◊ Crataegus Bonsai Seasonal ◊
The Crataegus Bonsai Seasonal is designed for those who are not from the Portland area and who would be willing to travel to learn bonsai. This program is similar to how an apprentice learns in Japan: By working on our teacher’s trees, we study at a higher level. Now in its second year, the Seasonal was created out of requests of students from around the country who were interested in coming to Portland to study.
Initial potting of a large Rocky Mountain Juniper, Winter 2010 Seasonal
The gestalt of the program, so to speak, is to balance creation with refinement. We won’t just be styling trees. By studying bonsai refinement techniques hands-on, students have a vision of where to go on their own trees.
There are four Seasonals a year to cover each of the main periods of bonsai activity, in focused sessions of three days each. Sessions are limited to four students. Although it is recommended that new students start with a Winter Seasonal to acquire new repotting techniques, any initiation time is fine.
Ram Lukas rewiring a Western juniper (featured in Bonsai Focus) during the Fall 2009 Seasonal
Seasonals cover repotting, early tree development through old tree refinement in both conifer and deciduous, species appropriate visualization and styling, grafting, advanced wiring and bending, accent plants, and the study of display. Attention is paid to the interests of advanced students to help them create a personal bonsai yard that reflects their growing artistic sensibility.
Days start at 8:45 am and end at 6:00 pm, with theory study using handouts and visual study from books and videos. The majority of time, however, is spent hands-on on the bonsai benches or on workstations in the newly built five-sided studio.
Sessions run for three consecutive days, $585, lunches and dinners included. Lodging is at a nearby hotel. Participants are required to bring a basic set of tools, but trees, wire, soil, etc. are all provided.
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Please choose one three day session per Seasonal. The study focus and calendar dates for 2010 are:
- Winter Seasonal: Repotting (February 23-25 or March 16-18) (finished)
- Spring Seasonal: New growth management (June 1-3) (finished)
- Summer Seasonal: Juniper, Deciduous (Aug. 3-5) (finished)
- Fall Seasonal: Wiring/fall work on Conifers. (Nov. 2-4 ) (Space available!)
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“Michael’s Seasonals are excellent! One of Michael’s many strengths is his ability to dissolve bonsai myths and misinformation students have acquired elsewhere. Michael’s hospitality is wonderful and the food is great. If you want to have fun, seriously learn bonsai and improve your techniques and your own trees, I highly recommend the Seasonals.”
—John Denny
Please send an email if you have an interest in this program: crataegus001@yahoo.com
Thank you!
Michael Hagedorn
A visit to the world-famous Portland Japanese Garden caps any trip to the Rose City!
I’m fortunate enough to live in Portland and participate in Michael’s classes for locals, where we work on our own trees.
I can’t recommend him highly enough for those who want to take their trees to the level of Really Nice Bonsai. Being exposed to Michael’s trees and instruction has shown me that much of the “nice” bonsai I saw in books is fairly average, but that truly exceptional trees are within reach of the amateur if he or she is serious about acquiring excellent material to start with and caring for it diligently.
And if folks’ travel plans permit it, they should arrange to do some shopping for bonsai stock out here. Some of the best in the country is available within a two-hour radius of Portland.