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There’s something quietly magical about a flowering shohin bonsai. In just a handful of centimeters, it holds the grace of a full-sized tree and the delicate beauty of seasonal blooms. Among the many species suited for this miniature art form, Spiraea stands out—not just for its charming clusters of flowers, but for its forgiving nature and seasonal interest.

If you’re not happy with a tree’s structure, you can always hit the reset button and remove any branches you’re unhappy with. This process looks different for different species but the basic idea is the same: remove any portion of the tree that lacks “good structure.”

Australia’s National Bonsai Convention wrapped up this past weekend. Here’s an overview of the event, a selection of trees from the show, and a few notes from my trip up north to Queensland. 

The Bonsai Society of Upstate New York, based in Rochester, is hosting the 52nd exhibition for only one day this year because of a scheduling conflict. Sunday, May 18, 2025, was the only date available to the group. The venue for this year is the Golisano Autism Center which has two sections of a gymnasium with perfect background and lighting for displaying bonsai.

Not long after my deciduous bonsai leaf out, I start thinking about when the perfect time would be to prune and partially defoliate them. In general, the more dense the branches, the earlier in the season I do the work.

Some of you may remember Jarryd Bailey here on the blog, who came to study at Crataegus Bonsai a few years back. He lives in Tasmania, which is about as far south as you can go before you run out of Eucalypts and are into the pterodroma petrels sailing over the cooling ocean.

Last weekend the San Diego Bonsai Club held their 60th anniversary celebration. The event was held at the San Diego Zoo’s Safari Park, home to the Bonsai Pavilion, a beautiful garden and bonsai collection built and maintained by volunteers in the club.

The Michigan All-State Bonsai Show took place on May 10-11, 2025, at Majier Gardens and Sculpture Garden in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

On request I  have written a post about the outdoor Tokonoma created a few years ago

One consequence of writing a book about bonsai is that I’ve really started to take some of the lessons to heart.