About – Welcome to Bonsai NorCal

Rooted in Santa Clara since 2023

Bonsai NorCal started as a simple journal of one grower's trees in Santa Clara. What began as personal notes — repotting dates, fertilizer experiments, styling decisions — grew into something bigger.

Bay Area growers face unique challenges. Most bonsai books are written for Japan or England. Northern California is different: hot dry summers, mild winters, and marine layer humidity that changes every mile.

We write for this climate specifically. This is the site we wished existed when we started.

The Santa Clara garden where it all started · 2023

The people behind the site

A small team of Bay Area growers with deep roots in the local bonsai community.

David Chen

Founder & Head Writer

Bay Area native, 15+ years growing bonsai in Santa Clara. Specializes in Japanese Black Pine and collected California natives.

Sarah Nakamura

Species & Care Editor

Studied horticulture at UC Davis. Contributes species profiles and seasonal care guides. Passionate about deciduous trees.

Marco Reyes

Gallery Curator

Documentary photographer and longtime bonsai grower. Manages gallery submissions and documents club events across the Bay Area.

Keiko Tanaka

Workshop Coordinator

Studies under a Japan-trained sensei in Saratoga. Organizes the workshop calendar and beginner introduction series.

James Park

Technical Contributor

Civil engineer turned bonsai enthusiast. Writes the tools, soil, and technique deep-dives. Has tested every major soil mix.

Aisha Williams

Community Manager

Coordinates the newsletter, social media, and local club partnerships. Hosts the monthly Bay Area grower meetups.

What we believe

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Local First

Every piece of advice is filtered through the Bay Area climate. We test in our specific conditions and report what actually works here.

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Honest Guides

We share mistakes as freely as successes. Honest documentation of what went wrong is as valuable as any success story.

🤝

Open Community

We welcome absolute beginners and respect the questions that feel "too basic." Everyone started somewhere.

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Documentation Matters

A tree without a history is a mystery. We encourage thorough photographic records from raw material to refinement.

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Long-Term Thinking

Good bonsai practice is multigenerational. We make choices that benefit trees over decades, not just the next growing season.

🗺️

NorCal Rooted

The Bay Area bonsai community is vibrant and largely underdocumented. We are building the definitive resource for this region.

The trees we grow

Juniper, 2018 material

Hinoki cypress, winter 2023

Black pine, exhibition 2024

Maple, fall color 2024

View full gallery →

Get in touch

Questions, feedback, workshop inquiries, or want to contribute? We'd love to hear from you.

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About Bonsai NorCal