Bonsai: From Soil Mix to Design

Course description:

Successfully growing bonsai starts with selecting the right plants. The workshop will focus on creating bonsai with 2 types of plants: 1) Indoor bonsai using Ficus, 2) Outdoor bonsai using Spruce and Pine nursery stock. The first task in bonsai is keeping the plant alive, and that starts with using a modern soil mix. In fact, many modern bonsai soil mixes do not use any organic material at all. The last task and ultimate goal in bonsai is to create an artistic design. Of course, the final design also depends on the plant itself. Concepts in bonsai design such as trunk shape, branch placement, and base flare will be reviewed and explained.

Presented by Dr. Darrell Whitley:

Darrell Whitley has been growing bonsai since 1992 (and the first bonsai he created in 1992 is still alive). In 2006 he was named the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society Artist of the year. Darrell pioneered the use of Colorado Blue Spruce as a bonsai and has conducted a number of bonsai workshops in different parts of Colorado. (Dr. Whitley is also Chair of the Computer Science Department at  Colorado State University.)

Experience Level: Beginner-Intermediate

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Originally published on January 17th, 2017.