Historical Tree Spotlight / Donors and Their Trees – Al Nelson and His Coast Live Oak

Some bonsai just command presence. Such is the case for a coast live oak, or Quercus agrifolia, donated by Al Nelson to the collections at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. 

Nelson has become an expert in the care and training of coast live oak bonsai. He also has an oak at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in California. 

Nelson was first introduced to bonsai in the late 1970s during his lunch hour one day while working as a salesman. John Naka was giving a demonstration at a California Bonsai Society event, and Nelson was immediately hooked. He already gardened in his spare time, so he bought Naka’s newly published book on bonsai techniques and taught himself. 

“I attended various bonsai shows and took pictures of every single tree on black and white digital film, studied the photos and put them in a book,” Nelson said. 

After getting some feedback on his bonsai, he decided to take a hands-on lesson. Nelson began studying under Harry Hirao in the early 1980s and eventually became Naka’s student – a fantastic partnership that would last about 20 years – and joined his study group Nam Pu Kai. 

Nelson, Naka and Hirao spent many years collecting bonsai and scholar rocks together at Bixby Ranch in Santa Barbara County. There, Nelson fell in love with California oaks, which became his favorite specimen to work with and study. He has since collected hundreds of trees from the region. 

“They’re such magnificent trees to me because they struggle to survive,” he said. “They get blown over and all contorted.” 

The coast live oak at the Museum almost stayed hidden among the other gnarled branches and twisted trunks of Bixby Ranch. On one scouting expedition, Nelson spotted the tree, which was originally about 20 feet high with a beautiful base, but he decided digging it out would be too much work. After hunting around, he passed the tree again and gave in – he dug through rocky, tough soil for almost five hours to pull it from the ground. 

Nelson cut off the tap root, which was one-and-a-half times the tree’s height. He covered its base with wet rags and moss because, he said, the tree thirsts for water without the tap root. 

“The tree won’t get the water it needs, and you don’t want to dry it out,” Nelson said.

 Nelson with the coast live oak in 2005 (left) and 2016 (right)

The oak didn’t have a leaf on it when he brought it home, but a few sprouted after a couple of months, so he drove the tree to Naka’s house to see if it had bonsai potential. 

“John was really impressed,” Nelson said. “He said it was a magnificent tree and that one day it should be in the U.S. National Arboretum in D.C.”

Thirty years later, Naka’s proclamation came true. The oak has been housed in the North American Pavilion since 2016. Nelson has shown this oak at multiple demonstrations and, as the bonsai was 25 inches at the base at one point, Nelson had to lift it on and off tables with a hydraulic pump cart. 

He said one of the most common accolades for his coast live oak is how many “fronts” it has – the oak doesn’t necessarily need to be positioned a certain way to look like an excellent bonsai. Instead of selling his beautiful specimen, Nelson gives his bonsai to mentees or established institutions like the Museum.

“I want my trees to have a good home because it’s not about the money,” he said. “Even my students have their names on copper tags on my trees for when I croak. But I wanted to see this one in the Museum, especially since Naka praised it so long ago.” 

Former Curator Jack Sustic (left) with Nelson and the oak

Over the years Nelson has learned much about coast live oaks, like how they don’t grow well with wiring or that the branches grow down rather than out or up. 

Museum Curator Michael James said staff have been caring for the tree based on Nelson’s recommendations. The bonsai is kept in the Museum’s temperate greenhouse during the winter to simulate its native climate.

The oak receives a high volume of water and Miracid fertilizer, and the tree is almost completely defoliated after a healthy flush grows out in the spring.

“We might leave some leaves in the inner portions in weak areas and at the base of shoots,” James said. “We cut all the elongated shoots off and anything that is too straight or is not going in the direction that we want.”

He added that the haphazard drooping and arching branches seen on wild oaks can look incredible and he is trying to maintain a “billowy” appearance when training the tree. 

Nelson said he is thrilled that his oak at the Museum – his favorite bonsai – is looking strong. 

“I’m so happy it’s getting some nice and tender loving care,” he said.

Future of Bonsai: Jennifer Price

Bonsai and penjing masters like Saburo Kato and John Naka are recognized as icons who really advanced and expanded the ancient art of bonsai. Now, the next generation of artists is building on those legacies, putting down roots for many more decades of bonsai artistry.

In The Future of Bonsai blog series, the National Bonsai Foundation is highlighting up-and-coming bonsai and penjing pioneers who are next in line to spread the spirit of bonsai. Chicago native and bonsai professional Jennifer Price is one such artist. Get to know her through this recent interview with Sophia Osorio, the First Curator’s Apprentice at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

Sophia Osorio: Can you give us a brief introduction of yourself and your relation to bonsai?

