Growing Forward: Bonsai and Podcast Goals for 2025 - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 40

In Vivo Bonsai Announcements/Upcoming Events in Columbus

• February 17, 2025 - Columbus Bonsai Society presents Bruce Brethnauer of the Central Ohio Cactus and Succulent Society to present on the botanical family known as Apocynaceae of which desert rose are a member. They have several unique adaptations and traits for bonsai as well as some unsung species that may be worth trying.
• March 29, 2025 - Intro to Indoor Bonsai Workshop at Dawes Arboretum hosted by yours truly. I will add a sign up link in the next link when it goes live!
• I recently posted many bonsai tools on my Etsy. See invivobonsai.Etsy.com for options or reach out for a local-pickup discount. I will continue to work on adding my bonsai wire, soil, and other accessories into the web store as I get prepared to ship larger items on request.

I. Episode Summary & Links

Kevin, Ryan, and Kelly sat down to look forward to another new year of doing bonsai and podcasting. We discussed potential new resolutions and directions for our bonsai lives and the podcast although not our plans all can be made public yet. Kevin also posited some potential trends from other forms of art that he hopes may one day be adopted in bonsai. Enjoy the episode and let us know, what is your bonsai resolution for the year?

The YouTube version of Episode 40 is here!⁠

The podcast version of Episode 40 is here!

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsor Info: 

This episode is sponsored by (me!) In Vivo Bonsai of Columbus, Ohio. Find me in person, at ⁠invivobonsai.etsy.com⁠, or go to ⁠⁠https://www.InVivoBonsai.com⁠/ ⁠to see upcoming events, expanding online offerings, educational materials, and more.

Support the Pod:

            Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc.

See the relevant images and links from this episode below.

Branches of Insight: Bonsai Milestones and Lessons of 2024 - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 39

In Vivo Bonsai Announcements/Upcoming Events in Columbus

• January 25th, 2025 9am-11am - Intro to Indoor Bonsai with Upper Arlington Recreation. For details and to sign up, see here. Only 8 spots left! 
• This is the last time that free Columbus Bonsai Society and Central Ohio Cactus and Succulent Society 1 year trial membership is included with my workshops! We will move to a discount model going forwards.
• February 17, 2025 - Columbus Bonsai Society presents Bruce Brethnauer of the Central Ohio Cactus and Succulent Society to present on the botanical family known as Apocynaceae of which desert rose are a member. They have several unique adaptations and traits for bonsai as well as some unsung species that may be worth trying.
• I recently posted many bonsai tools on my Etsy. See invivobonsai.Etsy.com for options or reach out for a local-pickup discount. I will continue to work on adding my bonsai wire, soil, and other accessories into the web store as I get prepared to ship larger items on request.

I. Episode Summary & Links

Ryan, Kelly, and Kevin sat down to reflect on our past year in bonsai. What goals have we set out in our bonsai lives and where do we stand on meeting them? We also unpacked other milestones from our last year in bonsai such as taking and leading new workshops, caring for public collection bonsai, attending bonsai shows, and new trees and folks we’ve enjoyed meeting along the way!

The YouTube version of Episode 39 is here!⁠

The podcast version of Episode 39 is here!

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsor Info: 

This episode is sponsored by (me!) In Vivo Bonsai of Columbus, Ohio. Find me in person, at ⁠invivobonsai.etsy.com⁠, or go to ⁠⁠https://www.InVivoBonsai.com⁠/ ⁠to see upcoming events, expanding online offerings, educational materials, and more.

Support the Pod:

            Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc.

See the relevant images and links from this episode below.

A Visit to Green Witch Gardens - Michigan's Largest Bonsai Nursery

            A few months back I had the pleasure of being invited to give a talk for the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society by Ellen Veselenak, their new club VP and head of programming. Before my club presentation, I was able to stop over at her nursery - the Green Witch Gardens - which I learned is the largest bonsai nursery in Michigan. As it turns out, the Green Witch Gardens was originally called The Flower Market, and has been operating between Dundee and Monroe, MI for decades through different owners before Sara, Ellen, and Melissa took over most recently. Since assuming ownership, the Green Witches have learned bonsai quickly, traveled to countless bonsai shows to sell their trees, and they have also become even more of a staple of their local bonsai scene with many educational opportunities each month. Meanwhile, the Green Witch Gardens also do some of the typical nursery/flower store things beyond bonsai as well. To dive deeper into their histories and plans for the Green Witch Gardens and what it means for them to strive towards being a community hub, I sat down with Ellen and Mellissa while I visited to record an interview with them during my visit. Please enjoy our conversation over at the Bonsai Time Podcast Episode 38 - Behind the Scenes at the Green Witch Gardens and get a glimpse of their nursery through the trove of photos below.

