Category
Learning
Classes, workshops, and study programs — not clubs, not retail nurseries.
34 listings
Learning listings are classes, workshops, and study programs: a course you enroll in, a workshop weekend, a school or program with a syllabus and a printed schedule. A club meeting is not a class. A nursery that sells trees is not a school because it has a bench. We do not blur those buckets.
Wave 1 learning programs will be cited from first-party pages with a check date — tuition, dates, and who it is for as the organizer printed them. There is no booking widget and no public CMS. This index exists so the learning bucket has a real URL and a real explanation before the first Markdown file lands.
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LearningBlack River Bonsai — Bonsai & Beverages Beginner Workshop
Sandusky, OH
Hands-on Introduction to Bonsai workshop for absolute beginners, run by Black River Bonsai of Sheffield, Ohio, and taught by owner Daniel White. The next public session is Sunday November 15, 2026, noon to 4 PM at The Winerie, 6413 Hayes Ave, Sandusky, Ohio, for $50, booked through the business's own online shop. Each participant styles an untrained tree with instruction on design, pruning, wiring and care.
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LearningBlithewold — Bonsai Essentials Workshop Series with Peter Olson
Bristol, RI
Four-level, two-hour bonsai workshop series taught by Peter Olson at Blithewold, the historic garden and arboretum estate at 101 Ferry Road, Bristol, Rhode Island. Completing all four levels earns Meraki Bonsai’s Certification of Completion in Bonsai Techniques. Upcoming sessions at check were Bonsai Essentials 3 (cold-hardy trees, tree and container included) on Sunday, October 11, 2026, 10 AM–12 PM, at $65 members / $75 nonmembers, and Bonsai Essentials 4 (advanced techniques, bring your own tree) on Sunday, February 21, 2027, at $45 / $60. Registration required, limited to 12, adults only.
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LearningBonsai & Brew Studio — Beginner Bonsai 101
Chicago, IL
Ticketed two-hour beginner bonsai workshops run by Chicago-based Bonsai & Brew Studio in local breweries, bars and coffee houses around Chicagoland. Instructors teach how to pot, prune and craft a bonsai, and each ticket includes one pre-tree of your choice, a pot and humidity tray, potting chopsticks, two hours of hands-on instruction and use of class tools. Upcoming Chicago dates include Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at Maplewood Brewery & Distillery (6:30–8:30 PM, $75), Thursday, November 19, 2026 at Konbini & Kanpai in Wrigleyville (6:30–8:30 PM, $75) and Sunday, November 22, 2026 at Ramova Theater & Off Hours Beer in Bridgeport (12:00–2:00 PM, $75). Ticket buyers must be 21+ at alcohol venues. Refunds are offered up to 48 hours before an event.
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Bonsai Empire — Online Bonsai Courses
Online
Self-paced bonsai courses from Bonsai Empire — Beginners from $49.99 up to Kimura masterclasses. Lifetime access; named instructors. Curriculum and prices on the listing.
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LearningBonsai Garden at Lake Merritt — Introduction to Bonsai Class
Oakland, CA
Monthly Introduction to Bonsai class at the GSBF Bonsai Garden at Lake Merritt, 650 Bellevue Ave. (Gate 4), Lakeside Park, Oakland, California. It is taught by volunteer members of the East Bay Bonsai Society in the garden's workshop on the fourth Sunday of each month except January and December. Students sign up through a form on the class page and are then invited to EBBS meetings and workshops. The garden itself is a free-admission bonsai museum with about 150 bonsai and suiseki, run under the Golden State Bonsai Federation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
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LearningBonsai Terrarium Building Workshop at Erie Art Museum
Erie, PA
Hands-on bonsai terrarium workshop at the Erie Art Museum in Erie, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, November 19, 2026, from 2:00 to 3:00 PM. Led by Ashton Ferns; each student gets a Procumbens Nana juniper, glass terrarium, décor, driftwood, gravel and soil, with tools provided for class use. Listed at $40 for non-members and $35 for members (code BONSAI). Register via the museum’s own Squarespace cart on the class page.
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LearningBonsai West — School of Bonsai Classes
Littleton, MA
In-person bonsai classes and workshops at Bonsai West Garden and Nursery, 100 Great Road, Littleton, Massachusetts, from an Introduction to Bonsai class ($125, materials included) to a four-session Black Pine Workshop ($500) and a year-round School of Bonsai taught by Zuma Fleischmann. On its own schedule the Introduction class on October 24, 2026 and two Mauro Stemberger workshops on October 28 and 30 showed 0 openings, so students are told to call or email for the waiting list; the Black Pine session on November 14, 2026 enrolls by email.
