Indoor Bonsai Beginner Workshop: Green Island Fig! (Sunday Group)

Hi! I'm Savannah, I'm 21 years old, and I'm a professional plant nerd. Super excited to teach this next workshop! I did a lot of research.

So what's all this about?

Glad you asked! Here's the jist of it.

1. Say hi, get some snacks, and get cozy.
2. Mix the soil, the fun and non-messy way
3. Learn about bonsai design
4. Meet the trees and pick your favorite
5. Shine the leaves!
6. Potting time
7. Take
8. Wire the branches and trunk

Each person will get to take their bonsai home in a repurposed glass dish! These plants do best with bright light, so within a few feet of a sunny window. Figs produce latex when you cut them, so they're best for people who aren't allergic. Keep them away from cats or dogs who nibble, too. They're not food!

We'll be using the green island ficus, one of the best starter varieties for indoor bonsai. He's related to the rubber tree and the fiddle leaf fig!

This workshop is beginner-friendly. We'll learn about

• Ficus trees in nature
• What makes a tree a bonsai
• Upright, slanted, and literati bonsai designs
• Leaf reduction techniques
• Branching
• Wiring
• Bonsai care over time

My teaching style

My goal is to make you feel cozy and confident. I don't want anyone feeling lost or overwhelmed, it's supposed to be fun after all! We'll move at a comfortable pace, joke around, and learn together. Instead of using fancy words, I use analogies we can all relate to: yeah, the fancy term is "capillary action", but that's hard to remember. Instead, I would say plant roots works like a straw in a milkshake.

I like to sprinkle in relevant bits of plant info, to keep things interesting and keep the energy up. I like listening, too and giving everyone their time to chat or ask questions. This isn't one of those boring "sit silently while I talk at you" things.

I'll show you the simple secrets to keeping your plants healthy, it's a lot easier than you'd think! I won't say medium water, I'll give you an actual amount.

Worried about design? I've got your back. I come from a graphic design and illustration background, so I've got a few tricks up my sleeve: the keys to making any visual arrangement "work".

We've got the snacks!

We'll have snacks, and a few types of juice, too! If your hands get dirty, we've got a sink nearby to wash your hands.

Comfort and accesibility

The shop is located up a set of stairs, so unfortunately, we are not wheelchair accessible. We have a nice clean restroom, so no worries on that front. We keep our music at a pretty low volume, so you can hear everyone talk, and the space is big and open, with good air conditioning. There's plenty of parking available behind the shop, and we're easily accessible by bus, too.

The shop is LGBT-friendly and  family-friendly. As someone with ADHD, I'm super familiar with mental health and neurodivergence. If you need a fidget, have trouble with eye contact, or  anything along those lines, I totally get it. If you feel most comfortable wearing a mask, feel free to do so. Safety first!

The dishes for the plants are glass, and the wire and clippers can be pointy, so I wouldn't recommend bringing any super tiny kids. I won't set an age requirement, just know your kid and how likely they are to try eating a plant or tossing dirt across the room. I started gardening when I was really little, so I'm all about getting kids interested in the hobby, too.

The workshop will take place after public shopping hours. The neighborhood is pretty nice, safe,  and well-lit. There's a gas station and grocery store within walking distance, too. I've taken the bus home at night a few times without issues. If you're interested in buying anything in the shop or have any questions about the shop or gardening in general, just let me know. We take cash and card, but not Apple Pay.

The seats for the workshop are cushioned and on wheels, with ergonomic back support. They don't have arm rests, but they should be pretty cozy. I didn't want anyone to have to spend hours on a hard metal stool.

Can't wait to meet everyone and have some fun doing plant stuff!