Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn the art of bonsai
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Bonsai turns a nursery plant into a small, shaped tree through pruning, wiring and repotting, and the work carries on for years. Beginners' workshops at colleges and botanic gardens send you home with your own tree, and local bonsai societies meet monthly to show you what to do next.
GentleUnder £100 / $130MonthsIndoors or outAlone or with othersUK and US
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How people learn
Most beginners start with a short hands-on class and take a tree home. Plumpton College's one-day workshop covers choosing a tree, branch composition, pruning and wiring, and seasonal care and troubleshooting, and you make a bonsai from an ethically collected wild seedling.
The second step is usually a club. The National Bonsai Society in Southport, formed in 1973, meets on the third Tuesday of each month at Holmeswood Village Hall, welcomes visitors and runs practical meetings with a speaker or demonstrator for beginners and experienced growers. Bonsai societies also turn up at garden shows; at the 2026 Bonsai Show at RHS Garden Wisley, the Sutton Bonsai Society gave talks on year-round care and on pruning and wire training.
Expect some losses. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden supplies care information with each starter tree but says it cannot guarantee that live plants will survive once they leave the workshop.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| Plumpton College, Stanmer campus | One day, 10:00 to 15:00; make a bonsai to take home | £100 |
| Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Two-hour evening class (2026 run); all materials and a starter bonsai included | $44 members, $50 non-members |
| National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, US National Arboretum | Bonsai Basics: Chrysanthemum Bonsai, five classes from May to November (2025 run); plants, pots, wire and potting mix included | $225 |
| The National Bonsai Society, Southport | Monthly club meetings with demonstrations; visitors welcome | Not listed |
The Morton Arboretum in Illinois also ran a three-hour beginners' workshop with the Prairie State Bonsai Society in August 2026, for ages 16 and over; its page did not list a price.
How to start
- Book a beginners' workshop where you style a tree to take home: a land-based college, a botanic garden or an arboretum.
- Find your nearest bonsai society and go to a meeting as a visitor; many hold practical demonstrations and welcome beginners.
- Ask your tutor which tree to start with and where it should live: one US course asks students to have an outdoor spot with at least six hours of direct sun.
Where to go
- Plumpton College: one-day bonsai workshop UK
- The National Bonsai Society (Southport): meetings and beginners UK
- Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden: Bonsai for Beginners US
We opened these links on 13 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
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Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
How do I start bonsai as a complete beginner?
Take a beginners' workshop where you style a tree and take it home, then join a local bonsai society. Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden's beginners' class needs no previous knowledge of bonsai.
How much does a bonsai class cost?
As last listed, from $44 for a two-hour botanic garden class to £100 for a one-day college workshop and $225 for a five-class course at the US National Arboretum.
Do bonsai trees live indoors or outdoors?
It depends on the tree, so ask your tutor. The chrysanthemum course at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum asks students to have an outdoor area with at least six hours of direct sun a day.
Are there bonsai clubs in the UK?
Yes. The National Bonsai Society in Southport meets monthly and welcomes visitors, and other societies, such as Sutton Bonsai Society, give talks and demonstrations at RHS shows.
Where this comes from: Plumpton College, Bonsai Yamadori Workshop; The National Bonsai Society; RHS, Bonsai Show at RHS Garden Wisley; Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Bonsai for Beginners; National Bonsai Foundation, Bonsai Basics: Chrysanthemum Bonsai; The Morton Arboretum, Introduction to Bonsai Workshop: Chinese Elm. Opened 13 November 2026.
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