Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Bonsai!

I see that I posted about the Pacific Bonsai Museum at this time last year. When we visited on Sunday, I had forgotten that we chose the same destination for a "field trip" last Memorial Day weekend. 

The Pacific Bonsai Museum is an outdoor gallery of very special specimens of "tortured trees". About 60 of the large collection are on display at any one time. It shares grounds with the Rhododendron Species Foundation Garden, which we also visited, on the campus of what was formerly the headquarters of the Weyerhaeuser Co., a forest products industry. The campus is beautiful, with woodlands and a large meadow, and there are differing opinions as to what will become of it, but some development is inevitable. What ever happens, the Bonsai Museum and the Rhododendron garden are to be protected.

The path to both from the parking lot lets you know this is a special place. 


 Ground cover -Canadian dogwood
 A few tropical trees are indoors in a greenhouse gallery. 

 The rest are displayed like this, on outdoor benches. 



 That green wall is actually well trimmed small leaf ivy on a cyclone fence. 

 Currently there is a display honoring Dan Robinson, a local bonsai artist who likes a more natural style, as found in the wild, which he calls "Gnarly". 















This place is a Mecca for Bonsai oficianodos, and just a wonderful place to visit and learn for those appreciative of the beauty of living art. 

12 comments:

  1. These are such a work of patience and ability to see the future.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Like amazing miracles of time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Bonsai growing must be very challenging. It's like creating a sculpture with a plant.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I absolutely love this art. I could stare at these plants for a long time. I have tried my hand at this. I am not successful. I think we always want something we can't have. ha...

    ReplyDelete
  5. They are so beautiful and graceful. I love all of them and enjoy seeing the displays. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. How fortunate we are to have such a beautiful collection in our own back yard. Always a joy to visit this place.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I really love to see these works of art. Never saw one with blooms before, how pretty.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I didn't realize that Bonsai trees could still bloom. Looks great.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Gorgeous! I tried a couple of times and felt terrible when I could not keep up so now I love to see others' treasures and appreciate them even more.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good gosh! I've seen photos of bonsai before and have been to museums where bonsais were displayed but these are just spectacular. I'm going to show this to a friend who is really into bonsai. Wow!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I bet Tom really enjoyed himself! Those Rhodies that are bonsai are just so interesting! :)

    ReplyDelete

I would love to read your comments. Since I link most posts to Facebook, you may comment there if you do not have an account. I have eliminated Anonymous comments due to spammers.