Nashville Bonsai Society — Nashville / Middle Tennessee, TN clubs

What it is

The Nashville Bonsai Society (NBS) is a member-run bonsai club for Middle Tennessee, founded in 1975. The official home page calls it a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its main identity is the monthly club meeting (with programs, lectures, and demos), plus member workshops, Mentorship 101, exhibits, and calendar-year dues. The Join Us page says the Society was founded to promote the enjoyment, education, and appreciation of the art of bonsai, and that visitors are always welcome at meetings. It is not a commercial nursery and not a public-garden tuition class series.

Who it’s for

Middle Tennessee bonsai enthusiasts, from complete beginners to experienced growers, who want club meetings, member workshops with visiting artists, and a structured Mentorship 101 track. Guests can attend meetings before joining. Hands-on workshops and Mentorship 101 require membership and advance registration through the club site.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party club site. It prints founding year and nonprofit status, dues with an online payment path, a meeting-month cadence, dated 2026 workshop events with fees, and a Mentorship 101 syllabus with tuition. It is not a Facebook-only club and not a scraped directory card. (This club was the Monday Sep 28 Clubs alternate, held then only to avoid stacking three Southeast cards; it remains strong and is used here.)

Club identity / cadence (Home + Join Us, checked 2026-09-29):
- Founded 1975; 501(c)(3) nonprofit (home footer).
- Meetings monthly except July, August, December, and January. Join Us says time and place are on the Events Calendar; visitors are welcome. Confirm each date and venue on the live Events list before traveling.
- Activities named on Join Us include an annual exhibit, collecting trips, picnics, field trips, garden tours, and interest in suiseki, shohin, and kusamono.
Membership / dues (Join Us + Home, checked today):
- $35 individual; $45 family; $10 junior (under 16, if not with a family).
- Home announcement: 2026 membership fee due date June 1; online payment via credit card or Apple Pay is encouraged after login.
Upcoming workshop samples (event pages + Workshops overview, checked today):
- Andrew Robson Morning Workshop, October 15, 2026, 9:00 AM–1:00 PM, venue listed as Hopson House, fee $75.00, BYOT; spaces left 2 at check.
- Andrew Robson Afternoon Workshop, October 15, 2026, 1:00 PM–5:00 PM, Hopson House, fee $75.00, BYOT; spaces left 3 at check. All-day attendance needs both tickets.
- Workshops page: typically half- or full-day, often at a member home, 6–10 attendees, advance web registration; limited audit seats.
Mentorship 101 (Mentorship page, checked today): six-session cumulative course for newcomers and members seeking a stronger foundation; $250 for the full course (cash or check at first class); membership required; includes four trees plus pots, wire, soil, and materials. 2026 example dates: last Saturdays Jan 31, Feb 28, Mar 28, Apr 25, May 30, Jun 27. Mentorship is club programming, not a standalone Learning card.

Meeting times, dues, and workshop samples above are what the official pages showed on the check date. They can change. Confirm on the live Events and Join Us pages before joining or traveling.

Official URL

https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/

Join Us (dues / meeting cadence): https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/Join-Us
Workshops overview: https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/Workshops
Mentorship 101: https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/Mentorship-101
Andrew Robson Morning Workshop (Oct 15, 2026): https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/event-6822612
Andrew Robson Afternoon Workshop (Oct 15, 2026): https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/event-6822621

Location

Region: Nashville / Middle Tennessee.
Regular meetings: monthly except July, August, December, and January; exact time and place on the club Events Calendar (Join Us). Confirm the live listing before visiting.
Oct 15, 2026 workshops: venue printed as Hopson House on the event pages. The Workshops overview says workshops are usually held at a member’s home; the site does not print a street address for Hopson House on the public event pages checked today, so we give only the club-published venue name here.

This is a club meeting / workshop identity. It is not a retail nursery showroom and not a botanic-garden tuition desk.

Notes

Category is Clubs. NBS is a first-party, member-run society with dues, a meeting-month cadence, dated workshop events, and Mentorship 101. Not a nursery. Member workshops and Mentorship stay club programming and do not move this card into Learning.
Founding year, 501(c)(3) status, $35 / $45 / $10 dues, the except-Jul/Aug/Dec/Jan meeting rule, the Oct 15, 2026 $75 Robson workshops, and Mentorship 101 at $250 come from official pages checked on 2026-09-29 and may change.
Pics optional for this Tuesday card; no listing image saved beside this file. Default club card art is used.
Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza.
No Bonsai Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: When and where does NBS meet?
A: Join Us (checked 2026-09-29) says meetings are monthly except July, August, December, and January, with time and place on the Events Calendar, and that visitors are welcome. Confirm the next date and venue on https://www.nashvillebonsaisociety.org/ before traveling.

Q: What are the dues?
A: Join Us lists $35 individual, $45 family, and $10 junior (under 16, not with a family). The home page set a June 1, 2026 due date and encourages online payment after login.

Q: I’m new. Where do I start, and is this a Learning listing?
A: Visit a monthly meeting as a guest, then join if you want workshops and Mentorship 101. The Oct 15, 2026 Andrew Robson sessions are $75 each (morning and afternoon sold separately) at Hopson House. NBS stays Clubs. Mentorship 101 and visiting-artist workshops are member club programming, not a standalone curriculum-first Learning card.