Inside the Museum, Photographing Bonsai
Brendan Bailes
Our Best Bonsai Photos of 2023
Our Best Bonsai Photos of 2023
Inside the Museum, NBF News
Brendan Bailes
Ringing in the New Year, Literally
Ringing in the New Year, Literally
Apprentice, National Bonsai Apprentice, Curator's Apprentice Blog
Brendan Bailes
Letter from National Bonsai Apprentice Angelica ...
Letter from National Bonsai Apprentice Angelica Ramirez

National Bonsai and Penjing Museum

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Our Best Bonsai Photos of 2023

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Thank you to all of our supporters in 2023! You are the reason that the National Bonsai Foundation continues to thrive in our mission to preserve the history, protect the legacy, and prepare the future of the art of bonsai in America.

Whether you donated to the National Bonsai Foundation last year, visited the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in person, or simply shared in the admiration of bonsai – your contributions to and participation in this great art form are deeply appreciated.

Through the course of years, decades, and even centuries, successive caretakers cultivate and nurture these incredible living art works. During our own lifetimes, the great responsibility and immense honor to care for these timeless trees falls to us. There is more to be done if we want to sustain the resilient beauty and persistent hope of bonsai for generations to come.

That's why, with your help, we will continue to sustain the art of bonsai in numerous ways throughout 2024:

  • We are proud to sponsor the National Bonsai Apprenticeship, the nation's premiere training program for up-and-coming bonsai artists. The renowned program prepares a new generation of American bonsai experts to ensure the future of the art of bonsai. Apprentices benefit from immersive education with professional curators and caretakers, hands-on experience with America’s national bonsai and penjing collections, and daily opportunities to hone their horticultural and artistic talents.

  • We partner with the U.S. National Arboretum to help maintain the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, the first and finest museum of its kind in the world. We support new exhibitions of bonsai, penjing, and viewing stones, helping to share the magic of these art forms with the public. We also provide ongoing education and development for the curators, which offers expanded opportunities to keep current with the latest approaches and techniques to the art form, and allows them to gain learning to stay at the top of their field.

  • We inform, educate, and inspire people at all levels about this breathtaking art form. Through initiatives like World Bonsai Day, exhibitions around the country, hands-on workshops, and national awards, we continue to share and delight in these awe-inspiring trees that give us so much joy, hope, and purpose.

We are so grateful that you have joined us to support these initiatives. Our dedicated community includes everyone from bonsai artists with decades of experience to new enthusiasts who have just discovered the awe of bonsai. Wherever you find yourself on your bonsai journey, we value you and we're glad you're here.

Thank you for helping to cultivate this incredible living art form. Together, we can ensure a vibrant and enduring future for the art of bonsai.

Warm regards and best wishes for the new year!

Visit the Museum to see these beautiful trees in person.

Our Best Bonsai Photos of 2023

All photos courtesy of NBF Board Member and professional photographer Stephen Voss.

Click on any photo to see a larger version. You can then scroll through the gallery by clicking on the left-right icons or using your arrow keys.

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Ringing in the New Year, Literally

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On New Year’s Day, the National Bonsai Foundation joined more than 150 visitors at the U.S. National Arboretum to hear the resonant tolls of a sacred Japanese temple bell. The bell, a gift from the National Bell Festival, was cast in 1798 at a monastery outside present-day Tokyo – which makes it 226 years old!

The bell was installed in the central courtyard of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, above the entrance to the Japanese Pavilion. The dedication included remarks from Arboretum Director Dr. Richard Olsen and National Bell Festival Director Paul Ashe, a traditional Buddhist blessing and sacred chants from All Beings Zen Sangha, and a ceremonial ringing of the bell. The ceremony also included four varieties of Japanese tea courtesy of local DC teahouse Teaism, including GenMaiCha (green tea with toasted rice), Hojicha (toasted green tea), Sencha, (very high grade green tea), and Soba Cha (Japanese buckwheat herbal infusion).

The event was covered by several outlets. You can read more at the links below:

ABC 7 (WJLA): Centuries-old Japanese temple bell installed at National Arboretum on New Year's Day »

WTOP News: How a nonprofit plans to preserve the sound of an ancient Japanese bell in DC »

The National Bell Festival: Japanese Bell Dedication Ceremony »

The National Bell Festival rings on New Year's Day across all seven continents, including eight handbells that are being played by two women on the ice shelf in Antarctica.

