From School Teacher to Bald Cypress Guru: John Geanangel's Story - Ep52

I. Episode Summary & Links

            In today's episode, you’ll find Ryan and Kevin catching up on life and then jumping into the interview with a multi-talented former school teacher, master of rock slabs, forest plantings, and South Carolina yamadori collector - John Geanangel. John shared with us his bonsai origin story, how it led to becoming a headliner artist for the Bonsai in the Blue Ridge convention in 2026, and what you can expect when attending his 3(!) Bald cypress workshops there. We also discussed his methods for bald cypress yamadori collecting and growing from seed.

YouTube version of Episode 52 is here

 The podcast version of Episode 52 is here!⁠

Guest Info:

            John Geanangel is a bonsai enthusiast passionate about his local scenery and the natives in the South Carolina area. Find more of his work on his Facebook page and YouTube channel, which have lots of great content from previous years of educational efforts and recent tree projects.

• John Geanangel's Facebook
• John's YouTube
• John's Bald Cypress Workshops for Bonsai in the Blue Ridge 2026
• Storm-damaged flat top bald cypress
• Bald cypress care and refinement
• American Bonsai Society's Bonsai in the Blue Ridge 2026 Convention Info

Sponsor Info:

            This episode is sponsored by our co-host via the Kevin Faris moving sale of bonsai pottery, tools, and trees. View these items at In Vivo Bonsai of Columbus, Ohio, USA in-person, or online (shipping available) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠invivobonsai.etsy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠, or go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.InVivoBonsai.com⁠ and navigate to the consignment ⁠pottery⁠ and ⁠tree⁠ pages.

Mailbag submissions/Community:

• NEW BT DISCORD Chat
• BT Facebook Group

Support the Pod:

            Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us or by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc.

See the relevant images and links from this episode below.

Behind the Scenes at the Green Witch Gardens - Ep 38

I. Episode Summary & Links

In this episode, Ryan sat down with Ellen Veselenak and Mellissa Marguerite of the Green Witch Gardens (formerly known as The Flower Market) in Monroe, Michigan. In the interview, the gang discussed Melissa's and Ellen's personal history with plants, how they came to purchase The Flower Market, their approach to caring for Michigan's largest bonsai nursery, and their long term goals for their nursery and for the local bonsai society. This was an in person interview that was recorded while Ryan was in town for a program with the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society. Please excuse any extraneous background noises from a working nursery.

The YouTube version of Episode 38 is here!⁠

The podcast version of Episode 38 is here!

Guest Info:

This episode features Melissa and Ellen of the Green Witch Gardens in Monroe, MI. Check them out for their fall sale at their nursery or find them at the upcoming Winter Silhouette Show in Kannapolis, NC December 7-8 2024. 

• Nursery website
• GWG Instagram
• GWG Facebook
• GWG TikTok
• GWG Patreon

⁠⁠⁠⁠Sponsor Info: 

This episode is sponsored by (me!) In Vivo Bonsai of Columbus, Ohio. Find me in person, at ⁠invivobonsai.etsy.com⁠, or go to ⁠⁠https://www.InVivoBonsai.com⁠/ ⁠to see upcoming events, expanding online offerings, educational materials, and more. Currently I am running a Cyber Monday sale through 12/4/2024 for in person and Etsy sales - 25% off any purchase of $40 or more.

Support the Pod:

            Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us through Spotify or by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc. Even $1/month would be a great help!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bonsaitimepodcast/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

See the relevant images and links from this episode below.

Listener Bonsai Brainstorm - More metal pots, spring prep, and more! Ep27

⁠I. Episode Summary & Links

            In today's episode, Kevin, Kelly, and Ryan met up to share recent listener questions and submitted tree pictures. There was vigorous discussion online about Benjamin Keating's work potting bonsai into metal sculptures which we talked with Ben about in the last episode. Many listeners wondered about the viability of these trees long-term, so we posed the question to Ben and relayed his response to go deeper into that subject. Many listeners also submitted questions surrounding spring topics such as how to identify good bonsai styles or techniques when working with a new species and how to dig wild bonsai aka "yamadori". Lastly, Kevin and Ryan shared some pots and trees to discuss style options and considerations when for matching trees to pots as the repotting season gets underway around the northern hemisphere.

