What if your next incredible bonsai is sitting in a local nursery just waiting to be discovered?
Join the Pikes Peak Bonsai Society for one of our most exciting educational events of the year—a Nursery Crawl at Phelan Gardens! This hands-on experience is designed to teach you how bonsai artists look beyond the landscape plant and recognize the hidden potential within.
Local bonsai artist David Kuntz will lead the group through the nursery, explaining exactly what experienced bonsai artists look for when selecting material. You'll learn:
Which species make the best bonsai—and why.
How to recognize exceptional trunks, movement, taper, and nebari.
What characteristics to avoid when purchasing nursery stock.
How to spot hidden potential in ordinary plants.
Tips that can save you years of frustration and money when selecting future bonsai.
After everyone has selected their plants, David will perform a live styling demonstration, showing how he begins transforming nursery stock into a bonsai. You'll see the first design decisions, branch selection, pruning techniques, and the overall thought process behind creating a successful tree.
🌳 PPBS Nursery Challenge!
Here's where the fun begins...
PPBS members are invited to purchase a plant during the nursery crawl and transform it into a bonsai over the following month.
Bring your tree to the October PPBS meeting, where the entries will be judged.
🏆 Grand Prize: $100 Phelan Gardens Gift Card!
The challenge isn't about having the most expensive tree—it's about seeing the most potential and making the best design decisions with nursery material.
Please Note: Participants are welcome to join the nursery crawl regardless of membership, but only current PPBS members are eligible to compete for the $100 gift card.
Whether you've never purchased nursery stock for bonsai or you're looking to sharpen your eye for quality material, this event is a great opportunity to learn from an experienced artist, ask questions, and spend the morning with fellow bonsai enthusiasts.
We hope you'll join us for a fun, educational day of hunting for hidden bonsai treasures!