(All dates except for Veteren’s Day)

THROUGHOUT FULL MUSEUM

This exhibition celebrates the autumn season with traditional Asian arts of nature in peak colors and forms. Enjoy bonsai in their autumnal colors before the leaves fall away to reveal their bare winter silhouettes. See red maples, yellow ginkgo and fruited trees in the Museum’s permanent collection pavilions. The Special Exhibits Wing features formal displays with select trees during their peak fall colors interspersed with chrysanthemum stones from China, Japan, and California.

Photography by Stephen Voss.

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Chinese and Japanese scholars have appreciated stones for centuries. They were said to "cultivate" themselves through stone appreciation. Modern enthusiasts reinvigorate these traditions by exhibiting landscape-view and nature-related stones. Adding to the synergy of modern viewing stone practice, this exhibit of PVSG member stones suggests changes and challenges in stone appreciation.

National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, Arboretum Visitor Center

Together with the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA), the U.S. National Arboretum is honoring World Bonsai Day on May 11th with a weekend festival celebrating the art of bonsai. A juried exhibit of PBA bonsai will be on view in the Museum’s Exhibits Gallery. Aspiring and longtime bonsai artists will find everything they need and more from vendors selling bonsai, pre-bonsai, pots, accents, and supplies. The weekend includes free demonstrations, children’s activities, and docent-led tours of the Museum. Beginner bonsai workshops will be offered throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. The $75 fee for the workshop includes everything you need to get started, including a tree. Advanced registration for the workshop is strongly recommended but not required.

Visit the PBA website for a full festival schedule, including a list of confirmed vendors and information about the paid workshops.

Register for a workshop: Click here!

This course is hosted by the U.S. National Arboretum, with registration support by Friends of the National Arboretum. This course is offered in partnership with Potomac Bonsai Association and Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society.

The horticultural perfection of a bonsai does not have to take decades to accomplish. The chrysanthemum can be artfully shaped into a bonsai within one growing season. This Bonsai Basics course is a series of five classes. Participants meet about once a month for lectures and demonstrations, beginning on Saturday, May 4th and concluding on Saturday, November 2nd.

This course is hosted by the Arboretum, with registration support by FONA. Registration costs $200 for the entire course. FONA members, use your discount code to receive 20% off. Register soon, spots are limited and this event fills quickly!

REGISTRATION

At registration, students will select from one of four small groups that meet on different dates and times. With no more than ten students in each, these groups allow for individualized attention from the instructors. All students will meet jointly for the first and last lessons. There is no variation in course content among the groups.

Group schedules are listed below. Students may not switch small groups during the course. If a group is not available when you register, that group is full. There is no waitlist for individual small groups, only the course as a whole.

Group A
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Saturday, June 15 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, August 3 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, September 21 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)

Group B
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Saturday, June 15 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, August 3 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, September 21 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)

Group C
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Sunday, June 16 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Sunday, August 4 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Sunday, September 22 (10 AM – 12 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)

Group D
Saturday, May 4 (1 PM – 4 PM)
Sunday, June 16 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Sunday, August 4 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Sunday, September 22 (1 PM – 3 PM)
Saturday, November 2 (1 PM – 4 PM)

Presented by Ikebana International, Washington, D.C. Chapter No. 1
U.S. National Arboretum
April 12 - 21, 10 am - 4 pm
Free and open to the public

Special Events:

• Free Live Demonstrations on April 13, 14, 20, 21 from 1 - 2 pm

• Ikebana for Kids Workshop on April 21 from 1 -2 :30 pm (Need Prior Registration)

Ikebana International, Washington D.C. Chapter No. 1 will host its annual exhibition at the U.S. National Arboretum. The exhibition will demonstrate the creativity and artistry of their members in arrangements representing several different schools of ikebana.  There will also be live demonstrations showcasing ikebana styles of four different schools. 

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

This exhibit of landscape-view and nature-related stones will transport you to far-flung locations around the world. The stones are from the collections of members of the Potomac Viewing Stone Group, a regional organization dedicated to stone appreciation. Come and let your imagination travel!

