Advanced Bonsai Design - A Performance
Experience the Art of Bonsai: A Live Design Demonstration at Denver Botanic Gardens. Join us for an inspiring evening dedicated to the intricate and meditative art of bonsai at the Sturm Family Auditorium, located within the beautiful Denver Botanic Gardens. This special event features Larry Jackel, Bonsai Specialist and curator of the Gardens’ renowned bonsai collection, alongside three nationally recognized artists from the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society.
Witness a live bonsai design demonstration, showcasing the transformation of wild, naturally collected material from Colorado’s Front Range into stunning bonsai specimens. Learn about the techniques, tools, and artistic decisions involved in shaping these miniature trees, and gain insight into the ecological and aesthetic principles that guide bonsai cultivation.
Whether you're a seasoned bonsai enthusiast or simply curious about this ancient horticultural art form, this event offers a rare opportunity to learn from experts and connect with the local bonsai community.
Price: $60, $51 member
Location: York Street
Instructors: Larry Jackel, Adam Johnson, Paul Koenning, Todd Schlafer
Larry Jackel saw his first bonsai at the Midwest Bonsai Society annual show held in Dundee, Illinois, in 1972. Ever since he has studied bonsai and acquired trees. A move to Denver in 1976 connected Larry with the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society, which provided the nurturing necessary for him to become proficient in the art and craft of bonsai. Larry chooses trees from the Front Range, particularly the ponderosa pine but also the limber pine, bristlecone pine, pinion pine, Douglas fir and the Rocky Mountain juniper for bonsai. He teaches about these conifers in lectures, demonstrations and workshops across the country. In 2012, he joined the horticulture staff at Denver Botanic Gardens as its bonsai specialist. He develops and maintains the bonsai collection displayed in the Bill Hosakawa Bonsai Pavilion.
Adam Johnson first learned the art of Yamdori with local collector and Colorado native Jerry Morris. After meeting Larry Jackel in 2009, he became a member of the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society. He has been a student of Bonsai Mirai since 2016. In 2019 Adam was awarded the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society Artist of the Year. He maintains a collection of approximately 100 native Rocky Mountain trees.
Paul Koenning is an arborist who loves studying tree growth patterns and how specific species respond to environmental conditions. Realizing similarities in growth patterns between differing species guides his approach to styling bonsai and pushing boundaries. For Paul, investigating and understanding how trees respond to environmental conditions is where beauty is captured.
Todd Schlafer is the winner of the Best Tree and Accent Plant Award in the 2021 National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, NY. Todd travels around the U.S. and Europe teaching bonsai and working on private collections. He also holds classes at his facility, First Branch Bonsai, in Denver, CO. He is a past president of the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society, was named the 2012 Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society Artist of the Year and is the 2016 winner of Best North American Species Award for his Colorado Blue Spruce at the National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester.