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Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

From youth education in bonsai to elite alpine instruction where people’s lives are on the line, Joshua Stewart is an educational psychologist who is applying his expertise to a multitude of projects and disciplines. Even though we’ve been working with Josh for several years now it took sitting down with him on the podcast to fully understand what exactly he does. Ryan and Josh discuss the process of applying psychology, how he processes information, and how Josh takes his knowledge and observations to create strategies that dramatically impact the individuals and organizations he works with. The tangible outcome of Mirai’s collaboration with Josh is undeniable, and has created a template for youth education which continues to guide the way The One Tree Project approaches youth programs and participants.  Beyond the immediate and obvious, this conversation helped us also recognize the breadth of educational psychology and its limitless application across less considered arenas of thought. Could this field potentially contribute to the “subjective” nature of bonsai appreciation? Could educational psychology assist in improving objective judging? Even without a concrete answer, it’s pretty clear applying educational psychology to the great conundrums of bonsai couldn’t hurt, and might just be able to help explain some of the greater questions we wrestle with. Who knows, maybe we would even gain a better understanding of ourselves in the process. If you enjoyed the episode, be sure to check out Josh’s podcast Evidence in the Wild here (https://evidenceinthewild.podbean.com) to hear from other experts and colleagues in his world of educational psychology.

The 26th Trophy Bonsai Exhibition brought together some of the finest trees, pots, and stones from the European Bonsai scene. In this video, we take you through the full exhibition — from the winning trees and their stories to an exclusive conversation with Shinji Suzuki, who shares his expert insights on what made each winner stand out. We also take you behind the scenes to show how the exhibition itself was put together — the setup, the arrangement of the displays, and the care that goes into building a show of this level. The video further covers the shohin bonsai display, the exceptional pots, and a selection of suiseki — offering a complete picture of the artistry and organisation on show. Whether you are new to bonsai or have followed the craft for decades, this exhibition offers a rare look at the highest level of the art form. Chapters: 0:00 - Exhibition and introduction 6:22 - Winning trees 8:14 - Exhibition continues 12:28 - Shohin Bonsai displays 14:18 - Suiseki, Scrolls, and Pots If you're based in Europe, most of the trees and products we use in our videos can be bought in our online store: English: https://www.bonsaishop.uk Dutch: https://www.bonsaishop.nl German: https://www.derbonsaishop.de French: https://www.bonsaishop.fr https://uppbeat.io/t/jeff-kaale/new-chapter License code: L0WRAF23WQPC0RZE https://uppbeat.io/t/arend/ode-ii License code: 8OZF5ZRYAMKIAT9I https://uppbeat.io/t/nicolas-kluzek/sweet-vibes License code: 1LLMLNVDM81J2WBA https://uppbeat.io/t/jonathan-doherty/kunisaki License code: S9QDXLJBJAUZW30N https://uppbeat.io/t/oliver-massa/true-wonder License code: YNRAYG328RW3SB6P Also, if you'd like to keep track of your collection and receive care notifications on your phone (based on species and location) you could try our Bonsai Care App. It is a free download for your phone: https://www.bonsaicare.app Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

In this video, we take you through the full transformation of a Juniperus communis (Common Juniper) from an ordinary garden center plant into a refined bonsai. We originally bought this juniper for around $10 at a local garden center. Over the next two years, we worked step by step to develop it into a bonsai, showing all the key techniques in detail — including initial styling, pruning decisions, wiring, repotting, and long-term planning. Study these techniques in detail with our online courses, for free lessons see: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses/explore Chapters: 0:00 - Fall 2023 7:15 - Fall 2024 14:08 - Summer 2025 Not everything went smoothly. About halfway through the process, the top of the tree died off, forcing us to rethink the original design. Instead of giving up on the tree, we adjusted the plan, worked with what the juniper gave us, and ended up creating something unique and satisfying. This video is a realistic look at bonsai: ✔ Working with inexpensive nursery stock ✔ Making design decisions over time ✔ Handling setbacks and changing direction ✔ Letting the tree guide the final result Whether you’re new to bonsai or already working with junipers, this video shows what’s possible with patience, flexibility, and a willingness to adapt. https://uppbeat.io/t/yawnathan/orimasu License code: YFUS0YPPAJYWLKN0 https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/cold-brew License code: ABGFRDWYA7V1E5MQ https://uppbeat.io/t/night-drift/light-mist License code: RZAUY3LSEMJSR5S3 https://uppbeat.io/t/yawnathan/weightless-evening License code: GAOU3UDFTIDMAFAH We thank the Japanese garden Clingendael, and our two technical supervisors Bob Ruitenbeek and Christiaan Yeh for their help. Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

