Description: Dave will guide students in the potting and styling of cascading Azalea bonsai trees. This workshop targets beginner students, and will provide pots, trees, and other materials necessary!
Limit: 10 students
Price: $50
Location: Linneaus Room
Skill Level: Beginner
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Description: 6" Tiger Bark Ficus bonsai workshop - this workshop will start with a brief discussion on basic bonsai principles, proper care, and essential techniques. Then, students will style the tree while receiving guided instruction on pruning, and wiring. Students should bring appropriate tools and supplies, including wire, as well as soil and pots if students intend to repot trees.
Price: $70
Location: Plant Science Lab
Limit: 10 students
Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate
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Description: Join Andy Smith for a workshop on wiring and pruning of collected western conifers (mainly ponderosa pine, but other pines, junipers and spruces available as well). Cost is for registration only, students must also purchase one of the collected trees from Andy separately (prices starting at $100 and up). Please bring bonsai tools, copper or aluminum wire.
Limit: 10 students
Price: $60 + separate purchase (directly to instructor) for suitable tree, prices $100 and up.
Location: Design Studio
Skill Level: This workshop is primarily targeted at intermediate and advanced students
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Description: David of DaSu Bonsai Studio will lead students through styling of Premna Japonica (musk maple) trees that were long-ago started from air layers. After styling, students should plan on repotting the trees next spring.
Limit: 7 students
Price: $99
Location: Plant Science Lab
Skill Level: Beginner to Advanced
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Description: Join Linda Camp for a workshop focused on learning how to style, wire and care for Korean Hornbeam. These trees are about five years old and ready for initial work. Students should bring tools, though wire will be provided. Select tools will be available to borrow.
Limit: 7 students
Price: $125
Location: Design Studio
Skill Level: Beginner and intermediate students
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Description: Work with our guest master Boon Manakitivipart in this bring your own tree workshop - bring a tree that needs help with inspiration, a tree you're looking to move to the next level, or a tree simply needing help kick-starting a refresh. Students should bring appropriate materials (trees, wire, pots), depending on the type of work they are looking to undertake on the tree.
Price: $85
Location: Linnaeus Room
Limit: 8 students
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Description: Join Mark to wire and begin styling on Japanese Silverberry. Participants will wire, style and prepare the trees for repotting in spring of 2027. These trees are 12-18" tall, and have 1/2" trunks. Participants should bring tools and wire (preferably copper).
Price: $80
Location: Linnaeus Room
Limit: 10 students
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Description: Join Linda Camp and learn the styling and care for the ever-popular Trident Maple. These trees with roughly 1" trunks are ready for their initial styling. Students will style and learn to care for these trees.
Limit: 8 students
Price: $60
Location: Plant Science Lab
Skill Level: Beginner
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Description: Work with Robert on Japanese Black Pine, learning the techniques of a great species for bonsai. Participants should bring standard tools and wire for this workshop.
Price: $170
Location: Design Studio
Limit: 10 students
Skill Level: Beginner to intermediate
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Description: Join guest master Boon Manakitivipart for a demonstration of styling, at Boon’s choice, either a Dawn Redwood or a Juniper. This event is free and open to all.
Price: Free
Location: Alsdorf Auditorium
Limit: None
Skill Level: All
No registration required!
Description: Go over the basics of growing and styling Tiger Bark ficus with Kurtis. These trees have 1 to 1 1/2" trunks and are already potted in plastic training bonsai pots. Participants should bring tools, including wire cutters, pruners and scissors.
Price: $70
Location: Design Studio
Limit: 10 students
Skill Level: Beginner
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Description: Work with our guest master Boon Manakitivipart in this bring your own tree workshop - bring a tree that needs help with inspiration, a tree you're looking to move to the next level, or a tree simply needing help kick-starting a refresh. Students should bring appropriate materials (trees, wire, pots), depending on the type of work they are looking to undertake on the tree.
Price: $85
Location: Linnaeus Room
Limit: 8 students
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Description: Learn how to wire your bonsai like a professional! This will be a class for beginners to learn the wiring techniques used to wire bonsai trees and not break the branches. Participants will also go home with a small ficus they wired themselves. Participants should bring tools, if possible, though loaner tools will be available. Wire will be provided.
Price: $50
Location: Plant Science Lab
Limit: 10 students
Skill Level: Beginner
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Description: Tour the Chicago Botanic Garden’s bonsai collection with Chris Baker, curator, as he leads a walking tour around the two display courtyards and shares insights for the trees on display.
Cost: Free
Limit: 12 students
Location: Regenstein Center Courtyards
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Description: Join the ever-popular exhbit critique and review, with this year's guest master Boon Manakitivipart. The exhibit is closed to the general public during this session, offering a unique opportunity to hear Boon's thoughts about the trees and displays of the show, including those that won awards.
Price: $30
Location: Nichols Hall
Skill Level: All
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Description: Bring your own tree workshop - bring a tree that needs help with inspiration, a tree you're looking to move to the next level, or a tree simply needing help kick-starting a refresh. Students should bring appropriate materials (trees, wire, pots), depending on the type of work they are looking to undertake on the tree.