The bell is inscribed in classical Japanese across three ikenomachi, or panels, which detail the particulars of its casting. It includes the phrase: “One strike permeates all things. How could it be said the strike is slight, when it is heard without fail?”

Visit the Museum to see this beautiful bell in person!

an old bell finds a new home

Courtesy of the National Bell Festival:

The hanshō, or Buddhist temple bell, was cast in the ninth month of Kansei 10 (1798) by Katō Jinemon from Yokokawa, who came from a family of bell makers in the area of present-day Hachiōji, west of the Tokyo metropolitan area. Their foundry was near the Zen monastery and temple Daisen (also called Daisenji in respect), for which the bell was cast. A monk named Myōdō led a fundraising campaign for the bell's casting. It stands 27 inches tall and weighs 80 lbs.

The Daisen monastery no longer exists. It was located in the Amema village in the Tama district of the province of Musashi. As is true of many Edo-period villages, the names of locations have changed, but the location corresponds to Amema, Akiruno City, Tokyo 197-0825. In 1868, the monastery was incorporated with another temple complex named Jōfukuji, which also no longer exists.

The bell is inscribed in classical Japanese across three ikenomachi, or panels, which detail the particulars of its casting. It includes the phrase:

One strike permeates all things. How could it be said the strike is slight, when it is heard without fail?

What is a Hanshō?

Courtesy of the National Bell Festival:

Hanshō are stationary clapper-less signaling bells hung in Buddhist temples throughout Japan. Like the larger bonshō, hanshō are hung mouth-down and remain motionless. A wooden beam or handheld mallet is swung to sound the bell, which indicates the time and calls monks to prayer. In earlier days, hanshō also gave service as fire alarms in village watch towers.

It is said the sloping shoulders and flat base of a hanshō emulate the seated posture of Buddha. As such, the bells are accorded utmost reverence. Casting the temple bell is also a sacred event, with sprigs of hallowed mulberry, gold offerings, and papers containing Buddhist prayers tossed into the molten bronze.

During World War II, an ordinance to collect metals was decreed throughout Japan. To feed its war machine and keep its armies outfitted, Japan needed vast quantities of industrial materials – and like plucking fruit from a tree, they turned to peaceable, defenseless bell towers. An estimated 70,000 bells (approximately 90% of the temple bells then in existence) were destroyed and smelted into armament.

Today, bonshō and hanshō maintain their sacred place in Japanese society and have become internationally-recognized symbols of peace and diplomacy.

Event Photo Gallery

Click on any photo to see a larger version. You can then scroll through the gallery by clicking on the left-right icons or using your arrow keys.

All photos courtesy of The National Bell Festival / bells.org.

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Letter from National Bonsai Apprentice Angelica Ramirez

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Approaching the end of my term as the National Bonsai Apprentice at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, I feel immense gratitude for the experience, education, and memories I’ve enjoyed at this renowned institution. The responsibility for nurturing more than two hundred historically significant bonsai involves comprehensive daily care to uphold the artistic vision and to cultivate the horticultural health of these living works of art. I have learned something new every day.

As an Apprentice, I had the honor of helping to maintain the museum's garden and grounds, was responsible for the museum's daily opening and closing procedures, and assisted with classes and events. Among the many fulfilling aspects of the experience, sharing my passion and knowledge for the art of bonsai with hundreds of visitors has been particularly rewarding.

My bonsai journey was directly inspired by a photo of “Goshin”, my favorite bonsai at the Museum. This enchanting forest has been an enduring source of inspiration, influencing both my bonsai endeavors and my artistic pursuits as a painter. I've dedicated a significant amount of time to crafting a painting of “Goshin” in my personal time.

As I was working on the real “Goshin” one day during my Apprenticeship, I applied lime sulfur, a substance employed for preserving deadwood, to the trunks. It struck me that this created a tangible connection between my artistic pursuits at home and my professional duties at the Museum. In that instant, I found myself 'painting' “Goshin” in both realms, which is an extraordinary opportunity and a great honor.