On a recent cold rainy morning prior to the start of the 100th Kokufu exhibition fellow bonsai professional Andrew Robson joined us to discuss the potential for expansion of display opportunities at the next Pacific Bonsai Expo. This show has rapidly risen as the premier exhibition of bonsai in North America, and the efforts of Eric Shrader, Jonas Dupuich (mailto:This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. document.getElementById('cloak432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c').innerHTML = ''; var prefix = 'ma' + 'il' + 'to'; var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '='; var addy432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c = 'jonas' + '@'; addy432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c = addy432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c + 'bonsaitonight' + '.' + 'com'; var addy_text432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c = 'jonas' + '@' + 'bonsaitonight' + '.' + 'com';document.getElementById('cloak432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c').innerHTML += ''+addy_text432914581afdc0dc60644af31aa9506c+''; ) , and Andrew Robson to create a destination to display bonsai at the highest level, opening the door to ideas that might allow people to think outside the box and do something special. Without any context for the discussion, Andrew and Ryan sat down to discuss the possibilities of what an artistic display could look like, how spaces could be created for contextual display, and ideas both professionals might have to transform a space into something that could conjure creativity. It was exciting to say the least.  Beyond bonsai, Andrew and Ryan discovered their shared love of the art of suiseki and discussed Andrew’s stones that were presented in the recent Kokufu exhibition. It was a nice way to celebrate such a milestone of bonsai on a global level and to open the door for future discussions around stones and an art form that is under-appreciated, yet so powerful in its ability to transport practitioners. We invite you to sit back, relax, and enjoy! You can find Andrew’s work here (https://www.rakuyobonsai.com) .  Explore the Pacific Bonsai Expo (https://pacificbonsaiexpo.org/?srsltid=AfmBOor65IYtklhcwd4yshJUrwx9RMAWzx8fX-Uh3xiWRQYr69pZuieR) for upcoming dates as well!

Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

Watch bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi at the 45th Japan Bonsai Taikan Exhibition (Taikan-ten 2025) in Kyoto as he and his apprentices transform a Japanese pine in a live demo. Kobayashi, owner of the Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo and one of the world’s most respected bonsai artists, shows his approach to shaping a large tree with precision and speed. In this video you’ll see Kobayashi use a chainsaw alongside traditional tools to quickly reduce and refine the pine’s structure, with help from his team, all within a few hours of work. You’ll also get a sense of the energy and skill involved in a high-level bonsai styling session at one of Japan’s premier bonsai events. The tree was also repotted off-season (in late fall). With proper preparation and after care, and performed by an expert, this should be no issue. We do advise to repot in early spring whenever possible. https://uppbeat.io/t/soundroll/all-the-things-you-love License code: YXYRWBY1GJOI5OAT https://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/kitchen-sunbeams License code: PXQ4CIEI5LQNJSQN https://uppbeat.io/t/jeff-kaale/new-chapter License code: FTD3Y0OMIUZCTGAQ Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses

It might be an American thing to try and define how culture impacts bonsai, or it might just be a reality of this very deep artform we all love. Aarin Packard, curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, Washington, joins Ryan to discuss the subject and interviews Ryan about his thoughts for an exhibition the Pacific Bonsai Museum is working on in conjunction with this year’s World Cup. Aarin selected seasoned and respected bonsai personalities from around the globe to see just how present culture is in bonsai. His insights and shared tidbits are a tasty appetizer for what he’s got brewing later this year. We are excited to see what Aarin and his team discover, and honored to be involved.  Take a look at some of the Pacific Bonsai Museum’s past exhibitions (https://pacificbonsaimuseum.org/on-view/exhibits/) .  Find out how you can contribute and take part (https://pacificbonsaimuseum.org) .

Serious about growing your own Bonsai trees? Then consider enrolling in one of our online Bonsai Courses, taught by expert teachers. For the curriculums and free lectures, go to: https://www.bonsaiempire.com/courses https://uppbeat.io/t/avbe/night-in-kyoto License code: GERRMRTR81BUDFBF