Price: $80
Location: Plant Science Lab
Limit: 8 students
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Description: Join Dave to perform styling on these beautifully-prepared exposed root Satsuki Azalea bonsai. Students should bring 1.5 mm and 2 mm wire to support the styling of these trees.
Limit: 10 students
Price: $220
Location: Design Studio
Skill Level: Intermediate
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Description: Design and wiring of collected conifers. A variety of collected trees will be available for purchase from Golden Arrow Bonsai for use in the workshop. Prices will vary, starting at around $100. Students should bring tools and wire - preferably copper (#16 to #6) or aluminum (2mm to 6mm). Wire is available for purchase if needed. Students may bring their own conifer/pine instead of purchasing with Andy's prior approval.
Registration and Materials Fee: $75 registration + separate purchase of tree directly from Golden Arrow Bonsai at the exhibition.
Skill Level: All
Location: Design Studio, Regenstein Center
Limit: 10 students
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Description: Join Jason Parrish and perform a repotting and initial styling of of a Willow Leaf Ficus. The tree, a plastic training pot, and soil will be provided. Students should bring bonsai tools, as well as wire (1mm to 4 mm). Wire will be for sale if needed. Additionally, students may bring a 6” pot if they would prefer to pot directly into a ceramic pot of their choosing.
Registration and Materials Fee: $100
Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Location: Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Limit: 10 students
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Description: A unique opportunity! Bring your own bonsai to this workshop to gain styling and care insights from our Guest Master Jonas Dupuich. This workshop has no materials fee.
Registration Fee: $85
Skill Level: All
Location: Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
Limit: 8 students
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Description: Style unique Chinese Elms with Linda Camp of BC Bonsai. Chinese Elm are a deciduous tree that are cold-hardy, with nice fall interest and lovely serrated foliage. The trees like full to partial sun and moderate water and fertilizer. Trees are cold-hardy zones 5-9. Students should bring tools if they have them. Wire will be provided.
Registration and Materials Fee: $110
Skill Level: Beginner and Intermediate
Location: Design Studio, Regenstein Center
Limit: 8 students
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Description: Style a Jacqueline Hiller Elm (Ulmus elgantisma) with Dave Lowman of DaSu Bonsai Studio. Trees are in one gallon containers and should be replanted next spring by students. Students should bring tools and wire, though wire likely not required.
Registration and Materials Fee: $85
Skill Level: All
Location: Classroom in the Visitor Center
Limit: 8 students
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Description: Complementary wine and beer and soft drinks start at 5:00. The dinner is informal and will consist of ordered-in food. An amazing silent auction and raffle will be held during the dinner. The raffle will be for the tree styled by Guest Master Jonas Dupuich in the Saturday afternoon demonstration. The silent auction will be for items donated by our fabulous vendors and club members. Note that the dinner is open to members and non-members alike!
Location: Heller Nature Center in Highland Park (just minutes from the Garden)
Cost: $18
Limit: 35 attendees
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Description: Guest Master Jonas Dupuich will perform a styling of a Deciduous tree as it begins its journey to become a bonsai!
Registration Fee: Free
Skill Level: All
Location: Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
No registration required!
Description: Join Jason Parrish and perform a repotting and initial styling of of a Red Stem Sea Hibiscus. The tree, a plastic training pot, and soil will be provided. Students should bring bonsai tools, as well as wire (1mm to 4 mm). Wire will be for sale if needed. Additionally, students may bring a 6” pot if they would prefer to pot directly into a ceramic pot of their choosing.
Registration and Materials Fee: $90
Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate
Location: Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Limit: 10 students
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Description: Learn about care and styling of a Japanese Black Pine. Participants should bring their own tools and copper wire, as well as a notebook and pencil for taking notes.
Registration and Materials Fee: $125
Skill Level: Intermediate
Maximum Participants: 10
Location: Design Studio, Regenstein Center
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Description: Join Mark Fields of Bonsai by fields in styling one gallon Itoigawa Juniper with twisted trunks. Mark will provide students with instructions for aftercare.
Registration and Materials Fee: $150
Skill Level: Intermediate
Location: Linnaeus Room, Regenstein Center
Limit: 10 students
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Description: A unique opportunity! Bring your own bonsai to this workshop to gain styling and care insights from our Guest Master Jonas Dupuich. This workshop has no materials fee.
Registration Fee: $85
Skill Level: All
Location: Alsdorf Auditorium, Regenstein Center
Limit: 8 students
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Description: Tour the Chicago Botanic Garden’s bonsai collection with Chris Baker, curator, as he leads a walking tour around the two display courtyards and shares insights for the trees on display.
Registration Fee: Free
Limit: 12 students
Location: Meet in Burnstein Hall, Regenstein Center
No pre-registration required - limited to first 12 participants!
Description: Portulacaria Afra, five-tree forest planting class. Included - 5 Portulacaria trees, 7” ceramic pot, soil and wire. Please bring your own tools (pruners and/or cutters)
Registration and Materials Fee: $100
Skill Level: Beginner
Location: Plant Science Lab, Regenstein Center
Limit: 8 students
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