Embarking on this Apprenticeship, my dedication to this art was already ingrained. However, it's within the supportive environment of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum that I've solidified a future aspiration: To curate a collection that will inspire others, just as this one has inspired me.

While my journey is far from complete, my experience as an Apprentice has offered a renewed sense of purpose. Caring for these historic bonsai instills a deep sense of responsibility and significance, and each daily task represents a contribution to something far beyond myself. Despite our transient existence compared to their long lifespans, our role as caretakers sustains these bonsai across generations. The opportunity to preserve history and contribute to this incredible legacy fills me with a sense of satisfaction and awe.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has supported me along the way.

To the curators of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum: Your mentorship and passion have been a source of encouragement and motivation. Your knowledge, skill, commitment, and resilience in curating such a monumental collection is truly inspiring. Your guidance has been invaluable, and I aim to one day reflect your expertise.

To the staff and volunteers at the U.S. National Arboretum: Your shared stories and fellowship have brightened my days. I appreciate your support, which has shaped both my professional approach and personal perspective.

To the National Bonsai Foundation: Your support is what makes this Apprenticeship possible. The funding, guidance, and stewardship of this position is unique in the country and gives up-and-coming bonsai artists a remarkable opportunity to learn, grow, and develop the field of bonsai care and the art form itself. I am deeply grateful that this role exists and that you gave me the chance to serve in it.

To everyone who creates, appreciates, or supports the art of bonsai: You are why we do this work. Please continue to cherish and protect this amazing art form, and know that we will do the same.

It has been an honor to work and learn alongside the exceptional individuals at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, the National Bonsai Foundation, and the U.S. National Arboretum.

Thank you for giving me this incredible opportunity.

Sincerely,
Angelica Ramirez
2023 National Bonsai Apprentice

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Bonsai By Night in Black and White

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If you've visited the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the U.S. National Arboretum, or if you've browsed through the photos on our website, you know how photogenic the bonsai collections can be. There is a special majesty to the trees on display, and the more time you spend with them, the more each one expresses its own unique artistic vision.

At night, an essence of mystery descends on the stone paths and serene gardens of the Arboretum and the Museum. Since the grounds are open during daytime hours, visitors don’t usually have a chance to see bonsai under the moon. When its dark, and especially in black and white photographs, a glamorous mix of shadows and light emerges among the trees.

These black and white photos of bonsai by night are uniquely alluring. The nocturnal setting and the stark style converge to showcase beguiling details of texture and form.

Which is your favorite photo? Let us know your reactions in the comments.

Click on any of the photos to view fullscreen. You can use the arrow keys or click on the left or right of each image to scroll through the gallery in the lightbox slideshow.

Influential Bonsai Masters: Yuji Yoshimura

All photo credit: Bill Valavanis

All photo credit: Bill Valavanis

Summer 2020 is officially the summer of the bonsai blog series! We’re launching another string of blogs to highlight the fascinating history and teachings of some of the most influential bonsai masters. For our first edition, we spoke with Bill Valavanis, a National Bonsai Foundation director and bonsai artist, about his time training under Yuji Yoshimura.

Valavanis dubs Yoshimura his “Japanese father” from whom he learned on the weekends while studying horticulture during college in the 1960s. He said Yoshimura felt like a god to him when they first met, as Yoshimura’s book The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees and Landscapes – later reprinted as The Art of Bonsai: Creation, Care and Enjoyment – is considered a “bonsai bible.” The book is the first authoritative source for bonsai artists written in English.

Yoshimura began his bonsai work under his father’s tutelage. He and Alfred Koehn, a notable authority on Japanese art, organized and produced the first beginner’s bonsai course at Yoshimura’s family nursery in Tokyo in 1952. 

The first bonsai instructional class in 1952.

The first bonsai instructional class in 1952.

Yoshimura’s father, who rekindled the craft of classical bonsai, was the most influential person in his bonsai career. Valavanis said Yoshimura’s family remained anchored in Japan, but he wanted to spread the art of bonsai around the world. He traveled to Australia, Hong Kong, England and across the United States, where he and his family lived for many years.

