Bonsai Builders Podcast

There has been a change in the winds at shows in the Bay Area in the last few years and a big part of that has been through the work and tutelage of Adam Toth. His impact on the community and the quality of trees in the area is definitely being felt. In this episode, Adam explains how he developed his skills and how he got the rare experience to apprentice at Taisho-en with Taiga Urushibata.

In this episode, Addison chats with up-and-coming artist Drew Binkley. Based out of Nashville, Tennessee, Drew has been hooked on bonsai for close to eight years. You may have seen him before on Bonsai-U giving a lecture on deadwood carving! They chat about Drew's start in the art form and his future goals, then delve deeper into his philosophy for deadwood carving and how he got so dang good so quickly.

Addison and Eric are diving into the deep end for this one. Following up on their introduction to water chemistry for bonsai, they’ve hit the books and academic papers to answer one critical question: What actually makes water 'good' or 'bad' for your bonsai trees? In this episode, they break down the specific parameters they analyzed, compare real-world municipal water reports, and share the open questions still puzzling them. Plus, stick around until the end for practical, recommended setups to optimize your water treatment at home.

Matthew Gelacio is an up and coming star artist based out of San Diego who balances a full time job in Japanese garden design with amazing development as a bonsai artist. In this episode, we get to hear more about his journey, the unique skillset he is building, and the teachings that have been instilled him from Japanese roots.

In this episode, we sit down with Sylvia and Howard Smith—the dynamic duo known as The Bonsai Smiths—who are setting the standard for bonsai excellence in the Dallas area. We discuss the incredible balancing act of managing medical careers, parenthood, and a deep dedication to the art of bonsai! Sylvia and Howard reflect on their early days taking intensives with Boon over 20 years ago, how they’ve consistently honed their skills, and their vision for integrating bonsai into their long-term future.