Ballroom Terrace - DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton1111 Jefferson RD, Rochester, NY 14623
For years ABS has partnered with Joshua Roth to highlight some of the best emerging talent in the country in an annual styling competition.
Workshops have limited spaces and additional fees. Pre-registration is required.WS 1: Shohin Buttonwoods, Ed Trout - Erie WS 2: Specimen Itoigawa Junipers, Bjorn Bjorholm - Henrietta AWS 3: Kusamono, Young Choe - Henrietta BWS 4: Eastern White Cedar, Mark Arpag - Henrietta C
Seminar 1: Propagation for Bonsai Cultivation, Mark Comstock - Monroe NSeminar 2: Growing Deciduous Bonsai, Sergio Cuan - Monroe SSeminar 3: How to Evaluate a Tree, Jonas Dupuich - Ontario N
Seminar 4: Japanese Black Pine Early Rood Development, Prebonsai Years 1-5, Mark Comstock - Monroe NSeminar 5: Western Display, Hugo Zamora - Monroe SSeminar 6: History of Shohin Bonsai, John Romano - Ontario N
On Your Own
Workshops have limited spaces and additional fees. Pre-registration is required.WS 5: Shohin Roses, Shannon Salyer - ErieWS 6: Colorado Blue Spruce, Todd Schlafer - Henrietta AWS 7: Twisted Junipers, Sergio Cuan - Henrietta BWS 8: Hinoki Cypress, Hugo Zamora - Henrietta C
Seminar 7: Grafting Techniques for Junipers and Pines, Bjorn Bjorholm - Monroe NSeminar 8: Mastering Literati with a Literati Master, Ed Trout - Monroe SSeminar 9: Soil: The Inside Scoop, Scott Barboza - Ontario N
Seminar 10: Hinoki and Cryptomeria- Pruning, Fertilizing and Maintenance, Bjorn Bjorholm - Monroe NSeminar 11: Growth Management of Pines, John Kirby - Monroe SSeminar 12: Management of Eastern White Cedars, Mark Arpag - Ontario N
Ballroom Terrace
Workshops have limited spaces and additional fees. Pre-registration is required.WS 9: Basic Wiring, John Romano - Monroe NWS 10: Advanced Wiring Techniques, John Kirby - Monroe S
Private demonstrations have limited spaces and additional fees. Pre-registration is required.PRIVATE DEMO 1, Bjorn Bjorholm - WintonPRIVATE DEMO 2, Boonyarat Manakitivipart - JeffersonPRIVATE DEMO 3, Hugo Zamora - Exec Board Rm
By Angelica Ramirez - Ballroom Terrace
Lunch
Workshops have limited spaces and additional fees. Pre-registration is required.WS 11: Bring Your Own Tree, Bjorn Bjorholm - WintonWS 12: Bring Your Own Tree, Boonyarat Manakitivipart - JeffersonWS 13: Bring Your Own Tree, Hugo Zamora - Exec Board Rm
By Jonas Dupuich, This session will be off-site at the USNBE in the vendor's area.
With Jonas Dupuich, this session will be off-site at the USNBE in the exhibition area.
For current members of the American Bonsai Society. Enjoy full access to the ABS Learning Seminar and the Friday Night Reception. Workshops and Demos are additional. The USNBE Banquet is NOT included and is only available through the International Bonsai website.
For those who are not yet members of the American Bonsai Society. Enjoy full access to the ABS Learning Seminar, the Friday Night Reception, and membership in the ABS. Workshops and Demos are additional. The USNBE Banquet is NOT included and is only available through the International Bonsai website.