But Yoshimura sacrificed the stability of his relationships when he left home. One of his younger brothers took over his garden after he left, Yoshimura’s wife and one daughter eventually moved back to Tokyo and Yuji was highly criticized in Japan for teaching the “Yanks” in America – but Yoshimura loved the United States. 

“He found Americans very friendly,” he said. “He went through a lot of students but he would take care of them, tell them extra things, treat them nicely and encourage them.” 

Yoshimura’s daughters and granddaughter with the U.S. National Arboretum director.

Yoshimura’s daughters and granddaughter with the U.S. National Arboretum director.

Yoshimura took Valavanis to Japan to meet other influential bonsai figures. Upon returning to the United States, Valavanis lived with him for almost a year to study the classical Japanese style of bonsai. He said Yoshimura would personally demonstrate wiring or care techniques, unlike many current apprentices learning bonsai in Japan, who are often left to grasp concepts by themselves. 

“He taught me the basics and introduced me to the Japanese fine quality classic bonsai,” Valavanis said. “He showed me where I can improve, get more information and how to study.”

Former U.S. National Arboretum director John Creech and Yoshimura in 1973.

Former U.S. National Arboretum director John Creech and Yoshimura in 1973.

Yoshimura relied on old, historic books – some of which he took from his father in Japan – for bonsai knowledge and left Valavanis his library when he retired. He is known for his strict teaching style, adhering to traditional Japanese designs – his father’s influence – and curt lessons. 

“Once when I was cleaning the kitchen floor, I put back our two chairs and went out to do something, but my chair was missing when I came back,” Valavanis said. “I put it back two or three times, but finally I got the hint time for me to leave.”

Yoshimura attending a bonsai convention.

Yoshimura attending a bonsai convention.

Even after the two parted as roommates, Yoshimura routinely visited Valavanis’ garden, helped him establish a bonsai magazine and remained a teacher and friend until he died in 1997. 

Valavanis said the most important takeaway from Yoshimura’s teachings is to do what he thinks is right and avoid too much influence from other artists. He took that advice with him to start the first American bonsai exhibition, the highest level show in the United States, which is now in its seventh year. 

“He told me to stand on his head or shoulders to take the art higher,” Valavanis said. “He wanted me to use what he had and go improve.”

For more on Yuji Yoshimura, you can head to Valavanis’ blog posts here and here. If you have any personal stories or memories with Yoshimura, tag us in them on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

A Special Message From Our Partners at the U.S. National Arboretum

I’m very pleased to be able to tell you that Andy Bello will begin his permanent position as Assistant Curator of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum on June 21, 2020.  Andy finished his internship as our most recent First Curator Apprentice in March. Since that time, he has served as a temporary technician and will continue to do so until June 21.

Andy has a deep commitment and true passion for bonsai and penjing. He is very engaging and is always ready and willing to share that passion with visitors and volunteers alike. We are very fortunate to have him in this permanent position. Andy hails from Illinois and has spent time in Arizona and Oregon. He’s worked with koi in a previous job, so he knows his fish, too.

Because the bonsai and penjing require daily care, Andy will work a Sunday through Thursday schedule, but this schedule has been somewhat disrupted by the current coronavirus situation. He and Michael have been working overtime to tend the plants with help from Pat Lynch and Brad Evans to make up for all the lost volunteer help while that program is on a pause for safety reasons.

Please join me in congratulating Andy on his new appointment. He is a great asset to our bonsai team.

Scott Aker

Head of Horticulture and Education

U.S. National Arboretum

Thank You Essential Workers!

Dear Community,

In these unprecedented times, the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and U.S. National Arboretum are unfortunately closed to the public. We wish we could be sharing our blooming trees, luscious greenery and bonsai history with you all right now! 

Luckily, a handful of Museum employees are still hard at work – safely distanced and wearing masks – to ensure our trees are in healthy, thriving condition when we can welcome visitors again.  

Thank you so much to these five essential workers for your dedication to the preservation of our Museum’s trees! We wish for your safety and good health as you continue to take care of our fields, gardens and displays.

