and in Japan, visits to the Kyoto's Most Renown Gardens, and trips into the mountains to see junipers and pines in their natural setting.
More from the International Bonsai Arboretum
One of the first trees you spot at William N. Valavanis’ International Bonsai Arboretum is a wisteria planted unconventionally in an unconventional pot. Wisteria in Tokoname bucket Beyond it reside trees from the Valavanis Bonsai Collection – an impressive assortment of bonsai cultivated over many years. Below the collection one finds greenhouses and growing grounds […]
The International Bonsai Arboretum
When I was in Rochester, NY, for the 4th US National Bonsai Exhibition, I made sure to visit the best known bonsai garden in the area – the International Bonsai Arboretum, home of the Valavanis Bonsai Collection. International Bonsai Arboretum Within moments of stepping foot inside the Arboretum, several things become very clear. There are many […]
Developing bonsai at Deer Meadow
How, one might ask, does Jim Gremel produce so many great trees, all while maintaining a busy teaching schedule? The answer: Valentín Cruz, aka “Bali” Bali, as he is commonly known, loves bonsai. He first came to Deer Meadow Bonsai in 2007 and has been a fixture at the establishment for the past two and a half years. […]
A visit to Deer Meadow Bonsai
If you get the chance to visit Deer Meadow Bonsai, go. Deer Meadow Bonsai Deer Meadow Bonsai is located an hour and a half north of San Francisco, just outside the charming town of Occidental (try Howard’s Cafe when you visit). From Occidental, wind your way through redwoods for 10 minutes and you’re there. What […]




