17/06/2026
One of the things we really appreciate at North East Lincs Bonsai is seeing people at every stage of their journey.
It's very easy to admire a beautiful, mature bonsai that has taken decades to develop. Those trees are inspiring, keeping and refining them is a skill in itself.
But, we think it's equally important to remember that every tree started somewhere. A seed, a cutting, a nursery sapling. A young tree in the ground or growing in a training pot.
When newcomers develop an interest in bonsai for the first time the process of creating a bonsai is often overlooked.
Trunk chopping, growing sacrifice branches, thickening trunks, making mistakes, learning techniques, repotting, wiring, and inevitably losing trees along the way.
These experiences are not failures. They are part of becoming a bonsai enthusiast.
The Bonsai Journey is different for everyone. Some enjoy developing raw material from the beginning. Others prefer refining more mature trees. Some are able to collect, some experiment, some grow from seed to create from the first leaf and some simply enjoy keeping a tree healthy.
There is no single "correct" way to enjoy the journey of bonsai.
Bonsai cultivation is much more than growing a tree in a pot. It's a way to connect with nature, learn patience, express creativity and enjoy some valuable time just for ourselves. In a hectic, noisy world that quiet time spent working on a tree can be incredibly rewarding and beneficial for our wellbeing.
This is why encouraging beginners matters. We were all beginners once, and the confidence to keep going often comes from helpful advice, a kind comment or someone recognising the potential in another's tree rather than focusing on what it isn't yet.
Constructive feedback helps people improve, negativity frequently discourages people from continuing something that could bring them years of enjoyment.
The 'finished bonsai' is a fleeting moment in time as all trees are living, growing plants that can sometimes change within a few months. A branch may suddenly die, an accidental fall from the bench in unexpected strong winds and suddenly the 'finished' tree isn't finished.
The real value is in the journey, the learning, the mistakes, the failures, the successes and the friendships we build along the way.
Every great bonsai started as a seed, cutting, airlayer or collected raw material. Every bonsai artist started as a beginner.
It doesn't matter whether you've been practising for 30 days or 30 years, everyone's journey is personal to them.
If this has piqued your interest then pop along and join us one night. We meet the last Friday of the month except December which is the second Friday. The evening runs from 7pm until 10pm and your first visit is free! Plenty of tea, coffee and biscuits but more importantly a welcoming atmosphere from a group of like minded people all enjoying bonsai culture.
