Have you ever been intrigued by tiny, tiny trees in pots?

Welcome to the Japanese Art of Bonsai! Bonsai is the Japanese version of the original traditional Chinese art penjing or penzai. Unlike Penjing, which uses traditional techniques to produce entire natural sceneries in small pots that mimic real life sceneries, the Japanese Bonsai attempts to produce small trees that mimic the shape of real life trees. The ultimate goal of growing a bonsai is to create a miniaturized but realistic representation of nature in the form of a tree.

Creating a tiny tree can be tranquil and fun! The club members have all levels of expertise, most of us started as beginners interested in the Art of Bonsai.

The club meets the first Wednesday of the month from 10am-12pm at the Garden Center located at 38320 Muddy Neck Road, Frankford, DE 19945. There is no cost to join. You may bring a tree to work on or start with one of the small trees available at the Garden Center. We will meet throughout the winter and hope to see you next month for some Bonsai fun!

Our Story:

Earlier this year, Tom Hargreaves (a local bonsai expert), invited Cheryl Rehig (co-owner Inland Bays Garden Center) along with staff, Darlene Boerlage and Sandy Daniels, to tour his Japanese gardens and Bonsai collection.

Tom has been creating Bonsai for over 20 years. He estimates his oldest tree is roughly 40 years old. After meandering through Tom’s winding trails of Japanese gardens and hundreds of Bonsai, they were so excited about this magical art!

Bonsai have long been respected in the ancient art of Feng Shui for their ability to draw life energies into a room. As a focus of sight, conversation, and living forces, Bonsai plants provide endless wonder.

In early spring Cheryl started the Inland Bays Garden Center Bonsai Club. “I have always been interested in Bonsai and have experimented with trees at the Garden Center. I wanted to share my enthusiasm with others interested in Bonsai”, Cheryl said. The Bonsai Club has two experts, Tom Hargreaves and Jim Bastiani who share their many years of knowledge and skills. Tom and Jim guide club members as they individually create one of these magical trees.

New members are welcome to join the Bonsai Club by sending an email to: [email protected]