Jennifer Price: Well, I was really good at growing plants. A local nursery had some bonsai and I went over there. I learned that there was a club for this and that the meeting was that night and they needed a special events coordinator. So I became that. The following week, I found myself at Brussel's Bonsai Rendezvous, which is one of the biggest bonsai events of the year in the country. I was really thrown into it. I was very intimidated actually, trying to take all of these workshops. I couldn’t tell the front of the tree from the back of the tree, didn’t know how to wire or do anything. I was completely lost. I ended up teaching there in 2019, and I'm still involved in the local club quite a bit. I have a lot of friends there, and I try to give back some of the knowledge that I learned throughout my journey. It's been fun.

SO: When did you first become interested in bonsai?

JP: I was actually a professional ballet dancer, and as a ballerina I had always looked at movement. So the line of the trees fascinated me right from the get go. For example, when you see a Literati tree, it looks very tall and sinuous. I think I was attracted to that – I saw the movement within the trees, within the trunk line, and kind of just took it from there.  As silly as that sounds, I think all trees kind of dance.

SO: What encouraged you to pursue bonsai as a profession rather than a hobby?

JP: I never thought I would do bonsai as a profession. There are so few women in this art and I sort of just stumbled into bonsai, taking every workshop that one could get. I got very lucky in that first meeting when I went down to Brussel's Rendezvous because I met Jim Doyle who has a long-established bonsai nursery in Pennsylvania. I ended up taking his class, and we really hit it off. Jim was a professional tap dancer when he was young, so we had that dance connection, and he was very patient as a teacher. Plus, he was only a couple of hours away. Through Jim, I met Walter Paul who became a huge teacher and mentor to me in my life, and then I started going to Europe to teach more. Really, Jim gets all the credit. Bonsai wasn't anything that I started out thinking, "Wow, I really want to turn this into a career." It just slowly evolved that way. 

I'm still Walter's apprentice to this day. As long as Walter will have me, I will continue working with him. I’ve now made the decision to study with Ryan Neil of Bonsai Mirai, which was a big decision for me because Walter was much more naturalistic in his styling. I wanted to get a little bit more formal training, technical training, and of course Ryan's artistry is beautiful. Unfortunately, with COVID-19, I wasn't able to do much. But with bonsai, you always consider yourself a student. There's so much to learn. I don't think you can ever stop. For myself, I want to keep working with Jim, Walter, add that technical aspect with Ryan and keep going.

SO: What are your future plans with bonsai?

JP: I'd like to continue to travel quite a bit, I enjoy that. I really enjoyed my time in Europe. This year, I'm supposed to go back to Germany and Sweden for a bonsai retreat. I enjoy traveling, teaching workshops and meeting new people. It's really interesting to see how different countries approach bonsai and styling. And for my own self, I want that new component of studying with Ryan and kind of learning his techniques and his methods. It's a strange position to be in because there are not many women in bonsai, so it's almost like a niche thing. In some ways, I don't want to be the "token woman" in bonsai, so I feel like everything is wide open for the taking if that makes sense. 

SO: Absolutely. That being said, why should someone get into bonsai, either as a hobby or a profession?

JP: For most people, it's a wonderful stress reliever and a connection with nature, which all of us need in our stressful lives. As far as anyone becoming a professional, that is a difficult road. I've spent a lot of time talking to friends of mine who are professionals, and traveling does get really tiring. Flying across the country to teach workshops, to give demos, I don't think that's very easy. I'm very lucky in the fact that I am married. I have a husband here who has a good job and what not, so I don't have that pressure to make ends meet. I think Ryan Neil and Bjorn Bjorholm of Eisei-En are exceptions. At a very young age, they had the ability to go and study in Japan and take that knowledge and come back and, frankly, are able to monetize it. 

SO: I can definitely see that. What advice would you give to someone who wanted to take up bonsai as a hobby or a profession?

JP: If you’re pursuing bonsai as a hobby, you need to take as many workshops as you can. Join a local club. That has helped me tremendously over the years. I first started out just to have more people to ask about overwintering, care and get some help in different seasons of bonsai. In terms of becoming a professional, I think you need to seriously study with one person. Let's say you were going to study with Bjorn – you'd have to really dedicate yourself to three to five years of serious study, then go out and say, "Okay, I'm now going to pursue this on my own." 

While she is not on social media, keep an eye out for Jennifer Price’s bonsai blog, coming soon!
The National Bonsai Foundation funds and curates several programs to educate and train the next generation of bonsai, like the First Curator’s Apprentice position. To support our work, consider gifting today.

Help Us Gain Recognition for the National Bonsai Foundation and National Bonsai & Penjing Museum!

The Washington City Paper holds an annual contest to recognize the best local icons, groups and locations in the D.C. area. The Museum has earned the title of “Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner” in this competition for three years in a row, as well as the runner-up spot for Best Place to Meditate in 2020! 

This year, the poll is different in two ways. First, we need to secure nominations to even get on the ballot. Secondly, we would like you to not only nominate the Museum for recognition but, for the first time, the National Bonsai Foundation as well! 

