Instructor Rebecca Ayres (right) teaching bonsai fundamentals in the Arboretum’s two-session beginning workshops.

2024 Dates for Beginning Bonsai Workshops with Instructor Rebecca Ayres

Please Note: Registrants must be able to be present both days of the section meetings.

ONSITE | Two Sessions: Friday, June 7, 5 - 8:30 p.m & Saturday, June 8, 10 a.m. - 1:30

ONSITE | Two Sessions: Friday, June 21, 5 - 8:30 p.m. & Saturday, June 22, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

ONSITE | Two Sessions: Friday, September 13, 5 - 8:30 p.m & Saturday, September 14, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

ONSITE | Two Sessions: Friday, October 18, 5 - 8:30 p.m & Saturday, October 19, 10 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

NOTE: Registration will open on Tuesday, May 14th, for both June sections. Register for one section only. You must be able to attend both Friday and Saturday classes for the section you choose We are unable to allow switching from one section to another once you complete your registration.

Registration Opens May 14th - Click Here to Register

Once the eight seats in each workshop are filled, we will reopen the Wait List for Fall Beginning Bonsai Workshops, tentatively scheduled for September and October 2024.

Wait List for Closed Sections & Fall 2024 Sections

Course Description: Although it has its roots in ancient Asian traditions, the living art of bonsai now enjoys enthusiasts throughout much of the world. This class will provide the basic concepts and skills for novices to begin growing and shaping their own miniature trees. The first class will cover the fundamental horticultural and aesthetic principles of bonsai. It will include such topics as tree selection, watering, pest control, pruning, wiring, and styling. In the second class, each participant will receive a pot, scissors, wire, and planting medium. With guidance from Instructor Rebecca Ayres, the students shape and create their own bonsai to take home. A $60 material fee is included in the registration.

Medical Note: The pre-bonsai plant material we'll be working with for this class is Ficus burtt-davyi. Those with sensitivity to latex can still participate but may want to wear non-latex gloves (that we will have available) when working with your tree to avoid irritation.

Rebecca Ayres is a ceramic artist and gardener. A longtime Arboretum volunteer, she is the assistant to the bonsai curator and helps with overseeing the exhibition garden, the collection and the Carolina Bonsai Expo. She is a member of the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society, where she has taught workshops and classes, and is a graduate of the Arboretum's Blue Ridge Naturalist program.