A “Champion Tree” is a specimen that has been measured to be the largest of its species (see “Champion Tree Registry“). The findings are based on a points system that considers tree height, trunk circumference, and average crown circumference (there’s a manual that spells out the details). Playing on this idea, the Pacific Bonsai Museum […]
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.
Small Talk – A special exhibition at the Pacific Bonsai Museum
I was reminded last week what an awesome resource we have in the Pacific Bonsai Museum. For those who haven’t visited, the museum hosts a collection of outstanding bonsai in Federal Way, Washington. It may be best known, however, for staging some of the most engaging and thought-provoking exhibits and events in the bonsai world. […]
A visit to the Bonsai Pavilion at Safari Park
Last weekend the San Diego Bonsai Club held their 60th anniversary celebration. The event was held at the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, home to the Bonsai Pavilion, a beautiful garden and bonsai collection built and maintained by volunteers in the club. If you have a chance to visit, I highly recommend it! The team […]
A visit to Kenji Miyata’s garden
When I found out I was going to Atlanta, I immediately made plans to visit Kenji Miyata’s garden. Kenji is a Japanese-trained bonsai professional who spent the majority of his career in the US, first in California, and now in Georgia. Kenji studied with Yasuo Mitsuya (Boon’s first teacher in Japan) where he learned black […]
A visit to the Chinese Garden at the Huntington
After visiting the Bonsai Collection at the Huntington, I carved out time to visit the adjacent Chinese Garden. It was an eye-opening experience! Taking its inspiration from 16th and 17th century gardens in Suzho (near Shanghai), the 15-acre complex features a large pond, more than a dozen historically-inspired structures, and twelve different paving patterns. Liu […]