The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is currently showcasing a milestone exhibit, commemorating an impressive centennial legacy of bonsai cultivation, which, according to BBG’s President Adrian Benepe, began with a donation of 11 plants back in 1925 by a collector moving to warmer climes. This modest start has since burgeoned into an internationally acclaimed collection numbering over 400 bonsai specimens, with some trees tracing their lineage back to the 1700s, as reportyed by CBS News.
The Garden's longstanding dedication to these diminutive arboreal wonders has attracted visitors from near and far, including Caprice Henry from Ditmas Park who, according to CBS News, views bonsai maintenance as a "real mindfulness experience." Notably, the exhibit also pays tribute to the Garden’s first bonsai curator, Frank Okamura, whose dedication over three decades significantly contributed to the collection's richness — a collection that's gotten a nod from Time Out for featuring a 500-year-old Rocky Mountain juniper and a trident maple strikingly embracing a rock, also the showcase includes a 1971 film capturing Okamura's bonsai artisanship.
In a theatrical display of horticultural history meeting modern storytelling, graphic novelist Misako Rocks! has partnered with BBG to present "The Mountain, the Tree, and the Man," a manga-style interpretation of a bonsai's journey exhibited in the Conservatory Gallery, as reported by Time Out. The broader centennial celebration extends through October, featuring a rotating selection of bonsai, weekend tours, and even workshops for those inclined to engage directly with the art form.
As part of the festivities, visitors are invited to indulge in Japanese-inspired cuisine at the Yellow Magnolia Café, participate in ticketed sake dinners come September, and for those smitten with the art, limited-edition totes adorned with Okamura’s illustrations and bonsai starter kits are available for purchase at Terrain, such opportunities for visitors to dabble in bonsai magic are in full swing as a part of the centennial celebration.
