Bonsai works in seasons,
so should we.
Monthly Classes
General Info - monthly classes
Hone your skills and practice bonsai with us at Tree Makers. Classes are run by bonsai professional Hugh Grant at the TreeMakers garden and school in the Blue Mountains, NSW.
These monthly classes offer the student the space, time, and resources to study and practice bonsai with professional mentorship. Classes will immerse you in bonsai techniques that are appropriate for both the given season and species you choose to work with. You will be guided to respond to your tree’s stage of development and adjust your techniques and approach according to the tree’s progress over time.
The majority of the class will function as a workshop with focused hands-on time responding to your trees. Our aim is to deliver you the ability to study bonsai with seasonally-specific techniques, design, and horticultural applications to help you elevate your bonsai and your experience.
Trees Bring your own trees and/or work on trees here at our garden.
Class size Classes are small and capped at 4 participants to maximise the quality of teaching
Catering Coffee and tea are provided, and lunch if opted into
Tools Each student is required to provide there own tools and wire. Both can be purchased while on site here at TreeMakers.
Class time 10am - 5pm
Duration Classes run over 2 days, always a Saturday & Sunday with the option to extend your studies into a third day (Monday) or a fourth day (Tuesday).
Cost*2-day class (Saturday & Sunday) - $400
Additional extension days (Monday or Tuesday) - additional $150/per day
Optionally catered lunches are $25 per day
*50% non-refundable deposit is needed to hold your spot in class. The remaining 50% + catering is due during class.
For more information about seasonal classes please visit the FAQ page
See below for monthly class dates
2024 Seasonal Class dates
Design & Refinement
May 4-7, 2024
vacancies - 1/4 - ONLY 1 PLACE REMAINING
-
Small leaf / temperate
Small leaf / coastal
Secondary & Tertiary refinement work, in particularly Nothofagus.
Large leaf
Post season pruning
primary initial design & styling
secondary & tertiary growth management, and tertiary refinement
Scale foliage
Primary initial styling & design work
secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
Pine / coastal
Secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
Design & Refinement
June 1-4, 2024
vacancies - 3/4
-
Large leaf
Post season pruning
primary initial design & styling
secondary & tertiary growth management, and tertiary refinement
Scale foliage
Primary initial styling & design work
secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
Pine / coastal
Secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
WINTER 2024
Repotting
August 17-20, 2024
vacancies - 3/4
-
All species
Repotting could cover; repotting process, container selection, box creation, tool creation such as chopsticks, soil sifting and mixing, root grafting.
This class is open to all species genres including Broadleaf-evergreen of all types, Broadleaf-deciduous of all types, Conifers of all types.
Repotting
September 7-10, 2024
vacancies - 1/4 - ONLY 1 PLACE REMAINING
-
Broadleaf-evergreen
Repotting could cover; repotting process, container selection, box creation, tool creation such as chopsticks, soil sifting and mixing, root grafting.
Conifer
elongating
Repotting could cover; repotting process, container selection, box creation, tool creation such as chopsticks, soil sifting and mixing, root grafting.
SPRING 2024
Design & growth management
September 28- October 1, 2024
vacancies - 4/4
-
All species
Initial styling and design of any species which is yet to push out its spring flush of growth.
Pre-flush pruning of any trees which are jsut about to start moving in particular Elongating conifers and large leaf Broadleaf-evergreens
pinching of the tertiary tips of any species in refinement which are beggining to produce their flush of growth.
Growth Management
October 26-29, 2024
vacancies - 4/4
-
Any species
Pinching of the tertiary tips to distribute energy. On any species in refinement which are currently elongating their spring flush of growth.
Large leaf
Pre-flush pruning of any trees which are yet to start elongating the spring growth such as Banksia and Figs.
Post-flush pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning, partial defoliation, and some wiring.
Large leaf
Post-flush pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning, partial defoliation, and some wiring.
Growth Management
November 23-26, 2024
vacancies - 2/4
-
Large leaf
Post-flush pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning, partial defoliation, and some wiring.
Small leaf
Post-flush & post-flower pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning and some wiring.
large leaf
Post-flush pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning, partial defoliation, and some wiring.
Small leaf
Post-flush pruning as the growth hardens off. Tasks could include; pruning and some wiring.
Pines / coastal (multi-flush)
Candle pruning and needle plucking.
2025 Seasonal class dates
SUMMER 2024/25
Design, refinement, & 2nd growth management
January 4-7, 2025
vacancies - 4/4
-
Large leaf / coastal
By this time we can perform second growth management such as pruning, and further partial defoliation, and consider styling of the new growth.
Small leaf / coastal
Small leaf / temperate
By this time we can perform second growth management such as pruning and pinching and consider styling of the new growth. consider with temperate trees we need to leave at least 8 weeks from the first to the second prune
Scale foliage
Mid summer marks the time of year to start performing work on scale foliage trees in particular junipers.
Design, refinement, & 2nd growth management
February 1-4, 2025
vacancies - 3/4
-
Large leaf / coastal
By this time we can perform second growth management such as pruning, and further partial defoliation, and consider styling of the new growth.
Small leaf / coastal
Small leaf / temperate
By this time we can perform second growth management such as pruning and pinching and consider styling of the new growth. Consider with temperate trees we need to leave at least 8 weeks from the first to the second prune
Scale foliage
Mid summer marks the time of year to start performing work on scale foliage trees.
AUTUMN 2025
Design & Refinement
March 1-4, 2025
vacancies - 4/4
-
Small leaf / Coastal
Initial primary styling & design work
Refinement tertiary pruning and wiring
Scale foliage
Pine / temperate
Elongating / temperate
Initial primary styling & design work
Refinement tertiary pruning and wiring to
Design & Refinement
May 3-6, 2025
vacancies - 3/4
-
Small leaf / temperate
Small leaf / coastal
Secondary & Tertiary refinement work, in particularly Nothofagus.
Large leaf
Post season pruning
primary initial design & styling
secondary & tertiary growth management, and tertiary refinement
Scale foliage
Primary initial styling & design work
secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
Pine / coastal
Secondary growth management and wiring
tertiary refinement work
Need help understanding what species will be best worked during each seasonal class? We categorise different tree types into genres. To lean more visit our tree genres page.