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LearningBranch and Bloom Bonsai — Bonsai & Beer Beginner Workshops
Denver / Broomfield, CO
Beginner bonsai & beer workshops at Denver-metro brewery taprooms by Branch and Bloom Bonsai: $75 per seat with tree, pot, soil, tools and one drink included. No experience needed.
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Brooklyn Botanic Garden — Art of Bonsai
Brooklyn, NY
Brooklyn Botanic Garden continuing-education bonsai workshop with printed member/nonmember tuition and materials fee on official Art of Bonsai class pages.
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LearningChadwick Arboretum — Intro to Indoor Bonsai Workshop
Columbus, OH
Schedule-first introductory indoor/mini bonsai workshop hosted by Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens (The Ohio State University) on Sunday, October 25, 2026, 2:00–4:00 p.m., during Fall Foliage Festival programming. Printed cost is $69.08 (includes all fees); Chadwick members get an additional 15% off with an arboretum discount code. Venue: Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center, 2201 Fred Taylor Dr, Columbus, OH 43210.
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Chicago Botanic Garden Bonsai
Glencoe, IL
Curriculum-first adult bonsai class series at Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe. Fall 2026 evening sessions and member/nonmember tuition cited from chicagobotanic.org.
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Denver Botanic Gardens — Beginning Bonsai
Denver, CO
Curriculum-first Beginning Bonsai class at Denver Botanic Gardens York Street. 2026 Saturday sessions and member/nonmember tuition cited from botanicgardens.org.
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Descanso Gardens — Rooted Bonsai Workshops
La Cañada Flintridge, CA
Descanso Gardens Rooted Workshop series with printed 2026 bonsai/saikei class pages, $75 members / $80 non-members tuition, instructor Daniel Deephouse, at 1418 Descanso Drive.
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LearningFifth Season Gardening — Beginner Bonsai with Danny Coffey
Carrboro, NC
Schedule-first beginner bonsai workshop hosted by Fifth Season Gardening in Carrboro, NC, on Saturday, November 14, 2026, 11:00 am–12:30 pm, led by bonsai artist Danny Coffey. Printed cost is $90 and covers instruction plus ceramic pot, tree, and soil; students leave with a potted bonsai. Venue: Fifth Season Gardening, 106 S. Greensboro Street, Carrboro, NC 27510. Register via the Eventbrite ticket link posted on the first-party Carrboro classes page.
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Gresham Japanese Garden — Art of Bonsai Workshops
Gresham, OR
Gresham Japanese Garden monthly Art of Bonsai workshop series with printed 2026 Thursday/Saturday schedule, $40 workshop fee plus $15 materials, at the Kyoudou Center.
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Heathcote Botanical Gardens — Learn Bonsai Classes
Fort Pierce, FL
Hands-on bonsai classes and a monthly study group at Heathcote Botanical Gardens in Fort Pierce, taught by Bonsai Curator Tom Kehoe next to the garden's James J. Smith Bonsai Collection. The next listed class is Bonsai with Bougainvillea on Oct 28, 2026, 6:00–8:30 PM, at $90 for members and $100 for non-members, with plant and pot included. The free Bonsai Study Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday at 6 PM and needs advance registration. The garden is at 210 Savannah Road.
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LearningHidden Lake Gardens — Fall Bonsai Exhibition Workshops
Tipton, MI
Hands-on bonsai workshops at Michigan State University's Hidden Lake Gardens, 6214 Monroe Road (M-50), Tipton, Michigan, held during the inaugural Fall Fruit & Foliage Bonsai Exhibition on October 17 and 18, 2026. The garden's own online shop lists six workshops, from Bonsai Basics with a tropical Tiger Bark Ficus (sold out) and a $150 Itoigawa Shimpaku juniper design class led by Bill Valavanis to a $75 Bring Your Own Tree session with Steve Jetzer and a $10 children's workshop. The garden's separate Art of Bonsai event is listed as returning in 2027.