The video version is available here (follow along to see the images as we discuss):

The podcast version is available here.

⁠

Sponsor Info: 

Tori Solis of Blue Nose Trading is a multi-talented artist specializing in bonsai pottery, other ceramics, and jewelry. Her beautiful work, tips for techniques, and her new Bonsai Pot-cast series can be found at the links below.

⁠https://linktr.ee/BlueNoseTrading

Support the Pod:

Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us through Spotify or by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc. Even $1/month would be a great help!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bonsaitimepodcast/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

See the relevant images and links from this episode below.

Inside Out with Tori Solis: A Reversed Episode - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 25

 ⁠I. Episode Summary & Links

            Our first episode of 2024 is a collaboration with Tori Solis of Blue Nose Trading. In the first half of our two-part interview, we interviewed Tori to understand her artistic perspective in ceramics and discuss the motivations for her new podcast. That episode is live now as episode 1 of "The Bonsai Pot-cast". Next in this episode, Tori interviewed us about our involvement in bonsai clubs, tips for getting involved, and a smattering of other subjects such as invasive species yamadori.

For our interview of Tori (Bonsai Pot-cast episode 1), see here.

For Tori's interview of us, the video version is available here:

⁠

For Tori's interview of us, the podcast version is available here. 

Guest Info:

Tori Solis is a multi-talented artist specializing in bonsai pottery, other ceramics, and jewelry. Her beautiful work, tips for techniques, and her new Bonsai Pot Cast series can be found at the links below. ⁠https://linktr.ee/BlueNoseTrading

Sponsor Info: 

<INSERT YOUR AD HERE>. Email us at bonsaitimepodcast@gmail.com if you would like to discuss sponsoring an episode! Sponsor information will be read on air and be included in the show notes.

Support the Pod:

Anytime you listen, subscribe, rate us, or share us with friends you help keep us motivated to keep making episodes for you all! If you want to take it to the next level, you can also help keep the podcast going by donating to us through Spotify or by sponsoring an episode (contact us directly for that). All donations go back into the podcast such as for our web hosting, recording gear expenses, etc. Even $1/month would be a great help!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bonsaitimepodcast/support⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

More pictures of Tori's work are below.

What to Do With Your Bonsai in Winter With Julian Tsai - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 22

            In this episode of the Bonsai Time Podcast, we have part 1 of a winter solstice/Christmas special featuring Ryan, Kelly, Kevin, and Julian Tsai. In Part 1, we catch up with Julian regarding how he transitioned into being a full-time bonsai professional and we dive into the subject of what can we do as bonsai artists in winter and what might be risky to do in colder climates at this time of year. Stay tuned for Part 2 later this week where we will discuss the history of certain trees in traditional celebrations of the winter solstice and Christmas.

The video version is available here:

The podcast version is available here:

Aussie Natives and Bonsai as Art with Hugh Grant - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 14

In today's interview, we had the honor of hosting Hugh Grant from Australia who came on to share his story and thoughts on the evolution of bonsai in Australia and around the world. Hugh explained how his background as an art student led him to study at Bonsai Mirai and shapes how he thinks about modern bonsai displays. Hugh also taught Ryan and Kevin about the diversity of Australian ecosystems and the native trees and yamadori there which make for decent bonsai once you learn their quirks! Hope you enjoy and get as much out of this talk as we did.

See the interview in the Youtube video below, or find us on your favorite podcast app. Also, scroll below to find the show notes for this episode including pictures of Hugh's work with Australian native bonsai that we were discussing in the interview. Bonsai On!

Hugh's website

Hugh's Instagram

The Allure of Wood-Fired Pottery with Brandon Stolicny - Bonsai Time Podcast Ep 11

            In the eleventh episode of the Bonsai Time Podcast, Connecticut ceramicist and bonsai artist Brandon Stolicny walked Kevin and me through what makes wood-fired pottery so special! Brandon also talked us through the unique challenges that come with wood-fired pots and how his personality influences his style preferences in ceramics and in his bonsai. We also touched on Brandon's experience as a native yamadori collector working with pitch pines in his area of the northeastern US. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Youtube.

Or, listen to the episode in your podcast app of choice.