ABS Learning Seminars
Workshops
Our Workshops are held in small groups and led by experienced artists. Most registrations include a tree, but please check each workshop description for specific details. Remember to bring your own tools, a turntable if you want one, and wire.
At BYOT Workshops, you can bring your own tree and get styling tips and help from an expert. Please remember to bring your own tools, a turntable if you want one, and wire for working on your bonsai.
Unless otherwise noted you will be required to bring your own wire and tools!
Specimen Hinoki
Bjorn Bjorholm
Friday 9am-5pm
Bjorn rarely visits the US from Japan, so we want to make his trips memorable!
This year, we have some impressive Hinoki cypress. Known for their deep green color and compact foliage, Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) are excellent for bonsai. These trees have been carefully grown for many years, first in the ground and then in 20-gallon containers, resulting in thick trunks with mature bark and interesting shapes. You’ll need a creative eye to choose from the dense branches and shape them with wire. With Bjorn’s patient guidance, you’ll learn how to do this and take home a bonsai you can be proud of. This opportunity is truly a great value. (Pictured are trees in the group before and after initial styling).
Registration: $575 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire, turntable (optional)
8 spots available.
Flowering Cherry
Kaya Mooney
Friday 9am-12pm
If you want a flowering bonsai that adds color to your bench, the Prunus incisa ‘Kojo-No-Mai’ is a great choice. This award-winning Fuji cherry is a compact, slow-growing shrub with unique zig-zag branches and plenty of early spring flowers. Its pale pink blossoms cover the bare branches, making a beautiful display. When the flowers fade, slender leaves appear, starting out pale green and deepening as they mature. In spring, you’ll enjoy a burst of blooms, and in fall, the tree’s colors stand out even more. Kojo-No-Mai is a reliable variety that will brighten your bench for years. These trees have been carefully developed as workshop material and will bring both interest and value to your collection. (Pictured is a workshop tree and another tree in the group after initial styling).
Registration: $350 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available
Tall and Elegant Flat-top Bald Cypress Forest Planting
John Geanangel
Friday 9am-1pm
Join Bald Cypress expert John Geanangel for a hands-on bonsai workshop that celebrates the southern tradition expressed by this remarkable native species. You’ll create your own group planting using a species known for its rich history and beauty. Registration includes seven pre-trained, 3-4-year-old flat-topped Bald Cypress trees and a custom shallow oval container made by ceramicist Rob Wallace. This workshop is ideal for those with basic bonsai experience and will walk you through designing a realistic group planting. You’ll also learn practical techniques for root work and aftercare, so your bonsai continues to thrive well after the workshop.
John has carefully chosen and prepared your trees to have similar trunk features, but with a mix of sizes and heights. Each tree will be defoliated, wired, and root-pruned just before the event, so they’re ready for you to arrange into a unique group. Your group of trees will include single-trunk trees and clumps with two or three trunks, all standing between about 24 and 36 inches tall. These trees have been in development for 2-3 years to give you the best results. If you want to add more trees to your design, extra ones will be available to buy during the workshop. (Pictured is an example selection of seven trees from the group).
Registration: $650 (SEVEN TREE GROUP AND CUSTOM ROB WALLACE CUSTOM POT INCLUDED!)
Required Materials: Pruners, wire cutters, pliers, root hooks, chopsticks, alum. wire (1, 1.5 & 2mm)
6 spots available
Katsura Japanese Maple Clumps
Andrew Robson
Saturday 2pm-5pm
Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ is a lovely variety with striking foliage, season after season. Emerging golden-orange with pink edges in early spring, the delicate foliage matures to bright green in summer before turning brilliant shades of orange and yellow in fall. Katsura is a dense, compact Japanese Maple with a graceful habit that will stand out in your collection. These clumps have been developed for years by an experienced grower in California. They all have 3-7 trunks grown in a clump with lots of branch selection choices. Join deciduous expert Andrew Robson who will help you to get the most out of this material. It will soon become a seasonal favorite on your bench.
Registration: $250 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available
Sandrode European Beech
Andrew Robson
Friday 9am-12pm
This compact European Beech, known as Fagus Sylvatica ‘Sandrode,’ grows upright and broad with rounded, wavy leaves. Grown at Iseli Nursery in Oregon and developed by Andrew Robson, this rare variety is perfect for bonsai. Andrew, an expert in Fagus, will lead a hands-on workshop to help you work with this unique tree. You are also invited to his lecture, “Beech Bonsai: History, Development, and Design.”