Will you take a moment to nominate us for the following?

• PEOPLE & PLACES – Best Place to Take an Out-of-Towner: please nominate the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 

• PEOPLE & PLACES – Best Place to Meditate: please nominate the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum 

• ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT – Best Arts & Culture Nonprofit: please nominate the National Bonsai Foundation

Please share this information with your friends and family! Every day, NBF strives to uphold the beauty of the Museum and to promote its trees and historic objects – so more people can experience the beauty and tranquility found among the bonsai and penjing.

Nominations close August 1! If we make it on the ballot, voting for the final title will begin August 19. Thank you for taking the time to honor and share the Museum, an ever-evolving emblem of intercultural understanding and friendship. 

The Bonsai Board: Ann McClellan

Photo by Kenji

The National Bonsai Foundation’s Board of Directors comprises many talented individuals who are passionate about the art of bonsai. Ann McClellan is no exception, so we spoke with her about her contributions to the bonsai world. 

Ann has long been involved with the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, but she joined the Bonsai Board in 2018. She said her work at the Smithsonian Institution and World Wildlife Fund provided her with an excellent knowledge base to be an ambassador for and to support the Foundation’s mission to promote bonsai and foster intercultural friendship. 

“I care so much about the trees and the Museum and Arboretum, and I felt I could both share useful info and be a conveyer of the NBF message,” she said.

Ann as a child, collecting sap from a sugar maple

Ann's connection to trees dates back to her childhood, having lived among the beautiful trees and glades at the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Her family first lived in a house on the school’s golf course.
“It was like living on a boat in the middle of an ocean of trees and grass,” she said. 

Ann said Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed the campus she grew up on as well as other famous outdoor respites, like Central Park in New York City, believed that people benefit from being immersed in thoughtful arrangements of land and plants. Growing up on the campus pay attention to trees her whole life – from the oaks and elms at Lawrenceville campus to the bonsai at the Museum. 

Ann studied history at Goucher College outside of Baltimore but has continued to pursue different subjects as a lifelong learner, including during her 16-year career at the Smithsonian Institution. She first worked in product development, searching for items in the collection that could be reproduced for Smithsonian shops and catalogues.

The Lawrenceville campus in the 50s or 60s, courtesy of Lawrenceville School

“I loved that I could learn about millions of objects including botanical specimens,” Ann said. 

Through this work, she met entomologists and botanists with whom she worked to educate the public about the different specimens and gardens seen throughout the Smithsonian collections. Ann then transitioned to a position at the World Wildlife Fund, where she helped spread crucial information about the value of wildlife conservation, including sustainable horticulture. 

Ann later worked as a freelance writer, which eventually led to her inaugural book called The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration, first published in 2005. She researched, wrote and assembled images for the beautiful ode to D.C.’s annual cherry blossom festival in just six months to meet the publisher’s deadline. 

“That was an intense learning period about trees because, in addition to festival facts and what cherry blossoms mean to the Japanese, I also had to learn about them as trees,” Ann said.

Seven years later, Ann worked with National Geographic to publish Cherry Blossoms: The Official Book of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, to honor the festival’s centennial celebration. With these authoring experiences, Ann was the perfect person to write about the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, at the suggestion of former Museum Curator Jack Sustic. 

“I was so grateful for the opportunity, and I have loved learning about bonsai and connecting with the trees,” she said. 

Ann worked with Sustic, Museum Specialist Kathleen Emerson-Dell and then-Executive Director Johann Klodzen to produce Bonsai & Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace and Beauty. The book details the history of the Museum’s trees and their instrumental role in international diplomacy, world's fair exhibitions and bonsai interest in the United States. 

“There are lots of books on the market but many are not as beautiful as this one, so I’m grateful for all the people who had something to do with that,” she said. 

Ann has spent many years promoting bonsai and the Museum through her book and continues to garden clubs, plant lovers and the public about the trees and their remarkable stories. She personally connects with the art because the essence of each tree species is distilled into the bonsai. 

“In Japan I saw a 70-foot-tall red pine with the same curved trunk as the Imperial Pine at the Museum, which allowed me to see why the Imperial Pine has such a presence just in its 4 feet,” Ann said. “The fact that a series of people over generations have cared for each of these trees is a message worth sharing.”

Ann (center) with her bonsai book at a receptions for the 2019 American Public Gardens Association Conference  (Courtesy of Olivia Anderson Photography)

She aims to highlight how bonsai practitioners around the world so clearly connect with trees in a deep way – and her efforts don’t go unnoticed. In early 2021, Ann received an award from the Japanese government for her success in promoting Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States. 

“To be honored like this is profoundly moving,” she said. “My life has been dedicated to service in a way – nonprofit work, education, ‘edu-tainment.’ These are not things you do if you’re looking to see your name in lights. It’s more about improving other people’s experiences.”

Ann continues to be an active member on the NBF board and is thrilled about plans to renovate the Museum’s exhibit spaces and tree pavilions. 

