IRetreats
A few days at the bench, in the Blue Ridge.
A private house in the mountains. A small bench under a covered porch. One tree per guest, chosen in advance and worked on across the visit — the same tree comes home with you. The instruction is bonsai the way it is actually practiced: slow, exact, and one decision at a time.
IIThe Practice
The practice
A retreat is built around a single tree, selected for you before you arrive. The first morning is spent reading it — taxonomy, stage, the line it already has and the line it could have. From there the work proceeds at the pace of the work: wire, rest, cut, rest, repot when the season allows, rest. There is no curriculum sheet.
The house holds up to six guests. Meals are simple and shared. Mornings and late afternoons are at the bench; the middle of the day is for the porch, the trail behind the house, or nothing in particular. You leave on the last morning with a finished specimen, a care card written for your climate, and a season of follow-up correspondence.
IIIPackages
Retreat packages
- 2 nights · 3 daysUp to 4 guests
A weekend at the bench
Trident maple, training stage
Starting from $2,400 / guest
- 4 nights · 5 daysUp to 4 guests
The five-day immersion
Japanese white pine, statement class
Starting from $4,800 / guest
- Bespoke dates1–2 guests
Private commission
Negotiated in advance
Starting from By inquiry
IVWhat’s Included
What’s included
- Lodging
- A private room in the house. Linens, coffee, the porch.
- Instruction
- One-on-one bench time across every day; no group lectures.
- The tree
- A finished specimen selected for you, in a pot suited to it.
- Meals & tools
- Breakfasts and dinners. Bench tools provided; yours to use.
VWho it’s for
Who the retreats are for
Collectors who already have a few trees on the bench and want a stretch of time with a craftsperson to push a single specimen forward. Hobbyists who have been reading about ramification and deadwood for a year and want to do it with their hands. Couples who share the hobby and want a few days that aren’t a hotel.
Not for absolute beginners — there’s a half-day intro class in Charleston for that. If you can name three species you’ve kept alive for a season, you’re in range.