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Shohin Buttonwoods
With Ed TroutFriday, 9-12 PMButtonwoods can surprisingly make wonderful shohin bonsai, as their leaves are easily reduced. Additionally, they can easily be manipulated into almost any style of bonsai. These Buttonwoods were collected from the Florida Keys around 2 years ago. They are being reduced in early spring by Ed in South Florida, and will be allowed to grow out all Summer to allow for more design choices. • Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Specimen Itoigawa Junipers
With Bjorn BjornholmFriday, 9-12 PMJoin Bjorn to create an incredible specimen Itoigawa to add to your collection. Branch selection, carving, jin and shari creation, and wiring can all be discussed and implemented on these wonderful trees. Having Bjorn’s expertise will ensure that you are able to make the best start on a tree that will undoubtedly rise to become one of your most interesting bonsai.• Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Kusamono
With Young ChoeFriday, 9-12 PMYoung Choe, America’s premier creator of kusamono, will lead a fun-filled workshop beginning with a presentation on the nuances of kusamono, followed by Young creating a new kusamono, after which the participants will create their own kusamono under Young’s guidance. Seasonal fall chidori chrysanthemum flowers, along with selaginella and mondo grass will be utilized, all planted beautifully into an April Grigsby glazed pot. • Plants, soil, and April Grigsby kusamono pot included in the price• 10 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Eastern White Cedar
With Mark ArpagFriday, 9-12 PMSporting tight sprays of scale foliage reminiscent of Hinoki and often exhibiting spectacular deadwood features, Eastern White Cedar are one of the truly great native species for bonsai. These fantastic yamadori collected by Kris Springer are specimens anyone would be proud to have in their collection and will only improve with age. Eastern White Cedar master Mark Arpag will guide you toward designing a tree which will not only look good now, but will have an excellent plan for the future.• Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Shohin Roses
With Shannon SalyerFriday, 2-5 PMShannon is an expert in Shohin bonsai, and his pre bonsai roses will make gorgeous small trees. These are a very unusual species and will certainly be an awesome addition to your collection. Shannon will also instruct on future care and maintenance of these beauties. • Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Colorado Blue Spruce
With Todd SchlaferFriday, 2-5 PMIn this workshop you will be able to select and design a collected Colorado Blue Spruce with Todd Schlafer- one of the best collectors and stylists of spruces in the US. Todd has made available an absolutely amazing selection of quality yamadori at a wide range of price points for this workshop. Participants will purchase a tree directly from Todd (range $500- $3000, payable directly to him). Todd will then assist participants in bringing out the best possible future for their yamadori. • Tree NOT included in price (payable to Todd directly at the WS)• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Twisted Junipers
With Sergio CuanFriday, 2-5 PMEnjoy a workshop with Sergio, where you will work on learning the techniques to take some amazing twisted Itoigawa Juniper on their next steps of development. Determine the plan, learn how to see the tree’s future, and set it up for success when you learn the secret of understanding what is important to that plan and what best contributes to fulfilling your vision. • Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Hinoki Cypress
With Hugo ZamoraFriday, 2-5 PMPrized for its glorious dark green tight foliage, Hinoki Cypress make outstanding bonsai. These trees are field grown ‘nana gracilis’ cultivars, meaning their foliage is smaller and tighter. These trees were field grown and have tons of branches to choose and manipulate. Hugo will guide you to getting the most out of these fabulous pre-bonsai. • Tree included in the price• 8 spots available• Participants must bring tools and wire
Additional Accompanying Guest
You only need this if you have someone who is not attending the Learning Seminar but wishes to participate in the evening reception with you; then please purchase this ticket.
Basic Wiring
With John RomanoSaturday, 10-12 PMNot really certain how to correctly wire? Feel no shame!! Wiring is a basic skill that is very often not well mastered certainly for beginners and many intermediate bonsai hobbyists alike. This workshop will be an excellent opportunity to practice with aluminum wire on tree branches (provided) OR a tree if you wish to being one. Aluminum wire provided.• 30 spots available• Practice branches and aluminum wire provided• Participants must bring their own wiring tools (Can bring a tree to wire if preferred)
Advanced Wiring Techniques
With John KirbySaturday, 10-12 PMTake your bonsai skills to the next level! While basic wiring is, of course, essential to everyday bonsai creation, there are many techniques that can surpass the limits of ordinary wiring for altering the shape and position of branches and trunks. We will discuss, demonstrate, and practice a number of useful techniques. • 30 spots available• Practice branches and aluminum wire provided• Participants must bring their own wiring tools