“It’s exciting to be part of something that has a future, and such a bright one, which I think will make it easier for more people to connect with the trees,” she said. 

Learn more about Ann McClellan and her work on her website. 

Local Ikebana Chapter Hosts Modified Annual Exhibition

An ikebana display titled “Resilience” by the Sogetsu school

Ikebana International Washington, D.C. Chapter No. 1 held its first outdoor exhibit at the U.S. National Arboretum this spring. 

Ikebana, or the Japanese art of flower arrangement, has been a complementary art to bonsai for decades. Chapter One has held an indoor exhibit at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum for more than 20 years, but this year’s exhibition needed a different venue due to the Museum’s temporary closure during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

While hundreds of schools dedicated to the art of ikebana exist, seven schools are represented in Chapter One. The group’s president and this year’s exhibition chair – Ursula Kondo and Jean Rieg, respectively – spoke with the National Bonsai Foundation.

A relative of her husband’s coworker first introduced Kondo to ikebana. While she has always loved flowers, Kondo was drawn to the asymmetrical design of Japanese arrangements, which are similar to the floral styles in her home country of Germany. Kondo originally joined the local Houston chapter of Ikebana International before moving and enlisting in the Washington, D.C. chapter. 

Rieg’s artistic roots are in teaching scrapbooking and cake decorating. She often took many trips to gardens around the United States and abroad due to her mother’s love of flowers. A friend introduced her to ikebana as another creative outlet, and Rieg started studying with Bruce Wilson, the lead of Chapter One’s Saga Goryu ikebana school. She also attended classes for three years at Saga Goryu Headquarters in Japan and will continue those trips once the pandemic ends

About one year after beginning classes, Rieg became the host coordinator of the annual exhibition, which led to her appointment as chair this past year. 

“Ikebana has become an important part of my life, and I find it an incredible artform,” she said. “A lot of people find great joy in seeing arrangements and understanding which schools they are derived from.” 

Rieg added that each group produced incredible pieces, especially considering that only one of the six schools that participated this year had ever worked on outdoor arrangements. 

Sogetsu team co-leader Marjorie Bauman (left) and member Catherine Macauley (right) work on an arrangement.

This year’s exhibition was both virtual and physical – two groups of 30 arrangements can be seen online, and 13 arrangements were available for viewing at the U.S. National Arboretum but are now online as well.

“We make sure to have arrangements from every school in our chapter so people can see the difference between the arrangements and styles,” Rieg said. 

The artists received basic directions on display details, like permitted dimensions, but the concept of each piece was largely left to individual inspiration. Most of the teams crafted arrangements to celebrate the anticipated end to the COVID-19 pandemic, titling their pieces with terms like “awakening” or “reawakening.”

Rieg said planning for this hybrid exhibition began in the fall of 2020. She saw a video exhibition that an ikebana chapter in San Francisco produced and thought a variation on that idea would work well for Chapter One. Rieg tested the concept with the chapter in a December Area Workshop with holiday arrangements. Teachers approved the students’ arrangements.

“We were worried how the public would react to the outdoor arrangements, but the exhibit was very well received, everyone was in awe of the arrangements,” Kondo said. 

“Breaking Out of the Pandemic” – Sangetsu school “Reawakened” – Ichiyo school

For the outdoor arrangements, the creators had to consider elements present in the natural environment when designing their prototypes and choosing their materials. Each display featured a QR code that viewers could scan with their phones to learn more about the ikebana schools, the materials used in the arrangements and general information on the art form.

“The Ichiyo school used a lot of bamboo stakes for their arrangement,” Kondo said. “The creators made notches in the bamboo and wired them together so it didn’t fall apart in the wind.”

While the design process took a couple of months, each exhibit was completely assembled on the Arboretum grounds in just one day. Rieg said the teachers conceived the original designs, but both students and teachers executed the projects. Each team comprised three-to-five students and could work in a designated 8-foot by 5-foot area.  

“We tried to position the arrangements so each could have its day in the light, and it was worth it because the whole exhibition was so well-received by visitors,” Kondo said. “Everyone was impressed with the exhibition and delighted with the opportunity to view it at the Arboretum.”

Rieg said Chapter One wanted the exhibition to demonstrate the period of transition the world is in as it slowly emerges from lockdowns and restrictions instated for safety during the pandemic. 

“We wanted it to be a reawakening and spark interest in viewers,” she said. “Every good effort has a good outcome. We succeeded because of the artistry and skill within the chapter and the great support we got from the Arboretum, so everything worked out very well.”

You can learn more about Ikebana International Chapter One on their website and follow them on Facebook.