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Colorful cultivars of late-blooming Satsuki azaleas have been hybridized in Japan for hundreds of years. This annual exhibit showcases our most spectacular examples in a one-week indoor display. Based on individual bloom times, trees may be on display in the outdoor pavilions before and after the indoor exhibit.

Shape your own flowering bonsai in a single growing season.

The horticultural perfection of a bonsai does not have to take decades to accomplish. The chrysanthemum can be artfully shaped into a bonsai within one growing season. Register for a series of five chrysanthemum bonsai classes, beginning on World Bonsai Day, Saturday, May 13th, 2023, and produce a styled, blooming chrysanthemum bonsai by November.

This Bonsai Basics is a course for beginners and intermediates, consisting of five classes beginning May 13 and ending November 4. A maximum of 40 students will meet all together for the first and last class for lectures and demonstrations. In between, students attend three, two-hour classes in small groups of 10 for more intensive teaching by curatorial staff of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum.

Participants will learn the basics of watering, wiring, pinching, pruning, potting, and displaying chrysanthemum bonsai. While these principles also apply to bonsai that are traditional woody tree species, using the chrysanthemum allows students to see the results of their pruning, wiring, and other work, within only a few months instead of after years of training. When cared for correctly, these “gnome” species of chrysanthemums, bred for their small flower and leaf size, will bloom heavily in the fall, providing students with an opportunity to present their personally designed,flowering bonsai in an all-group display. This course is offered in partnership with Potomac Bonsai Association and Old Dominion Chrysanthemum Society.

Program Prerequisite Requirements:
Participants must be 12 years of age or older and have access to an outdoor growing area with a minimum of 6 hours of direct sun per day.

Course Fee: $150 for all 5 classes

For more details on course materials, schedule and how to register, click here.

Bonsai Museum Exhibits Wing, Chinese Pavilion, Lecture Demonstration Center, Vendor Tent

Co-sponsored by the Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) and the U.S. National Arboretum, this event features a show of PBA member trees and vendors selling bonsai, pre-bonsai, pots, accents and supplies. A juried exhibit of PBA bonsai will be on view in the museum. Free demonstrations will be given by PBA members. There will also be fee-based workshops.

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

This exhibit showcases the best bonsai from members of the Potomac Bonsai Association in formal displays. It will be on view for the public during the Potomac Bonsai Festival and will continue through the following weekend and celebration of World Bonsai Day. 

A program of our friends at CHAPTER 1 Ikebana International and USNA

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Enjoy spring flowers with a Japanese twist! The Washington D.C. Chapter (Chapter 1) of Ikebana International will exhibit flower arrangements representing a variety of ikebana schools and styles. There will be a change-out of the exhibits on April 10 and 13, so plan return visits to see everything. Master teachers will give free ikebana demonstrations on April 8, 9, 15, and 16.

All events are open to the public and are free of charge.

Free Demonstrations: April 8, 9, 15, 16, 1 - 2 pm

Ikebana for Kids Workshop: April 16, 1 -2 :30 pm (Needs prior registration)

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

As he followed the blossoming cherry trees from south to north in Japan, landscape architect Ron Henderson recorded his experience in folding sketchbooks called orihon. His work celebrates the cherry blossom culture in Japan, highlighting his pilgrimages to visit famous old trees. But he also focuses on the horticultural practices that extend the lives of cherry trees in Japan, illustrating pruning techniques, branch crutches, rope tenting, and root grafting. This exhibition of Henderson’s books inspires awe for the trees as well as for the unique manner in which one man documented his journey.

Hop into the Year of the Rabbit with an auspicious visit to the Bonsai Museum. See how many rabbits you can find among the bonsai, kusamono, and viewing stones!  This special exhibit will celebrate the transition from winter to spring that Asian cultures traditionally considered the beginning of a new year.

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Enjoy a special weekend display of Japanese flower arrangements from one of the oldest traditional schools of ikebana represented locally by the Ikenobo Ikebana Society Metropolitan Washington D.C. Chapter.

Exhibits Gallery, National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

WHAT’S ON DISPLAY?

