In Japan, a bonsai professional is considered to be one who styles and maintains trees owned by clients. This was my training, and it remains one of the most rewarding of my services in the United States. It was a great honor to work on some of the best trees in the world while an apprentice in Japan, and it is a goal of mine to see the bonsai here reach that same high level. I do not share the pessimism of those who think we will never have trees of the same depth or richness as those overseas. We have the raw material; we just need to give them better direction.
Styling
Wiring and styling into a new aesthetic vision, or recapturing an old one.
Maintenance
Performing seasonal tasks such as repotting, building ramification, and preparation for show.
Boarding
Bench space rental in Portland, Oregon. Service includes species-appropriate sun exposure, watering, fertilizing, and weeding. Weekly, monthly and yearly rates available.
Consultation
Advice on the direction of a bonsai or a collection.
Notes: Both top and bottom displays are from Shinji Suzuki’s display areas in Obuse, Japan. These were two of the seven tokonomas that I set up each morning as an apprentice.