The Ikenobo team (L to R: Valeria Shishkin, Reiko Royston & Team Lead Kyoko Peterson) next to their arrangement “Manifestation of Life and Beauty”

Arboretum Profiles: Scott Aker, Head of Horticulture and Education

Scott Aker, Head of Horticulture and Education

Some people don’t figure out their true passion in life for decades. But Scott Aker was hooked on horticulture from childhood after witnessing how a few iris plants his mother planted grew from dried-up rhizomes into blooming, show-stopping flowers in the spring. 

Aker grew up surrounded by nature in the Black Hills of South Dakota, and experiences like the irises’ transformation led him to pursue a bachelor’s degree in horticulture at the University of Minnesota and a master’s from the University of Maryland. Now the Head of Horticulture and Education at the U.S. National Arboretum, Aker works closely with National Bonsai Foundation and National Bonsai & Penjing Museum staff. 

“I’m one of those rare instances where I just always knew what I wanted to do – there was never much doubt really, so I’ve been fortunate to have that clarity,” he said.

Aker has always liked working outside, rather than in a lab or unpredictable academic spheres. After graduation, Aker pieced together a living by gardening for high-end clients, which he also did throughout college. Eventually he took a position as a horticultural extension agent for Howard County, Maryland, but the tumultuous economy of the early 90s put his job in jeopardy. 

A friend sent him a job announcement for an integrated pest management specialist at the National Arboretum. With previous training in this area, Aker applied for the job and was hired in 1992. His main task was to inspect the Arboretum’s gardens and collections, including the bonsai, for pests and diseases.  

“I loved the job because I could really roam throughout the Arboretum, and every day and season was a bit different from the last,” he said. 

Over the years, Aker reduced pesticide use at the Arboretum by 75 percent and conducted successful symposiums on integrated pest management and found he enjoyed teaching. When the gardens unit leader left in the early 2000s, he took over the job temporarily and was officially instated two years later. 

Scott Aker and National Capital Area Garden Clubs liaison Ellen Spencer celebrating the renovation of the back portion of the Friendship Garden and Arbor House hardscape, funded by National Capital Area Garden Clubs.  

Day to day, Aker takes care of bureaucratic duties like approving purchases, budgeting, property inventory, and planning and implementing Arboretum directives. He said the most fun part of the job is helping staff members with what they need to perform their jobs well. 

“I have a lot of conversations with them about what their obstacles are, how can I clear them, their ideas for where we should go and, when I can, interject my vision for what we can do and how we can manage things,” he said. “I aim to create a system where people can work efficiently and more productively while enjoying their work.”

Aker most enjoys looking critically at a collection or garden with staff members, discussing which methods and processes could best improve an area for visitors to enjoy that space more. He now also supervises the bonsai staff and collections and is always excited when a bonsai is nominated for inclusion in the national collection. Aker said working with the bonsai staff is one of his greatest pleasures.

“They are absolutely wonderful people, and I can’t be grateful enough for how hard they work,” he said. “It’s amazing to me what they produce and the beauty and tireless hours they spend doing some very tedious tasks. They’re cheerful and joyful about the whole thing so it’s great working with them.”

Aker also interacts with NBF leadership to plan fundraising, events and publicity efforts, and he often attends the NBF Board of Directors meetings. 

Aker raises the planting level of a hiba falsearborvitae to prevent fungal infection of the roots as an Integrated Pest Management Specialist in the mid-1990s.

“It’s always fun to talk to others in the community,” he said. “The board members are so important to keep the Museum and national collection going because they're so enthusiastic and so love what we have created there. They give us so much energy and so much positive affirmation.” 

Aker doesn’t have any plans to leave yet – he’s too excited about the potential still present at the Museum and Arboretum, like the upcoming renovations. 

“I’d hate to miss out on being a part of that, and I have much to contribute because, with my 30 years of experience here, I’ve really learned a lot,” he said. 

In his free time, Aker continues pursuing his passion by gardening at home and working with plants. His current project involves converting his front yard to be a fruit and vegetable garden. He also owns a shohin bonsai and arranges flowers for weddings and other special occasions.

WELCOME BACK: The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is OPEN!

Pitch pine donated by Muriel Leeds

Got plans for this week? We suggest visiting the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum!!

The National Bonsai Foundation is ecstatic to announce that the Museum is open again as of June 1, 2021! After closing last March to maintain staff and visitor safety during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are so happy to invite visitors back to enjoy the national collection’s breathtaking bonsai and penjing.

"Patience is a major component of training bonsai and penjing, but it comes with big rewards,” NBF Board of Directors Chair Jim Hughes said. “Thank you for your patience during the closure of the U.S. National Arboretum’s National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. You will be amply rewarded when you return for a visit."

The Museum will resume its normal daily operating hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All outdoor portions of the Museum will be open to the public, but please note that the indoor Tropical Conservatory and Exhibits Gallery will remain closed for now.

Not to worry – the tropical bonsai have been moved outside with the rest of the trees to enjoy the summer climate. We ask those who have not been vaccinated yet to wear a mask and maintain 6 feet of distance from others while admiring the trees.

Please donate today to help support the museum's reopening efforts.

A Satsuki azalea ‘Nikko’ donated by Masayuki Nakamura (Left) Juniperus chinensis var. sargentii donated by Kenichi Oguchi (Right)

During the Museum’s temporary closure, these treasured bonsai and penjing continued to grow, bloom, put on a colorful fall show, and enter dormancy in winter, Hughes said. 

"The living sculpture of bonsai and penjing at the U.S. National Arboretum is never static,” he said. “Come back and see how they have flourished in the past year.”

NBF thanks Museum staff for keeping a close eye on the trees while visitors were absent and would like to welcome back the incredible volunteers who skillfully care for the trees and bring warmth and camaraderie to the Museum.  

Ross Campbell, an NBF officer and board member, had just begun volunteering at the Museum a few months before the closure but is eager to get back to caring for and admiring the trees. 

“One of the difficulties of the past year has been the disappointment of not being around, and learning from, the Museum staff and the trees themselves,” he said. “I am thrilled that I can now spend time again at the Museum and grateful the public can too.”

Arboretum Director Dr. Richard Olsen said the year of closure afforded a rare opportunity for the bonsai to grow with vigor and abandon. Olsen added that Museum and Arboretum staff and recently returned volunteers have been busy training, clipping, thinning and repotting in preparation for the trees’ return to center stage. 

“We look forward to your return and reconnecting with these living treasures,” he said.

Museum Curator Michael James said visitors can expect to see a few minor changes throughout the Museum. A few trees have been removed from the cryptomeria walk visitors experience when entering the Museum, which will allow more light into the area and help the remaining trees to flourish. Trees were also taken out of the Kato Family Stroll Garden, which leads to the Japanese Pavilion, to ensure the garden stays in scale as a miniature forest. 

Newly carved deadwood on the Ponderosa pine

Staff have been letting many bonsai grow out, then have aggressively pruned them back to keep them healthy.

“When we see the trees everyday, sometimes those little changes are almost unnoticeable, but when you leave for a long time and come back to them it looks like some trees have changed a lot,” James said.

On the buttonwood donated by the CIA, staff have changed the trunk’s position and are preparing to rewire the tree to adjust its canopy shape. James anticipates the bonsai will be ready for display by the end of the summer. A black hill spruce with twin trunks will also be on display for the first time in the upper courtyard this summer.

“Right now we’re just like busy bees getting everything ready, so we’re a little anxious and a little excited to have people back,” he said. “The national collection is too beautiful to not be seen and enjoyed.”

Please donate today to help support the museum's reopening efforts.

The Future of Bonsai: Todd Schlafer

Bonsai and penjing masters like Saburo Kato and John Naka are recognized as icons who really advanced and expanded the ancient art of bonsai. Now, the next generation of artists are building on those legacies, putting down roots for many more decades of bonsai artistry.

In our new series The Future of Bonsai, the National Bonsai Foundation is highlighting up-and-coming bonsai and penjing pioneers who are next in line to spread the spirit of bonsai. Colorado native Todd Schlafer, who runs the school “First Branch Bonsai,” is one such artist. Get to know him through this recent interview with Sophia Osorio, the First Curator’s Apprentice at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. 

---

Sophia Osorio: How were you first introduced to bonsai? 

Todd Schlafer: I was at a market in Spain that had a "grow a bonsai from seeds” kit. I brought it home and tried to grow the bonsai, and it sprouted but died. Then I just started looking for bonsai – I Googled “Colorado bonsai.” I was working as an art director for a pet toy company called Kong, and there was a wholesale nursery called "Colorado Bonsai" near where I worked. I started volunteering on Saturdays, Sundays and after work, and the owner Harold Sasaki introduced me to a man named Jerry Morris, who took me to Utah for the first time to collect trees.

Then I met Ryan Neil while he was traveling around, and he invited me to go out to Oregon and stay there with him. In my head, to get to where I wanted to be, I probably needed to do this full time. And at the time, I was getting up at like six in the morning, working on trees until I had to go into work, and then I would come home and work on trees until I had to go to bed. On the weekends, I would go to the mountains and all of that, so I was already pretty involved.

But I wasn't happy with my job at the store. I had been there for a long time and one day, I was saying to my dad, "something needs to change.” Because at work, I wasn't very patient, and I'm a very patient person. He asked, "If money wasn't an issue, and you could do anything you wanted, what would you do?" I said, "I would do bonsai and collect trees," and he said, "Then that's what you should do.” He said that to me twice, and after the second time, I decided to pursue bonsai as a career. 

Left: one of Schlafer’s ponderosa pines Right: one of Schlafer’s Colorado blue spruces

SO: Where or how did you study bonsai techniques and aesthetics?

TS: I read books. But when I went to Oregon and started studying with Ryan Neil, everything changed. I started realizing what the potential was for our native species. He had trees the size I had never seen in person and the amount of refinement on Rocky Mountain junipers and spruces and our native species, sierras, that I had never seen before. I saw the potential that our species here have. I always tell people that studying with Ryan really changed everything.