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LearningInland Bays Garden Center — Bonsai Club Learning Sessions
Frankford, DE
Free, hands-on monthly bonsai learning session hosted by Inland Bays Garden Center at 38320 Muddy Neck Rd, Frankford, Delaware, on the first Wednesday of each month from 10 AM to noon. Local bonsai experts Tom Hargreaves and Jim Bastiani guide each participant as they work on a tree, and beginners can start with one of the small trees sold at the garden center. The next session on the garden center's own class calendar is Wednesday November 4, 2026 at 10 AM.
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LearningIntro to Indoor Bonsai at The Dawes Arboretum
Newark, OH
Hands-on introduction to indoor bonsai at The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, on Saturday, November 14, 2026, from 10 AM to 12 PM in the Visitors Center. Students learn repotting, root pruning, cuttings and directional pruning, and leave with a 1–3-year-old jade or other tropical, two plastic pots, soil and a care handout. Listed at $60 per person; member discount at checkout. All ages with adult supervision.
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LearningIntroduction to the Art of Bonsai — St. Louis Park Community Education
St. Louis Park, MN
Three-week, hands-on adult bonsai class from St. Louis Park Community Education (a department of St. Louis Park Public Schools) at Lenox Community Center, taught by Lionel Flood, a Minnesota Bonsai Society member since 1991. The posted curriculum runs Week One: Discover Your Tree (trunk base and choosing the front), Week Two: Transplanting and repotting, and Week Three: Wiring and Shaping; students get a tree. Next section A506-W27 meets Thursdays, April 22, April 29 and May 6, 2027, 7:00–9:30 PM; $45 plus a $65 material fee paid to the instructor on day one. Ages 18+. Registration begins December 1.
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LearningJapanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix — Bonsai for Beginners
Phoenix, AZ
Ticketed beginner bonsai lecture at the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix (Rohoen), 1125 N. 3rd Avenue, Phoenix, a 3.5-acre Japanese stroll garden run by a 501(c)(3) non-profit with Phoenix sister city Himeji. The session covers bonsai history, techniques, choosing a plant and pot, and basic care for a desert climate, and ends with a Q&A. No experience is required. The next session is Saturday, November 7, 2026, 9:30–11:00 AM, for $20.00 plus a $0.70 service fee, and the ticket includes general admission to the garden. Further sessions are posted for Saturday, January 9, 2027 and Saturday, April 10, 2027 at 9:30 AM, with tickets opening three months before each date.
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LearningLeu Gardens — Beginner Bonsai Workshop with Elemental Nursery
Orlando, FL
Schedule-first beginner bonsai workshop at Harry P. Leu Gardens in Orlando, FL, on Sunday, August 30, 2026, 2:00–4:00 PM, led by Elemental Nursery. Printed cost range is $83.47–$92.55; all project materials provided (create a Dwarf Green Jade bonsai); registration includes garden admission. Venue: Harry P. Leu Gardens, 1920 N Forest Ave, Orlando, FL 32803.
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Longwood Gardens — Advanced Bonsai Workshop
Kennett Square, PA
Longwood Gardens continuing-education bonsai workshop with printed Oct 17, 2026 Advanced Deciduous session, $245 general / $225 member tuition, instructor Matt Turner, at 1001 Longwood Road.
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Morikami Art of Bonsai
Delray Beach, FL
Five-week Sunday bonsai class series at Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach. Taught by Vladimir Foursa at the Oki Education Center; 2026–2027 schedule and tuition cited from the official event page.
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Pacific Bonsai Museum — Bonsai Basics
Federal Way, WA
Curriculum-first beginner Bonsai Basics class series at Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way. 2026 Saturday sessions and member/nonmember tuition cited from pacificbonsaimuseum.org.
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LearningPlant City Bonsai — Bonsai 101 Workshop
Clermont, GA
Hands-on beginner bonsai workshop at Plant City Bonsai, a bonsai nursery at 5607 Cleveland Hwy, Clermont, Georgia that calls itself one of the largest bonsai nurseries in the Southeast. Bonsai 101 runs Saturday, November 7 or Saturday, December 5, 2026, 10 AM–2 PM, for $150, which includes a juniper or small Harlandii boxwood, a training pot, soil and use of tools. After a brief lecture, students find the front of the tree, learn basic wiring, trimming and styling, pot the tree, and cover watering, fertilizing and winter and summer care. The same page lists intermediate, penjing/saikei and forest workshops (dates TBA).
