Foundations of Bonsai in Colorado
Colorado’s bonsai story begins in 1945, when eight Japanese Americans—recently released from WWII internment camps—founded the Denver Bonsai Club. Their resilience and artistry shaped a legacy that influences our state’s horticultural culture today.
Join Patrick and Patricia as they explain this rich Colorado history, highlight key bonsai artists and discuss the military and political figures who appear along the way. The Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society (RMBS), created in 1969 by the Denver Bonsai Club, grew into a thriving community of 320 members, showing how strongly bonsai resonates with Coloradans and our deep appreciation for native landscapes.
Learn what influenced the American bonsai movement—from working with local tree species to adapting traditional techniques—to create a uniquely Colorado style. The Rocky Mountain region and RMBS form one of the premier bonsai communities in the United States. Meet local bonsai legends past and present, discover Colorado-specific resources and gain insight into why bonsai continues to flourish in our state today.
Larry Jackel presents several heritage trees from Denver Botanic Gardens’ collection and shares their history, their importance to the Gardens and how these living trees reflect the ongoing evolution of bonsai in both Colorado and across America.
Price: $38, $30 member
Location: York Street
Instructor: Patrick Allen, Patricia Deutschman, Larry Jackel
Colonel Patrick Allen, USA Retired is a Denver businessman who has been a member of the Rocky Mountain Bonsai Society since 2005 and served as its President in 2011 through 2012. He supports three Afghan families and has helped them with their immigration statuses. Patrick is a Colorado native.
Patricia Deutschman, a former chemist, office manager and school board member, has been a member of RMBS for 10 years. Pat’s interest has been primarily focused on the history of the club, its members’ successes and lessons and promotion of the club’s mission of advancing the art as well as developing new talent while maintaining a connection to the traditions of the founders.
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 guidance 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.