SO: What are your future plans with bonsai? 

TS: I just started teaching. I quit my job in 2017 and started traveling doing bonsai that year. When Ryan came back, he traveled, and when Peter Warren finished his apprenticeship, he started traveling, so I was like, "Well, I guess that's what I do!" From 2017 through the beginning of 2020, I traveled between 250 and 280 days a year. I was just trying to see repetition with trees and just get my hands on a lot of trees. You kind of have to prove yourself, I guess.

Last year, I had some classes scheduled but they were canceled because of COVID-19. This year I’m holding classes and still traveling, but not quite as much. I have about 12 different three-day intensive courses at my place in Denver. I just gutted and finished my workshop, and I think eventually I'll need more land. That's something I need to look at – I want more land, I want a bigger greenhouse, a bigger workshop. But it'll come with time. First things first. 

SO: Who would you say has influenced your work in the bonsai community?

TS: Probably the most is Ryan Neil. I still continue my education with him. But now, for about the last year, I’ve started to find my own voice or my own style and approach - trying to figure out who I am and what my stance is going to be, how I’m going to present things and how I explore different forms. But studying with Ryan, and how particular he is, his technique is just so good. It's helped me out a lot and has given me the ability to explore what my vision is, what my thoughts are and having the techniques to be able to pull off whatever that looks like."

SO: Why should someone pursue bonsai? 

TS: All the care and maintenance of this living piece of sculpture can be very therapeutic. There are times where I've struggled with anxiety or depression, so I'll just go and I'll take a toothbrush and clean deadwood on a juniper because there's something therapeutic about it. As an art form, if you're creative, bonsai is a good way of getting some of that creativity out. I love my job and I wouldn't want to change it. But it's also not always as glamorous as everyone thinks. For four years, I was never home. It can be a grind, but it's what I felt like I needed to do at the time.

Also, working on collected trees, whether it's the initial structure or the repotting, is very rewarding once it's finished, but while you're doing it, it's very stressful. Everyone thinks, "Oh you're just going to trim your bonsai and have a glass of wine,” but that's not really it at all. If you kill a tree, then it hurts a little. But there are all sorts of things that come out of it that are very rewarding.

Schlafer working on a pine

SO: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in pursuing bonsai either as a hobby or a profession?

TS: Even when I was still pursuing bonsai as just a hobby, I found someone that I kind of tuned into, like how they design trees or what their approach was, and I stuck with that one person. There are some schools of thoughts that encourage taking your bonsai to as many people as you can. I think that's fine, but also everyone is going to see things differently. Your tree is just going to get beat up basically because everyone is going to have a different view on it. 

Be careful because it's a slippery slope: you get one tree, then you get two trees, and then it turns into five trees and 10 trees. Then you buy a house and you need sunlight for your trees and then you quit your job to do it for a living. That was my thing. If it's just going to be a hobby, then keep a certain number of trees just for your collection that you can maintain because they are a lot more work in the different seasons than a lot of us have time for.

Schlafer can be found online at firstbranchbonsai.com, on Instagram as @todd_schlafer_bonsai and on Facebook as @ToddSchlafer and @FirstBranchBonsai. 

The National Bonsai Foundation funds and curates several programs to educate and train the next generation of bonsai, like the First Curator’s Apprentice position. To support our work, consider gifting today.

The National Bonsai Foundation funds and curates several programs to educate and train the next generation of bonsai, like the First Curator’s Apprentice position. To support our work, consider gifting today.

Bonsai Around the World: The Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Bonsai and Penjing Collection

Satsuki azaleas from Dr. Melvyn Goldstein’s collection at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum Photo credit: Michigan Photography.

Bonsai has always had an educational component, but for this edition of Bonsai Around the World, we literally go to school – to the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum at the University of Michigan.

While the arboretum and gardens sit in separate parts of the campus, they form one unit with a single director. The first trees were a gift from the University’s former pharmacology department head, Dr. Maurice Seevers, who had a deep passion for bonsai. The Matthaei-Nichols collection now boasts more than 75 masterpiece bonsai and penjing, with 25 to 30 trees on display in rotation. 

The garden is one continuous loop connected to a nursery space. Carmen Leskoviansky, the bonsai collection specialist, said the displays vary depending on which trees pair well together and looking exceptional. The collection hosts an azalea show each spring showcasing trees and partners with the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society for their yearly show and sale. 

“They use our auditorium, and we have the garden open,” Leskoviansky said. “We work together to perform demonstrations, answer questions and give tours of the collection and garden.”