The public is invited to view the once private collection of Chinese Scholars’ Rocks generously donated by noted scholars’ rock collector, Kemin Hu.

This gift doubles the Museum’s viewing stone collection, making it the finest collection of documented Chinese Scholars’ stones in the United States. Hu continues a philanthropic tradition established by her father, Zhaokang Hu.

Featured in The Washingtonian
(February 2023)

The exhibit displays a large selection from the Hu gift. Sizes of the stones range from a few inches to almost 5 feet. Besides geological stones, Hu’s gift includes objects of fossil, petrified wood, coral, stalactite, root wood, and ceramics.

Adding to the excitement around this gift, the National Bonsai Foundation, the nonprofit partnering with the U.S. National Arboretum to support the Museum, has captured this collection within an immersive and stunning artbook now available for purchase.

What Are Chinese Scholars’ Rocks?

Chinese scholars’ rocks are stones collected in nature, some naturally occurring and others hand carved or otherwise embellished. The stones often resemble natural landscapes, animals, or evoke nature in some manner. They’ve been described by scholars’ rock expert Dr. Phillip E. Bloom as appearing to…

The Asian art of collecting, displaying, and appreciating unusual stones is ancient, dating back at least two thousand years. Stone appreciation practice originated in China and spread to Korea and Japan. Much later, the practice was adopted by other countries throughout the world.

These stones have an enormous “wow” factor for people viewing them for the first time. Accompanied by quality interpretative materials, thousands of visitors will begin to understand what these stones represent as well as their importance. With this gift, the U.S. National Arboretum and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum becomes an even greater treasure in the Washington, DC, area.

Located in the Exhibits Wing at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.

Located at the Exhibits Gallery, Exhibits Wing, with demos in Auditorium at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.

Located in the Exhibits Wing of The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum. Plan your visit here.

This event is run by our friends at Potomac Bonsai Association for their Spring Festival.

Come to the Potomac Bonsai Association’s beginner bonsai learning tent outside the Museum to receive one-on-one instruction from experienced club members. Students will learn how to prune, wire, and repot a bonsai they can take home after class.3-hour class. $50 fee (cash or card) per session; all materials provided. No advanced registration required!

Location: Outside the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

This event is part of the Potomac Bonsai Association’s annual spring festival, which takes place from May 6th - 8th. Find a full festival schedule here.

This event is run by our friends at the Potomac Bonsai Association.

Bonsai Vendor Tent
Friday, May 6th, 12 pm - 4 pm
Saturday and Sunday, May 7th - 8th, 9 am - 4 pm
Outside the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum
Find everything you need to begin growing bonsai. Twelve vendors from the region will be selling everything from refined bonsai to pre-bonsai material, tools, soil, and planters.

This event is part of the Potomac Bonsai Association’s Spring Festival. Learn more about festival and other events here.

The Potomac Bonsai Association (PBA) will host an exhibition of bonsai by affiliated club members. Member bonsai will be displayed in the courtyard and formal displays will be set up in the display wing of the special exhibits building of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the National Arboretum, Washington D.C.

More information here.

ABS changed from traditional demonstration/workshop conventions in 2006. Using an idea put forth by board member Pauline Muth that matched their organizational goals of bonsai education, conventions were changed into learning seminars. Under this plan, multiple excellent bonsai teachers were invited to teach classes on their favorite bonsai skills. The seminars are designed as a college class weekend. Each weekend packed with classes, workshops, demonstrations, vendors and a wonderful exhibition.

ABS pairs with local and regional bonsai organizations, such as The National Bonsai Foundation, to host the event. ABS relies on the hosts to bring the best wanted bonsai experience to their area of the country.

Presented by ABS, BCI, NBF & PBA.

List of Teachers:

JULIAN ADAMS
BJORN BORNHOLM
YOUNG CHOE
ENRIQUE CASTANO
JAMES DOYLE
MARK FIELDS
RON LANG & SHARON EDWARDS-RUSSELL
PETER MACASIEB
KRISTINE MAJESKE
& many others.