About
The Short
I am an amateur bonsai enthusiast, the founder and webmaster of www.bonsaiswap.com, co-founder and webmaster of www.knowledgeofbonsai.org, editor and webmaster at www.artofbonsai.org, and member of the Badger Bonsai Society in Madison, Wisconsin. A landscaper by trade, I have long been fascinated by the miniaturization of trees in pots. I have been involved with bonsai since 2000, when my girlfriend bought me a mini-bonsai starter kit for his birthday.
The Long
I am from Madison, WI (Zone 4 or 5 depending on who you talk to), and an avid bonsai enthusiast. I have been doing bonsai for about 6 years now. I am a member of the Badger Bonsai Society. You can see their chronicles here.
My girlfriend Sunshine first introduced bonsai to me, in 2000; she bought me a mini-bonsai starter kit for my birthday. The kit was some peat, a couple of seeds, a small pot, and an even smaller care book. Well I got the seeds to germinate with out any problems. Therefore, I placed the pot in front of the window, like the book said, so they could get some sunlight. Well, my cats got to them and they must have thought that the seedlings were cat grass or something because they ate them. I was heart broken. The experience turned me off of bonsai for a while. I thought that I could not grow them because of my cats.
I had also purchased a book on bonsai to help me daydream. Bonsai In Your Home: An Indoor Grower’s Guide by Paul Lesniewicz. I thought this was an amazing book. Who knew that you could grow bonsai from inside your home? One day in 2001, after reading the book, I ventured to one of the local garden centers. What do you know they had bonsai for sale. I wanted one so bad, but I just could not come up with the money for one. So Sunshine came to the rescue again. For my birthday, she bought a Ficus benjamina bonsai for me. I still have it. It is not my best tree, but the tree that means the most to me. Click here to have a look.
In 2002 or 2003 I was looking at information about the Garden Expo that was to be held at the Expo Center. I noticed that there was going to be a bonsai workshop. I thought that the $70 fee for the workshop was a little high, but I went anyways. I thought that I could learn more about bonsai from someone who has been doing it awhile. This workshop was my first exposure to the Badge Bonsai Society and Bonsai Bob.
I had no idea that there was a bonsai society in Madison. The first meeting I went to was a speaker meeting. I do not remember, and had no idea what he was talking about. I was thrilled to be there nonetheless. I liked the pictures of bonsai I saw during the presentation, and I wanted one.
Since then I have taken over the spare bedroom in my apartment and turned it into a grow room for the tropical tree’s during the winter months. I am now constructing a hoop house on my parents land for the “outdoor†trees, to provide a little added winter protection from direct sunlight and wind. See the grow room.
I work as a Landscaper for a small company in Madison, WI. I get many opportunities to dig up old trees and shrubs. Of which I collect with the prospects of turning to a bonsai. See my collected stock.
Now, I travel down to the southern states every year to get good bonsai material. To make room for these new additions I normally sell some bonsai in early winter. Most of the trees are for. If you are interested, email me for details. I sell my bonsai as part of an artist’s sale normally held at the Atwood Community Center, in Madison WI. Stay tuned for details.
I plan to, in the future, have my own bonsai business consisting of a greenhouse and nursery for bonsai enthusiasts around Madison.
Bonsai is truly an addiction that I wholeheartedly embrace.
I am thankful for the Badger Bonsai Society and for Bonsai Bob and of couese Sunshine for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of bonsai.
Please let me know what you think of my site, bonsai and trees.
Thanks for visiting.
– Paul Stokes