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LearningRosade Bonsai Studio — Beginner Classes and Open Workshops
New Hope, PA
Small-group bonsai classes at Rosade Bonsai Studio, 6912 Ely Road, New Hope, Pennsylvania, the studio Chase Rosade started in 1970 after studying in Japan. Its own 2026 class schedule lists a full-day Introduction to Bonsai beginner class (10 AM–4 PM, $175, notebook and a tree included) and $75 open workshops, with no more than six students per class. Remaining 2026 dates are October 28 and 31, November 1, 18, 21 and 28, and a tropical bonsai class on December 12. Sign-up is by phone with Chase at 215-499-9035.
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LearningSanders Library (CALS) — Monthly Bonsai Program with the Central Arkansas Bonsai Society
Sherwood, AR
Open, no-experience-needed monthly bonsai program at the Central Arkansas Library System's Sanders Library, 10200 Johnson Drive, Sherwood, Arkansas, where members of the Central Arkansas Bonsai Society teach the art of bonsai to anyone who comes; the event pages list no fee or registration. The library's own calendar lists sessions on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM in the meeting room, on the second Saturday of the month from February through November 2026, with the next one on Saturday, November 14, 2026. It is aimed at adults and families.
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LearningSchmidt's Farm And Greenhouse — Intro to Bonsai Class
West Jordan, UT
Hands-on, one-hour beginner bonsai class at Schmidt's Farm And Greenhouse, a family garden center "Growing Since 1911" at 9120 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah. Students learn care, pruning, design principles and plant selection, and take home a starter bonsai tree with a pot and soil kit plus a $10 credit toward an upgraded tree, all for $35. The class has run in November 2025 (two sessions) and March 2026, and two sessions are scheduled for Friday, November 20, 2026 at 5 PM and Saturday, November 21, 2026 at 10 AM. Seats are limited.
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LearningScience Café: The Science of Bonsai & Penjing at the U.S. National Arboretum
Washington, DC
Evening adult talk program on the science of bonsai and penjing, hosted by Friends of the National Arboretum (FONA) on Saturday, November 7, 2026, from 6 PM at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, DC. It marks the 50th anniversary of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. Expert speakers will cover soil properties and how trees respond to growing in containers. Ages 18+, about $47 per ticket on FONA's registration page.
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The Art of Bonsai at Brooklyn Brainery
Brooklyn, NY
Hands-on adult bonsai class at Brooklyn Brainery's Prospect Heights location (190 Underhill Ave, Brooklyn) taught by Julian Velasco, former curator of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's C.V. Starr Bonsai Museum. Sessions on Saturday, November 21, 2026 and Saturday, December 12, 2026, 11:00 AM–1:15 PM; $125. Students take home a bonsai tree, bonsai container and soil; tools are lent for class. Ages 18+. Register on the Brainery's own signup page.
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LearningToronto Botanical Garden — Introduction to Bonsai 101
Toronto, ON
Schedule-first introductory bonsai class at Toronto Botanical Garden on Thursday, October 1, 2026, 6:30–8:00 p.m., taught by Toronto Bonsai Society President Josh Chang. Printed fees are Public $20 and TBG Members $15 (plus applicable taxes and fees). The garden is at 777 Lawrence Ave E, Toronto, ON M3C 1P2.
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University of Utah Continuing Education — Bonsai 101: Tropical Trees
Salt Lake City, UT
One-evening, in-person beginner bonsai class (course LLHG 462) in the University of Utah Continuing Education Lifelong Learning program, held at the Continuing Education building, 540 Arapeen Drive, Salt Lake City. The Fall 2026 section meets Thursday, November 5, 2026, 6:00–9:00 PM, in room UUCE 155. Tuition is $49 plus a $125 special materials fee ($174 total), and students leave with a new tropical tree, a basic set of tools and care know-how. Registration closes November 4, 2026 at midnight; Lifelong Learning classes are open to all adults 18 and older with no degree or matriculation required.
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LearningWolf Trap Nursery — Create Your Own Bonsai Workshop
Vienna, VA
Schedule-first beginner bonsai workshop hosted by Wolf Trap Nursery on Saturday, October 3, 2026, with sessions 10:00 am–12:00 noon or 1:00–3:00 pm. Printed cost is $95 per person and covers instruction plus starter tree, pot, soil, and wire (tools provided for use on-site, not take-home). Venue: Wolf Trap Nursery, 9439 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, VA 22182. Register by phone or in person; attendance limited to 20.