Show Notes
In this episode Hugh, Jarryd, and Ryan Neil of Bonsai Mirai catchup together to discuss everything bonsai. They each explore how they represent their native landscape through bonsai and discuss the deep, often challenging journey of finding meaning through this art form. With insights into the evolving culture of bonsai in Australia, this conversation offers a rich dive into bonsai culture in Australia currently. This is a thoughtful and engaging discussion with these three passionate bonsai professionals from different sides of the world. This podcast episode is a collaboration with Asymmetry by Bonsai Mirai.
More from A Bonsai Side Quest
After another long gap between episodes, Hugh and Jarryd sit down for a much-needed catch-up. They talk about Jarryd’s studio build-out, Hugh’s ongoing garden excavation, recent gallery events and collaborations, and what’s been happening in their bonsai gardens. The conversation wanders through good rocks and stone stacking, DIY projects, fertilising routines, and the parallels between building garden infrastructure and building bonsai. Along the way they share a few garden mistakes, compare notes on pacing and routine, and reflect on the ongoing experience of committing to bonsai.Hugh's Dr Green Thumb - https://treemakers.com.au/store-all/p/greenspace-liquid-fertiliser Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/ Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/
In this outdoor, in-the-wild recording of A Bonsai Side Quest, Hugh and Jarryd come to you perched from a sandstone outcrop in the Blue Mountains, with beer cans in hand. They discuss the views and the species you can't see (become a Bonsai Side-Quester to view: https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest), being in the wild to seek bonsai inspiration, and embracing one's micro environment locality in their practice. Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/ Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/
For this episode, Jarryd visits Hugh at Tree Makers Bonsai Studio in the Blue Mountains after completing some BSA events in Sydney. They catch up on their activities of the past month and discuss Jarryd's demo Nothofagus styling (with some bloodshed), collecting trips, the opening of the Tondoon Botanic Gardens Bonsai collection, weather updates, the seasonal challenges, hardscaping maintenance, and wire materials. Love the podcast? You can support us here and 'buy us a coffee' https://buymeacoffee.com/bonsaisidequest Hugh Grant - Tree Makers https://treemakers.com.au/ Jarryd Bailey - Montane Bonsai https://www.montanebonsai.com/ Eve Sczechowski - Yves Media https://www.yvesfilm.com/
After a long hiatus, we return and apologise for our absence! Winter has kept Hugh and Jarryd busy behind the scenes: learning, refining, and evolving as their practices and businesses grow. Jarryd’s been deep in the work, tending the Niwaki pines at MONA, surviving spider attacks, pencil pine forest cleanups, and travelling for the GAB event in Western Australia. Hugh’s been also immersed in Niwaki pruning, teaching an intensive rock planting course, creating with students, including a long anticipated forest planting, and making a trip to the U.S., including a visit to Mirai and the Oregon Coast.
In this episode, Hugh and Jarryd share their upcoming repotting season anticipation, preparation work, and woes from mistakes past. They dig into the nitty-gritty of soil substrates, chopsticks, moss, and much more.