I Retreats

A few days at the bench, in the Blue Ridge.

A private house in the mountains. A small bench under a covered porch. One tree per guest, chosen in advance and worked on across the visit — the same tree comes home with you. The instruction is bonsai the way it is actually practiced: slow, exact, and one decision at a time.

The retreat house and covered porch in the Blue Ridge.

II The Practice

The practice

A retreat is built around a single tree, selected for you before you arrive. The first morning is spent reading it — taxonomy, stage, the line it already has and the line it could have. From there the work proceeds at the pace of the work: wire, rest, cut, rest, repot when the season allows, rest. There is no curriculum sheet.

The house holds up to six guests. Meals are simple and shared. Mornings and late afternoons are at the bench; the middle of the day is for the porch, the trail behind the house, or nothing in particular. You leave on the last morning with a finished specimen, a care card written for your climate, and a season of follow-up correspondence.

III Packages

Retreat packages

  1. A specimen worked at the retreat bench.

    A weekend at the bench

    Trident maple, training stage

    Pricing in person

  2. A specimen worked at the retreat bench.

    The five-day immersion

    Japanese white pine, statement class

    Pricing in person

  3. A specimen worked at the retreat bench.

    Private commission

    Negotiated in advance

    Pricing in person

IV What’s Included

What’s included

Lodging
A private room in the house. Linens, coffee, the porch.
Instruction
One-on-one bench time across every day; no group lectures.
The tree
A finished specimen selected for you, in a pot suited to it.
Meals & tools
Breakfasts and dinners. Bench tools provided; yours to use.

V Who it’s for

Who the retreats are for

Collectors who already have a few trees on the bench and want a stretch of time with a craftsperson to push a single specimen forward. Hobbyists who have been reading about ramification and deadwood for a year and want to do it with their hands. Couples who share the hobby and want a few days that aren’t a hotel.

Not for absolute beginners. If you can name three species you’ve kept alive for a season, you’re in range.

VI Inquire

Tell us about the trip.

A reply usually comes within a few days. Real dates and the tree itself are worked out over email — this form is just the first note.