Pullman Room, Regenstein Building

Curator of bonsai, Arthur Joura, from the North Carolina Arboretum will be giving a free presentation at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
 
The bonsai collection at the North Carolina Arboretum features miniaturized, artistically shaped plants in decorative containers, just as all other public bonsai collections do. Beyond that, though, there are some substantial differences. For example, the NC Arboretum collection includes many tray landscapes - group plantings featuring multiple tree species, understory plantings and stones, representing entire miniature environments. But the most important difference is the philosophy at the core of the NC Arboretum's entire bonsai program, which has an alternate focus than that typically found elsewhere. Worth noting is the overwhelming popularity of the Arboretum's Bonsai Exhibition Garden, where the public comes to view the collection and engage with the unconventional philosophy. If the reviews on Trip Advisor are any indication, the bonsai garden is the highlight experience of more visitors than any other Arboretum feature.
 
In a one-hour illustrated lecture, bonsai curator Arthur Joura will show images of many specimens from the NC Arboretum collection, as well as views of the beautiful bonsai garden that showcases it. He will explain the philosophy that makes the Arboretum's bonsai presentation different, and how that philosophy came to be. This program will give a "behind-the-scenes" view of the most unique public bonsai collection in the US.