Heathcote Botanical Gardens — Learn Bonsai Classes

What it is

Heathcote Botanical Gardens’ Learn Bonsai program is a schedule-first series of bonsai classes at a nonprofit public garden in Fort Pierce, Florida. The garden’s official class shop lists each session with a date, time, instructor, what the fee includes, and member and non-member prices. Classes are taught by the garden’s Bonsai Curator, Tom Kehoe, next to the James J. Smith Bonsai Collection. The program has two parts: ticketed hands-on species workshops (bougainvillea, Brazilian rain tree) where you style and take home your own tree, and a free, registration-required Bonsai Study Group that meets monthly after hours. This listing is Learning. It is not a retail nursery shop and not a membership club.

Who it’s for

Treasure Coast and South Florida adults who want an in-person, hands-on bonsai class focused on tropical and subtropical species that suit Florida’s climate. Beginners can join both the study group (“no tree needed”) and the species workshops. The study group page says it also suits more experienced enthusiasts who want new skills or to help work on the garden’s collection. Children can take the species workshops if both the child and the accompanying guardian register (Rain Tree class page). People who only want to see the trees can visit the collection during normal garden hours with general admission.

Why it’s listed

This is a first-party public-garden class catalog. It prints dated sessions, member and non-member fees, what each fee includes, the instructor, and a street address. It is curriculum and schedule first, not a shop blur. The class pages sit on the garden’s online store, but what they sell is class registration, not trees or supplies.

• Next listed class (Bonsai with Bougainvillea page, checked 2026-09-28): Bonsai with Bougainvillea, October 28, 6:00–8:30 PM. The page does not print the year, but the listing was published Sep 11, 2026, so this is Wednesday, October 28, 2026. It was in stock with registration open at check. Taught by Bonsai Curator Tom Kehoe, the class covers bonsai styling, shaping, and care while you create your own bougainvillea bonsai to take home. Registration includes the bougainvillea plant, pot, and professional instruction. Fees: Members $90 | Non-Members $100. The class meets at Heathcote Botanical Gardens, 210 Savannah Road, Fort Pierce. Space is limited, and all sales are final. If the garden cancels the event, ticket purchases are kept as a donation.
• Bonsai Study Group (study group registration page + blog post, checked today): meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6 PM, led by Tom Kehoe, and is free ($0.00 registration, donations welcome). Advance registration is required, and attendees check in against a guest list. Sessions may be hands-on exercises, demonstrations, or lectures depending on the topic, and include after-hours access to the collection. No bonsai ownership is needed. Going by the stated cadence, the next session would be October 21, 2026. Confirm the date and topic on the live pages.
• Earlier 2026 sample (Bonsai with Brazilian Rain Trees page, checked today): Friday, July 11, 2026, 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, Bonsai Pavilion; Members $115 / Non-Members $145. Registration included one Brazilian rain tree, a pot, instruction, and a care guide. The page now shows it as out of stock, and it is cited only as a past sample of the series format.
• Collection context (Bonsai Gallery + study group post, checked today): in October 2009, Bonsai Master James J. Smith (1925–2016) donated 100 of his finest bonsai to Heathcote on condition that they be maintained, displayed, and protected. The study group post calls the James J. Smith Bonsai Collection “the largest public Bonsai display in the country”. That is the garden’s own claim.
• Garden address / hours (Plan Your Visit + site footer, checked today): 210 Savannah Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34982; phone 772-464-4672. Open Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–4 PM. Sunday hours are 12–4 PM from Nov. 19 through Mother’s Day only, and the garden is closed Sundays May–October and closed Mondays. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and $5 for children 6–17. Class registration is separate from general admission.

Class dates, fees, and inclusions above are what the official Heathcote pages showed on the check date. Seats and prices change. Check the live class page before treating any figure as fixed.

Official URL

Primary class catalog (Learn Bonsai): https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/product-category/learn-bonsai/

• Bonsai with Bougainvillea (Oct 28, 2026): https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/product/bonsai-with-bouganivillea/
• Bonsai Study Group registration: https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/product/heathcotes-bonsai-study-group-attendee-registration/
• Bonsai Study Group overview: https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/bonsai-study-group-at-heathcote/
• Bonsai with Brazilian Rain Trees (Jul 11, 2026 sample): https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/product/bonsia-with-brazilian-rain-trees/
• Bonsai Gallery (collection history): https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/our-living-galleries/bonsai-gallery/
• Plan Your Visit (hours / admission): https://heathcotebotanicalgardens.org/about-heathcote-botanical-gardens/plan-your-visit/

Location

Class meetings: Heathcote Botanical Gardens, 210 Savannah Road, Fort Pierce, FL 34982 (Rain Tree sample location: Bonsai Pavilion). The garden also runs an occasional off-site “Bonsai Social” at a Vero Beach brewery ($75, out of stock at check). That is a social event, not the core class series. Confirm the room and check-in details on your registration confirmation. Use the live Plan Your Visit page for seasonal Sunday hours and weather closings.

This is a garden education / class-series address. Do not treat it as a retail bonsai nursery shop or as a membership club meeting hall. The category remains Learning even though the class registrations are sold through the garden’s online store.

Notes

• Category is Learning. This is a first-party public-garden class series with printed dates, member and non-member fees, inclusions, and an instructor. It is not a nursery and not a club, and it is distinct from Appalachian Plantworks (Nurseries) and Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis (Clubs).
• The Oct 28, 2026 Bougainvillea class at $90/$100, the free third-Wednesday study group, the Jul 11, 2026 Rain Tree sample at $115/$145, the Tom Kehoe instructor credit, and the 210 Savannah Road location come from official Heathcote pages checked on 2026-09-28 and may change.
• The class URL slugs contain the garden’s own typos (“bouganivillea”, “bonsia”). Keep the URLs as published.
• This is a second Florida card in the directory (Morikami Art of Bonsai is also Learning in South Florida), but Heathcote is a different organization, on the Treasure Coast, with a tropical-species focus.
• Pics optional for this Monday card; no listing image saved beside this file. Default learning card art is used.
• Not affiliated with Bonsai Plaza.
• No Bonsai Plaza contact, purchase, booking, or publication action was taken.

FAQ

Q: What does the next Heathcote bonsai class cost, and what is included?
A: The Bonsai with Bougainvillea page (checked 2026-09-28) lists Members $90 and Non-Members $100 for October 28, 2026, 6:00–8:30 PM. The fee includes the bougainvillea plant, pot, and instruction, and you take the finished bonsai home. All sales are final. Confirm seats on the class URL above.

Q: Is there a free way to start?
A: Yes. The Bonsai Study Group meets on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6 PM with Bonsai Curator Tom Kehoe. It is free (donations welcome) but needs advance registration through the garden’s site, and no tree is needed. Check the study group page for the next topic.

Q: Is this a nursery or a club?
A: Neither, for Bonsai Plaza category purposes. Heathcote publishes schedule-first class pages with fees and an instructor, so the card is Learning. Tree retail with shop prices belongs under Nurseries (e.g. Appalachian Plantworks), and member-run club meeting schedules belong under Clubs (e.g. Bonsai Society of Greater St. Louis). The study group is run by the garden’s curator, not a member society, so it does not move this card into Clubs.