The Garden in Spring
Spring has two stages in the bonsai garden.
Stage one takes place all the month of April and into the beginning of May, as the weather warms and new green foliage emerges and flowers bloom in profusion. This brings out the visitors. They stroll into the garden and are surprised and saddened to find no bonsai on display, but they continue on to see what else there is to see. As the winding pathway leads them through the space all their attention is focused on the landscape, and then the understated virtues of this garden are the whole show. It is enough. Even without the little trees, the jewels at the heart of the garden’s identity, the place enchants. People slow down as they walk through, they speak more softly and look more carefully. The bonsai garden is not large but there is much to see in the layers of detail contained within.
The gallery below highlights just a sampling of the many springtime flowers in the bonsai garden (click on any image for larger view):
The second stage of spring in the bonsai garden begins on the second Saturday in May — World Bonsai Day — when the bonsai are returned to their benches and the garden is made whole.
Our friends from the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society were on hand once again this year, providing bonsai demonstrations at the garden pavilion and talking up bonsai to the many guests who came by:
The following images offer a look at our 2023 Opening Day bonsai lineup:
Upper level display
Upper level display
Upper level display
Upper level display
Deck level display
Deck level display
Mid-level display
Mid-level display
Mid-level display
Mid-level display
Lower level display
Lower level display
Lower level display
The following gallery highlights a few of the showiest spring bonsai (click on any image for larger view):
Some of the bonsai, like this grove of European Beech (Fagus sylvatica), are in the walk-in refrigerator right up until they are put out on display. This allows for a brief look at them in winter silhouette form, before leaves emerge in a week or so.
This Korean Hornbeam (Carpinus turczaninovii) is in a new pot this year.
Our Dwarf Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia ‘Elf’) was in perfect flower at the start of viewing season.
Fine, feathery foliage is a feature of the Purple Cut-leaf Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum atropurpureum)
This Satsuki Azalea (Rhododendron satsuki ‘Waka-ebisu’) is just getting started.
Even straight-species Japanese Maples (Acer palmatum) have pretty springtime color.
The following gallery captures details of several bonsai on display (click on any image for larger view):
Plants are not the only things that come out in spring. The bonsai garden is a refuge for a healthy population of wild creatures, including our ubiquitous and ever popular fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus):
This year the water feature is the temporary home of a large number of American toad (Anaxyrus americanus) tadpoles:
Moving the bonsai into the garden in advance of World Bonsai Day is a serious job. Many thanks to Clint, Scott, and Wyatt from the Arboretum grounds crew for their strong support!