Registration: $400 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available
Willow Oaks
Kaya Mooney
Friday 2pm-5pm
North America is home to about a quarter of all oak species, making it a great place for oak lovers. Still, most native species are rarely used for bonsai. The Willow Oak (Quercus phellos) is a keystone species along the East Coast, with a range extending from Texas to New York. It gets its name from its willow-like, leathery leaves. This tree grows quickly, has fine twigs, and its leaves turn golden yellow or copper-brown in the fall. It has a lot of potential as a bonsai. If you want to add more native species to your collection, consider starting with oaks. Join bonsai artist Kaya Mooney to discover what makes these trees special and learn how you can turn these trees into future masterpieces.
Registration: $225 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available
Creating A Storm-Damaged, Flat-Top Bald Cypress
John Geanangel
Saturday 9am-5pm
Wild Bald Cypress trees have distinctive natural growth habits. In this workshop, we will study how old, flat-topped Bald Cypress trees grow in nature and draw inspiration from them. John will share his experience with the species and help you create bonsai trees that capture the unique way these trees grow in the wild.
Ancient Bald Cypress trees in Southeastern swamps are recognizable due to their distinctive features. When storms hit, they do not fall over; instead, they lose parts of their trunks and branches, leaving characteristic hollows and scars. The biggest branches are at the top and grow upward and outward, while the lower branches are smaller. This branch pattern differs from traditional bonsai styles, giving Bald Cypress a uniquely American character.
For this workshop, John has prepared 12 Bald Cypress stumps in different sizes. Their trunks have been hollowed, and branches pruned to encourage ramification. The session will comprise two primary tasks: cutting notches into the trunk to give it a storm-damaged look, and then wiring about 7 to 15 branches to shape your tree. This workshop is targeted for students who already have some bonsai skills and experience.
After securing your workshop space through ABS, you’ll get a link to view, select, and purchase a tree. All trees are first come, first-served. Material prices range from $400 to $1,200. (Pictured are a number of trees in the group available from John at different price points)
Registration: $100 (TREE NOT INCLUDED – CONTACT JOHN GEANANGEL)
Required Materials: Pruners, wire cutters, pliers, concave cutters, turntable, wire (2mm-4mm)
5 spots available
Single-Trunk Shohin Azaleas
Shannon Salyer
Friday 9am-12pm
Shannon is quickly becoming well known for his skill in Shohin bonsai. After winning Best Shohin display at the 9th U.S. National Exhibition, his work is more sought after than ever. He has chosen a unique group of imported prebonsai single-trunk azaleas that will grow into beautiful small trees. Adding one to your collection will make it even more special. Shannon will help you with styling choices and teach you how to care for your new tree.
Registration: $300 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available
Chinese Elm Clumps
Kaya Mooney
Saturday 9am-12pm
Ulmus parvifolia is a favorite among bonsai enthusiasts thanks to its delicate branches, small leaves, and attractive bark. This tree comes from eastern Asia, including China, Japan, both Koreas, and Vietnam. It handles pruning well and often grows several new shoots from where it was cut. Because it responds well to trunk reduction, grows thicker quickly, and can be shaped while young, it works for almost any bonsai style and size. These trees have been grown from cuttings in clumps of three to seven trunks. Kaya can guide you in shaping these trees into a group you’ll be proud of as they mature over the years.
Registration: $200 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Dwarf Japanese Maples
Sergio Cuan
Saturday 9am-12pm
These are dwarf Japanese Maples grown from seed acquired from Acer palmatum ‘Kyohime’. As they are grown from seed, they are not the cultivar, but they do share many of it’s characteristics – small leaves, lateral growth habit, and nice fall colors. Spring growth is green with a red border, but turns more uniform during the summer as the leaves mature, and a nice fall color in autumn. The trees for this workshop have been carefully developed over the years to create trunks with movement and taper, along with plenty of branches, so you can shape a beautiful bonsai for your collection. Maple expert Sergio Cuan will guide you through each step of the styling process and help you make the most of this unique material.
Registration: $400 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Collected Cedar Elm Specimens
Sergio Cuan
Saturday 2pm-5pm
Cedar elms (Ulmus crassifolia) are truly one of Texas’s great gifts to bonsai. It has the smallest leaves of any native elm and is one of just two that bloom in the fall. Their natural twiggy growth, vibrant fall color, and rugged bark make them stand out as they mature. Some branches even develop winged bark that can last for years. These trees were carefully collected in the Texas Hill Country by a dedicated collector with exclusive access to a large area where cedar elms thrive. Cedar elms adjust well to the mid-Atlantic climate and respond nicely to bonsai care. Join Sergio to help these Cedar elm yamadori become a unique highlight in your collection.