Many of the collection’s volunteers currently work or have worked for the University, and students work as summer interns and as part of the work-study program throughout the year. Leskoviansky hopes to connect students with the bonsai collection more in the coming years through research and connections with other University units such as the Center for Japanese Studies

She added that the collection’s tropical section will be expanded as a new bonsai display has been built in the conservatory’s Garden House. The outdoor bonsai garden is currently at capacity after receiving an extensive azalea donation from regional bonsai artist Dr. Melvyn Goldstein. 

“Dr. Goldstein has one of the best private collections of Satsuki azaleas in the country,” Leskoviansky said. “It’s definitely a showstopper.”

Bonsai from the nursery space at Matthei-Nichols. Photo credit: Michigan Photography.

Leskoviansky said trees with the biggest draw also include white cedars and native larches. One larch forest in particular wins a “People’s Choice” award almost every year at the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society’s show and sale.

“Visitors really connect with the display because it reminds them of Michigan forests,” she said. 

While Goldstein’s trees are traditional Japanese specimens – azaleas, elms, maples and the like – the original Matthaei-Nichols collection is mostly native to the Great Lakes region. Leskoviansky said American bonsai artists have a lot more room to experiment with these local species. 

“The rocky mountain junipers and ponderosas are popular, but many deciduous trees have not been really explored,” she said. “The trees in our collection started from our local group exploring what was growing around them, and there’s a lot of potential with native plants to make some really nice bonsai.”

Leskoviansky added the Matthaei-Nichols mission focuses on sustainability, so they feature a huge native plant garden and incorporate native plants in many of the display gardens. Native plants don’t rely on fertilizer and pesticides, require less watering and prevent run-off well compared to non-native species, making them a sustainable asset to the collection. 

“We’ve tried to use native plants in the bonsai garden’s ground plantings as the backdrop for our trees instead of more traditional horticultural varieties or Japanese species,” she said. “It’s fun to connect the native species bonsai with the native species growing in our gardens or on the trails.”

Left: an American larch forest that frequently wins People’s Choice each year. Right: Leskoviansky works on a collected white cedar planting.

Leskoviansky is Michigan through and through – she grew up on three acres of Michigan land, attended Michigan State University for horticulture until 2008 and has been working at Matthaei-Nichols since 2009. She first worked at the arboretum’s nearly 100-year-old peony garden. Then a full-time position opened up for her to take over the rest of the special collections, including bonsai. She now solely oversees the bonsai and penjing collection.

“I got a crash course in bonsai after I attended the American Bonsai Society convention in 2011,” Leskoviansky said. “My career in bonsai was a complete accident, but it’s become something I really love to do.” 

She’s now taking a three-year break to apprentice with Michael Hagedorn, whose seasonal program she attended from 2018-19. Leskoviansky wants to continue building her skills to give the Matthaei-Nichols collection the care it requires. 

Former National Bonsai & Penjing Museum Curator and National Bonsai Foundation Co-President Jack Sustic – a long-time Michigan resident – will tend to the collection a few days a week while Leskoviansky is gone. One of Sustic’s trident maples has resided in the garden for many years. 

While the collection is temporarily closed, check out the Matthaei-Nichols website for more information on the gardens as well as a breadth of general bonsai and horticultural information.

Mel Goldstein’s root-over-rock satsuki azalea with a rabbit foot fern kusamono. Photo credit: Michigan Photography.

Board Member Ann McClellan Receives Spring Imperial Decoration from the Government of Japan

We are thrilled to announce that National Bonsai Foundation’s Board of Directors Member Ann McClellan and author of BONSAI AND PENJING: AMBASSADORS OF PEACE AND BEAUTY (available for purchase) will be honored by the Government of Japan by receiving a 2021 Spring Imperial Decoration. See the press release issued by the Japanese Embassy in the U.S. below.

Ann McClellan (by Kenji)

---

2021 Spring Conferment of Decoration
Ms. Ann McClellan
Issued by Embassy of Japan in the United States

On April 29, 2021 (Japan Time), the Government of Japan announced the foreign recipients of the 2021 Spring Imperial Decorations. Author and writer Ann McClellan, is among this year’s foreign recipients, and in recognition of her contributions of introducing Japanese culture and promoting friendly relations between Japan and the United States, she will receive the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays.

Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

• DECORATION: Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays

• SERVICE: Contributed to introducing Japanese culture and promoting friendly Japan-U.S relations

• NAME: Ann McClellan

• MAJOR TITLES: Author and Writer

• ADDRESS (NATIONALITY): U.S.A (United States of America)

SUMMARY OF CONTRIBUTIONS

Ann McClellan has played an important role in strengthening the Japan-U.S. relationship. She has made exemplary contributions to promoting mutual understanding between Japan and the United States through her captivating written work, including "The Cherry Blossom Festival: Sakura Celebration" and "Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty.” Through her writing, presentations and appearances at various conventions and events, she has imparted an appreciation and awareness of the art of Japanese bonsai and the history of the cherry blossom trees, which remain an enduring symbol of the Japan-U.S. friendship.

Leave a comment below to congratulate Ann!