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Tonight was the ribbon cutting ceremony officially opening the two day exhibition. Tall tables were distributed throughout the exhibition area where about 50 members and visitors gathered and enjoyed a wide delicious wide assortment of Puerto Rican appetizers. They even had sweet tea.

This week’s bonsai tutorial takes us into the wild territory of the unexpected. An old, neglected Barberry—forgotten and not well-grown—becomes the centre of attention. At first glance, it might seem like a mission impossible. However, in bonsai, the most challenging material can sometimes hold the greatest potential for creativity and transformation.

The Tropical Bonsai Symposium & Exhibition is being held on October 3-4, 2025. Sponsored by the Bonsai Shohin Society in San Juan, Puerto Rico the event is being held at Jardin Selecto, owned by the Morales family. Organized by Carlos Morales (Pedro’s cousin) their garden center is rather complete with a complete inventory of soils, fertilizers, pesticides, tools and landscape plants for homeowners. Carlos has large sections with bonsai, pre-bonsai, containers, tools, wire and a wide variety of different soil mixtures.

One of several side trips on my recent visit to Germany took us to Heidelberg to see Minoru Bonsai, the garden of Michael Tran.

As summer fades and autumn arrives, the light begins to soften. The sun sits lower in the sky, casting longer shadows and bathing the bonsai garden in a golden hue. This shift in light is not just a visual delight—it plays a crucial role in the seasonal transformation of deciduous bonsai.

This past weekend was the East Bay Bonsai Society’s annual show in Oakland, CA, where I gave a talk about conceptual bonsai and ran a couple workshops. And I critiqued the show. 

While a branch’s origin on the trunk doesn’t change—one thing I remember answering correctly on my biology SAT test 400 years back—the branch itself may bend and reorient.

Birds are often used in traditional bonsai display to give a suggestion of where the tree is.

About a year and a half ago, I mentioned that I’d like to visit Walter Pall’s garden. The message got through to Walter (thanks, Jennifer!), and last week I was able to make the trip a reality.