Registration: $325 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Itoigawa Junipers
Brad Russell & Bryan Mercer
Friday 2pm-5pm
Enjoy a workshop with Brad Russell from the Bonsai Learning Center, where you will work on learning the techniques to take some amazing twisted Itoigawa Juniper on their next steps of development. This unique variety of Juniperus chinensis grows natively on the rugged gorges and in the limestone and volcanic mountains of the Niigata Prefecture in Japan. Since its discovery, it has been beloved by bonsai collectors for its dense, bright foliage, elegant form and beautiful shari and jin. Add the “King of Bonsai” to your collection today! Brad will help you determine the plan, learn how to see the tree’s future, and set it up for success when you learn the secret of understanding how your work today contributes to fulfilling your vision for the future of the tree.
Registration: $275 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Bring Your Own Tree
Bjorn Bjorholm
Saturday 2pm-5pm
Are you thinking about picking up a new tree from the vendor area? Maybe you’re unsure how to style a tree you already own, or you want to make a great tree even better. If you’re looking for expert advice, this is your chance to work with Bjorn. Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, Bjorn is ready to help you grow your skills and improve your trees. Spots are limited so he can focus on each participant, offering beginner basics or advanced techniques as needed.
Registration: $200 (TREE NOT INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Pocomoke Crepe Myrtle
Andrew Robson
Saturday 9am-12pm
Looking to add some color to your collection this summer? The Pocomoke crepe myrtle brings deep pink flowers that last all season. If you enjoy trees with full branches, interesting trunks, peeling bark, and beautiful fall colors, this one is a great choice. This dwarf crepe myrtle does well in the Mid-Atlantic, staying healthy and blooming year after year. Its dark green leaves make the pink flowers pop. These Pocomoke myrtles have been grown for years as workshop material, so you’ll have lots of ways to shape and style them. Most of the available material is multi-trunk, so you’ll have some very nice clump options. Deciduous expert Andrew Robson will guide you through the basics, show you how to care for your tree, and help you make it a standout in your collection.
Registration: $200 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools & wire
8 spots available
Bald Cypress Care & Refinement Experience
John Geanangel
Friday 2pm-5pm
Wild Bald Cypress trees have distinctive natural growth habits. In this workshop, we will study how old, flat-topped Bald Cypress trees grow in nature and draw inspiration from them. John will share his experience with the species and help you create bonsai trees that capture the unique way these trees grow in the wild.
Ancient Bald Cypress trees in Southeastern swamps are recognizable due to their distinctive features. When storms hit, they do not fall over; instead, they lose parts of their trunks and branches, leaving characteristic hollows and scars. The biggest branches are at the top and grow upward and outward, while the lower branches are smaller. This branch pattern differs from traditional bonsai styles, giving Bald Cypress a uniquely American character.
For this workshop, John has prepared 12 Bald Cypress stumps in different sizes. Their trunks have been hollowed, and branches pruned to encourage ramification. The session will comprise two primary tasks: cutting notches into the trunk to give it a storm-damaged look, and then wiring about 7 to 15 branches to shape your tree. This workshop is targeted for students who already have some bonsai skills and experience.
After securing your workshop space through ABS, you’ll get a link to view, select, and purchase a tree. All trees are first come, first-served. Material prices range from $300 to $1,500.
Registration: $100 (TREE NOT INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Notebook, pruners, chop stick or root rake. Turntable & container (if desired)
8 spots available
Exposed Root Shohin Azaleas
Shannon Salyer
Friday 2pm-5pm
Shannon is quickly becoming well known for his skill in Shohin bonsai. After winning Best Shohin display at the 9th U.S. National Exhibition, his work is more sought after than ever. He has chosen a unique group of imported prebonsai exposed root (neagari -style) azaleas that will grow into beautiful small trees. These distinctive azaleas are always a show-stopper and add a ton of interest to your shohin display. Don’t miss this opportunity to add one to your collection and make your next shohin display shine. Shannon will help you with styling choices and teach you how to care for and display your new tree.
Registration: $325 (TREE INCLUDED)
Required Materials: Tools, wire
8 spots available