A Bonsai Side Quest

For this episode, Jarryd and Hugh are joined by John Keely, who is in town visiting Hugh's garden in the Blue Mountains. They chat about the Canberra bonsai scene, Keely's launch into his bonsai journey, greenhouses, and natives collection. Keely highlights where we often all start—with a stick in a pot. 

Hugh returns from his Queensland trip and recaps his work at Tondoon Botanic Gardens, which leads to discussions of the upkeep of refinement work, the concept of state-recognized public bonsai collections, and a side quest of species gossip.  

Drinking beers, the guys share stories of watching storms on weather apps for possible watering relief. Surrounded by the sounds of a hot summer's cicadas, Hugh and Jarryd go into an in-depth exploration of Australian bonsai as a greater understanding of cultural representation. With ceramics, compositions, artistic styles, and an epic history lesson side-quest, they probe a deeper understanding of the art form of their country. 

This episode is filled with discussions around the topic of broadleaf-evergreen collecting including notions around aftercare and a smattering of scientific names with questionable pronunciations. The guys share what they have been up to with recent journeys in the Capertee Valley and Arthur Range, which eventually spirals into the true side-quest: lobsters, shrimp, and yabbie distinction. 
 
Tree Makers Design https://treemakers.com.au/ 
Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/ 
 

The push and pull of spring work is in full swing for Jarryd and Hugh in their gardens. Using watering and fertilising as the throttle, and pinching and pruning to put on the breaks. They also discuss intentional bark pealing on some Australian species, growth management directing refinement, and the success of the advancements of Australian bonsai. 

After a long hiatus of what was supposed to be a weekly podcast… Hugh and Jarryd return! Appreciating a rainy spring and entering the growth season, they cover garden updates. Hugh recaps the Canberra Club show and good timed catching up with Grant Bowie and Sam Thompson. The guys share nostalgia for the late AusBonsai market and share news and excitement for both the upcoming 2025 AABC Convention in Canberra and the 2025 Bonsai Open. They reflect on how bonsai shows, much like trees, take time to develop and mature, and how the maturation process improves any subject - tree or bonsai show alike. 
Support Australian Bonsai events with us!
Link to register to the AABC National Bonsai Convention - Canberra 2025 (early bird rego ends 31/10/24) https://www.canberrabonsai.club/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=139:2025-aabc-bonsai-convention-3&catid=87&Itemid=2374

In this episode Hugh, Jarryd, and Ryan Neil of Bonsai Mirai catchup together to discuss everything bonsai. They each explore how they represent their native landscape through bonsai and discuss the deep, often challenging journey of finding meaning through this art form. With insights into the evolving culture of bonsai in Australia, this conversation offers a rich dive into bonsai culture in Australia currently. This is a thoughtful and engaging discussion with these three passionate bonsai professionals from different sides of the world. 
This podcast episode is a collaboration with Asymmetry by Bonsai Mirai. 

After a little hiatus, Hugh shares his big news - Treemakers is moving to a permanent location! With a recent visit from Jarryd, the boys began breaking ground on the new garden, building out a future space for the expansion of Australian bonsai. Exhausted by repotting season and the simultaneous big move, the two share excitement, but also physical drain from this demanding season.

In this episode, our guest Annie Huang tells us about Budlife, a seasonal magazine which focuses on the culture and communities surrounding plants. An eloquent and fascinating person, Annie shares her story and the origins of her publication and how it relates to bonsai. A side-quest of an episode itself, Annie interviews both Hugh and Jarryd on the origins of the podcast, and the plans and purpose of its future. They discuss the definition of bonsai as art, engaging in social media as bonsai practitioners, and how we present bonsai in formal settings. More often than not, in a metaphor or painting, bonsai is trying to keep the canvas on the easel more than actually painting. 
You you can find out about Budlife magazine on instagram at @budlifemagazine and via their website at www.budlifemagazine.com

As Hugh returns from New Zealand, the boys catch up on their recent going-ons and the shift in seasonal work. With the vast array of native New Zealand species on Hugh's mind, the two chat about New Zealands "wildling" collecting, and local species opportunities from the island neighbour. Hybridisation and grafting opportunities in Nothfagus gunnii come to mind as they discuss the viability of this allusive species. Now in the midst of repotting, the two look towards the vast array of projects to get underway. As the clock ticks, the time narrows for spring work as deciduous trees already begin to push their first flush.