Sincerely,

Jack Sustic, Felix Laughlin and Bobbie Alexander, on behalf of the Board of Directors of the National Bonsai Foundation

Scott Aker, Head of Horticulture and Education, USNA

Scott Aker, Head of Horticulture and Education, USNA

Michael James, Museum Curator

Michael James, Museum Curator

Andy Bello, Garden Technician, Museum

Andy Bello, Garden Technician, Museum

Patrick Lynch, Garden Technician, Asian Collections and Holly & Magnolia Collections

Patrick Lynch, Garden Technician, Asian Collections and Holly & Magnolia Collections

Brad Evans, Horticulturist, Introduction Garden

Brad Evans, Horticulturist, Introduction Garden

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Species Spotlight: Cypress (Taxodium distichum, ascendens, mucronatum)

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This month’s Species Spotlight (by our First Curator’s Assistant, Andy Bello) turns the light on three different species that constitute the genus Taxodium: Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Pond Cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and Montezuma Cypress (Taxodium mucronatum). All three species are located in our collections at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. 

Old Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) at Lake Drummond, VA (Photo by Andy Bello)

Old Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum) at Lake Drummond, VA (Photo by Andy Bello)

Taxodium are extremely flood-tolerant, deciduous conifers in the cypress family Cupressacae. These trees can reach heights of about 100-150 feet and trunk diameters reaching more than 37 feet. A distinctive feature of taxodium is the formation of pneumatophores, also known as “cypress knees.” Some bonsai experts debate whether the knees aid in the uptake of oxygen or if they support the trees in wet soil conditions. 

Species history and general facts

Bald cypresses are mainly found along rivers with silt-rich flood deposits throughout the Southeastern United States and even up the Mississippi River into Southern Indiana. 

Pond cypresses live within the Southeastern Coastal Plain, from North Carolina to Louisiana, and grow in more stagnant blackwater rivers, ponds and swamps, rather than silt-rich flood deposits. 

Montezuma cypresses are found between the lower Rio Grande Valley down to the highlands of Guatemala. This cypress is a riparian tree that grows along streams and rivers. This species tends to be evergreen and not deciduous, given its distribution in a consistently warm climate. Montezuma cypresses on average have the largest trunk size, with some reaching about 37.5 feet in diameter.

Take a look at some of the cypresses we have at the Museum!

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Bald Cypress

This bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) #269 is located in the North American Collection. It has been in training since 1972, and the late Vaughn Banting donated the tree in 2000. Banting originally purchased the tree as a nursery plant. This bald cypress, along with one at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, are the first two trained into a configuration Banting championed called “Flat Top Style.” The flat top style with knees protruding from the soil is a very distinctive trait of bald cypresses.

Read more about the history of this bald cypress, Vaughn Banting and the flat top style here.

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Montezuma Cypress

This montezuma cypress (Taxodium mucronatum) #274, now located the North American Collection, was donated by Mike Naka in 2004 in honor of his grandfather and bonsai master, the late John Y. Naka. 

John Naka purchased this bonsai from a nursery in Los Angeles after traveling from Denver in 1946 and began training the tree in 1948. The bonsai is trained in the formal upright style to invoke the massive height and girth often seen in the species. By keeping the primary branches short and closer to the trunk, Naka provided an even grander image of the species’ height. 

Montezuma cypresses are evergreen in their native warm climate, but their seasonal beauty can truly be appreciated when they are allowed to thrive in Northern climates.

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Pond Cypress (with bald cypresses)

This group planting of a pond cypress (Taxodium ascendens) and multiple bald cypresses (Taxodium distichum) #250 is located in the North American Collection. Jim Fritchey and Dick Wild donated the planting, comprised of trees collected from the wild Floridian swamps, in 1990 after arranging the original planting in 1988. 

As the forest in this planting evolved, a number of trees were removed after some trees couldn’t keep up with the competition for light – a common phenomenon in natural forests. The composition was rearranged to ensure the longevity of the planting.

The photo above is how the planting appears at the Museum today. The large pond cypress on the left with a strong lean provides directionality, while the group of bald cypresses on the right provides depth. The seven-foot stone slab, which weighs about 1,500 pounds, evokes a natural look compared to the typical ceramic container. 

Come and visit The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in all four seasons to experience the beauty of Taxodium in the collection. The lush bright green spring growth and the brilliant red and orange fall foliage is best to appreciate in person. I hope that these trees inspire everyone to work more with native species and create bonsai in a meaningful manner.