Springfield Bonsai Society - Springfield, IL

The Springfield Bonsai Society exhibition last weekend was one for the books!
Record attendance, full rooms, and constant conversation around the beautiful trees from start to finish. The weather helped, but the turnout spoke for itself. For a lot of people, this was their first time seeing bonsai up close. Watching that moment click never gets old.

Appreciation to our members, volunteers, exhibitors and Washington Park Botanical Gardens - who put in the work to make it happen. And to everyone who came through — you made the weekend what it was.

Up next: Monthly meeting - Monday, May 12 at 7:00 PM at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary.

An examination of aesthetics and terminology, led by Francisco. Using his own stunning photos from a trip to 100th Kokufu-ten in Japan.

Followed by :

From Branch to Jin: Hands-On Deadwood Session (BYOT — bring your own trees and tools),
led by Scott & Chris.

Warm air, open sky
Branches shaped by patient hands
Today, they speak loud

Last day to get outside in some great weather and see some beautiful at Springfield Bonsai Society: The Art of Bonsai at Washington Park Botanical Gardens.
12pm-4pm

Admission is free. Come for a nice stroll in the park and say Hi!

Happy Earth Day from SBS!🌎

Free to attend. Impossible to leave without wanting one.
April 25–26 · 12–4 PM ·
Washington Park Botanical Garden - Exhibit hall

Quick update for Springfield Bonsai Society members and friends:

Because the parking lot work at Adams Wildlife Sanctuary is running behind schedule, our April meeting has been moved to Monday, April 20 at 7:00 PM, still at Adams. We appreciate everyone’s flexibility while this gets sorted out. Watch this page or your email for updates.

If you’re a member and interested in helping with the exhibition or displaying a tree, please connect with us at - or before the April 20 meeting so we can start organizing.

This exhibition will be free and open to the public, and SBS is excited to share the art of bonsai with the Springfield community.

**Springfield Bonsai Society - Springfield, IL weather alert**
Storms are moving into the Central Illinois area tonight with strong winds and heavy rain. Take a few minutes to secure your trees.

Bring small bonsai indoors or into a protected space.
Take trees off benches and high surfaces—ground level is safer.
Group trees together to reduce wind exposure.
Secure or tie trees to the bench.

Shade cloth isn’t just for sun. It can act as a protective barrier during storms as well. In the photo you can see it catching hail before it reaches the trees. A simple layer overhead can take the impact of hail and flying debris. Thanks to my friend DGhome for the image\story.

Recently repotted trees are especially vulnerable too. This grapevine, repotted this year—reduced roots mean less stability, making it a prime candidate for heavy protection or moving to a sheltered spot when strong winds roll in. Like now.

A few minutes of storm prep can save years of work.

Spring is here, and the flowering trees are starting to wake up.

Now is the window. As buds swell and color begins to show, your job is simple: don’t get in the way of the bloom. Hold off on heavy pruning. Let the tree spend its energy on flowering, not recovery. Water consistently, protect from late frost, and rotate for even light so the display develops clean and balanced.

After the flowers fade, that’s your moment. Structural pruning, refinement, and feeding all land better once the tree has finished its show.

What you’re seeing now was built last season. What you do next determines next year’s display.

Most of is invisible.
Roots beneath the soil, structure you don’t immediately notice, and years of quiet correction shape everything you see. What appears natural is built slowly—through patience and restraint from the artist, and growth and response from the tree itself.

When you stand before a finished tree, you’re not just seeing what’s there—you’re seeing years of collaboration between human intent and nature’s own hand, brought into focus.

Each tree carries that shared history, which is what makes seeing them together in one place so rare—and so powerful.

Come see what years of work—by both artist and nature—look like when they meet.

THE ART OF BONSAI
April 25–26, 2026 · 12:00–4:00 PM
Washington Park Botanical Garden · Exhibition Hall
1740 W Fayette Ave · Springfield, IL

We’re excited to announce that registration for “Bonsai in the Blue Ridge” opens on December 15th. Together with the Blue Ridge Bonsai Society and the North Carolina Arboretum, we’ve put together a wonderful event. You can look forward to talented artists and teachers, a fantastic selection of bonsai material, hands-on workshops and seminars, a bit of Appalachian culture, and the stunning Smoky Mountains as your backdrop. See you there!