Walk 30 – Twisted Nature Bonsai Open House

I am a grasshopper, a novice, a beginner

Kathleen, Beatrice and I attended the open house hosted by my bonsai instructor, Russ Stevens. A couple hundred bonsai fill his backyard garden. I love walking through it; I could spend all day here. Russ gave tours and offered details on some of the more curious trees. 

The effort and time and love he infuses into his garden astounds me. Russ is a meticulous bonsai.…grower? craftsman? gardener? all of these and more! He may spend 8 to 12 hours working on, caring for and styling one tree. 

I am a grasshopper, a novice, a beginner in bonsai. I met Russ last year and acquired a small Brazilian rain tree. But I love it. I tell the tree I love it every day. It has flourished for the 16 months I’ve owned it. Seeing it every day – in summer on our patio and in winter in my office – warms my heart. 

This walk proved a lovely way to call this series of 30 Walks in Nature to a close. Unique, heartfelt, playful, thoughtful – all adjectives I use to describe Russ’s backyard and this walk.

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Thirty Walks in Nature. The end of this series, but only the start of my walks in nature. More to come. 

Solvitur Ambulando….

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Originally published September 30, 2023