In Vivo Bonsai Announcements/Upcoming Events in Columbus

• CyberMonday sale: Now through 12/4/24 I am offering 25% off any purchase of $40 or more on my Etsy and my in-person bonsai nursery here in Columbus, OH. Contact me to visit in person or to discuss ordering/shipping any items mentioned below that are not yet in the webstore.
• My Etsy page currently has a variety of seeds along with my bonsai-from-seed printed guide to help you plan for the long term and a few bonsai books available there. In person you will also find trees, pots, wire, tools, soil, and more.
• January 19th, 2025, 2-5pm at Franklin Park Conservatory - Japanese Garden Design with Walter Reins
• January 25th, 2025 9am-11am - Intro to Indoor Bonsai with Upper Arlington Recreation. For details and to sign up, see here.

A row of larch bonsai at the Green Witch Gardens.

The Slabby Evolution of My Truckstop Elm with John Geanangel

Source Material: March 2022-March 2024

            Over the last few years, I've been styling what I call my "Truckstop Elm" Yamadori. It came to me while I was driving through Pennsylvania and stopped at a rest stop to take my dog out. There was a wooded area and a lawn that came up to it and there this elm lived on the border. It had clearly been runover several different ways over the years by the lawnmower. I didn't even need a shovel to extract it, the roots were already loose except for one which needed a simple snip to enable its hitchhiking. The photos chronicled here document the last two years of its initial potting, recovery, a few cycles of pruning, and most recently planting it onto a rock slab under the guidance of John Geanangel of Gaston, South Carolina. I became aware of his slab rock planting workshops among others through his Facebook profile (more info here). Below you see the final product of two years of work. It looks great on that rock but I'd like to continue developing its taper and ramification before considering showing it formally anywhere. One step at a time anyways...

Sections:

1. March 2022: Initial Potting
2. Spring-Late Summer 2023, Initial Pruning Cycles
3. March 2024: Slab Planting Workshop with John Geanangel
4. Final Thoughts on Rock Slab Bonsai

In Vivo Bonsai / Columbus Bonsai Announcements

1. My next workshop is Sunday 7/21, I will be teaching the basics of slab plantings using ficus (a beginner-friendly species that can be repotted in summer). The idea is to teach you the materials needed, mechanics, watering considerations, and so on which will empower you to use this method next spring on more advanced trees of your choosing if you are so inclined! Contact me with any questions! Observers are welcome. Sign up here.
2. The Columbus Bonsai Society's next meeting is 7/20-7/21, our 52nd Annual Show. This year it will be held at a new venue - Chadwick Arboretum at Ohio State University near downtown Columbus. More info will be coming this week and can be found here. 
3. You can also find me vending at the Waterfront Botanic Gardens Bonsai Show in Louisville, KY August 24-25 and the Cincinatti Bonsai Show October 4-5 this year. Due to limited space when I drive to these events, it is best if you reach out to me with any special requests you have for things I should bring. I expanded my offerings this year into bonsai soil, wire, tools, pots, and I have a few trees listed online here (and many more not posted yet). Feel free to browse the yews, boxwoods, barberries, and consignment trees available or let me know if you are looking for anything in particular.

2 springs after digging, recovering, potting, initial styling, and now repotting onto a rock slab. This tree has developed quickly! Thanks again to John Geanangel for hosting me in a workshop and sharing his methods with me. 

Everything you need to know for the 52nd Annual Columbus Bonsai Society Show! See you July 20-21, 2024

The outline for the weekend is included below. As we get more information, I will continue to update this page. Mark your calendars and see you there!

Sections:

1. Event Overview
2. Where & When!
3. Vendors & Guest Artists in Attendance
4. Workshop Schedule & Details
5. Raffle and Sponsor Details
6. Why & How to Exhibit Trees
7. Why & How to Volunteer
8. Bonsai Time Podcast Interviews with CBS Show Vendors/Artists