Bjorn Bjornholm Demo
Saturday, 10-12 PMJapanese White Pine: Bjorn restores an old, imported Japanese White PineWhen imported many years ago, this massive Japanese White Pine was a spectacular bonsai. Through its decades living in the US, it has graced the benches of several major North American collections. Due to an illness however, it’s maintenance has been neglected of late and it has lost some of its former luster, presenting an interesting challenge for Bjorn. Register early to grab an up front seat to see and hear how Bjorn plans to restore this spectacular tree to its glory days. After the demo, the tree will be auctioned to the audience and one lucky attendee will walk out with a spectacular specimen Japanese White Pine to add to their collection!Artist: Bjorn Bjorholm20 spots available
Boonyarat Manakitivipart Demo
Saturday, 10-12 PMSpecimen Itoigawa: Bonsai Boon performs the initial styling of a massive, field-grown Itoigawa shimpakuField grown Itoigawa thicken rapidly and this specimen has been in the ground under the care of a skilled grower for decades. This is a massive tree with a gnarly trunk with great movement and many design possibilities. Join Boon, one of the premier bonsai artists in the US, as he shares his impressions and the thinking behind his styling decisions as he carries out the initial design of this fantastic specimen tree. Spaces will go quickly for this important event, so grab your seat early! After the demo, the tree will be auctioned to the audience and one lucky attendee will walk out with a spectacular specimen Itoigawa for their collection!Artist: Boonyarat Manakitivipart20 spots available
Hugo Zamora Demo
Saturday, 10-12 PMScots Pine: Hugo rebuilds an old, field-grown Scots Pine Bonsai This tremendous Scots Pine has a 9” base and was field grown for bonsai many decades ago. Styled over 30 years ago, it has been in a major North American bonsai collection for decades. Although its maintenance has been somewhat neglected of late, it remains a beautiful bonsai with a fantastic structure and dense ramification. Watch the extremely talented Hugo Zamora make major styling decisions to this very old specimen bonsai as he restores its former luster. Be sure to grab an up front seat for this one, you won’t want to miss this amazing transformation! After the demo, the tree will be auctioned to the audience and one lucky attendee will walk out with a spectacular specimen Scots Pine to add to their collection!Artist: Hugo Zamora20 spots available
Pot Competition Discussion
Saturday, 11-12 PMJoin Angelica Ramirez, creator of Discover Potters and the 2025 North American Bonsai Pottery Competition, for a guided walk-through of the pots on display. Angelica will share insights and stories behind each piece, offering a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and artistry that make the pots truly special.Join Angelica Ramirez, creator of Discover Potters and the 2025 North American Bonsai Pottery Competition, for a guided walk-through of the pots on display. Angelica will share insights and stories behind each piece, offering a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship and artistry that make the pots truly special. 10 spots available.
Bring Your Own Tree
With Bjorn BjornholmSaturday, 2-5pm• 8 spots available• Participants must bring their own tree, tools, wire and turntable (if desired)
With Boonyarat ManakitivipartSaturday, 2-5 PM• 8 spots available• Participants must bring their own tree, tools, wire and turntable (if desired)
With Hugo ZamoraSaturday, 2-5 PM• 8 spots available• Participants must bring their own tree, tools, wire and turntable (if desired)
Critique: Buying Trees [Sold Out]
With Jonas Dupuich - At the USNBE Vendor Area.Saturday, 3-4 PMThis is not a critique per se, but rather a unique opportunity to scour the Vendor’s Area of the US National bonsai Exhibition with Jonas Dupuich, learning criteria that can be helpful when shopping for pre-bonsai (projects that span years rather than a season or two). We'll look at strategies for selecting conifers, deciduous species, and broadleaf evergreens. Feel free to prepare specific questions about any species you may be interested in.Registration $308 spots available.
Evaluation of Exhibition Trees [Sold Out]
Sunday, 1-2 PMWith Jonas Dupuich - USNBE ExhibitAs a follow-up to Jonas’ seminar on evaluating trees, 10 people may accompany him on Sunday afternoon for an hour-long discussion of several trees at the National Exhibition, utilizing the criteria established during his presentation. This is an opportunity to apply your knowledge of species-specific and general criteria for excellence in bonsai.You must have a pass to the USNBE to attend this session.10 spots available
Your generosity will help us to continue offering these educational events. The American Bonsai Society is a registered non-profit serving the North American bonsai community.
The American Bonsai Society offers a 100% refund (less the original credit card processing fees) for cancelations received 30 days before the event. The cut-off date for requesting a refund is August 13th, 2025. We will be unable to provide refunds after this date.
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