2026 Soil Sale
Our 2026 soil sale is now OPEN for business: https://dirtmerchantsrus.com/
Keep in mind that soil is LOCAL PICK UP ONLY in order to keep our prices down. Pickup dates and times will need to be arranged with Brownlee Currey.
Address:
3482 Oakcliff Road Unit C
Doraville, GA 30340
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Pb5zvNaNEK6VqYxd7
March: Yard Sale and Kaya Mooney!
On March 21st at 10:00am please join your fellow members for our annual BONSAI YARD SALE! This is a “swap meet” style event, to circulate bonsai material with other bonsai enthusiasts in your area. So load up your extra plants, pots, and bonsai merchandise, bring a folding table, and join us! We ask that you be a member and pay a $20.00 fee to vend. We hope many of you will come and buy, sell, trade and enjoy socializing with each other. Set up will be at 9:00am on the 21st and the event is rain or shine.
Details: We will be at 999 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta GA 30306 in the parking lot of the former Metro City Church! Set up at 9:00am in the parking lot. Looks for the ABS signs by the entrance!
Please note: We will have an official club meeting at 12:00pm so that we may have a member vote on an update to the bylaws.
We will have a special guest on hand dispensing bonsai advice for your new acquisitions: Kaya Mooney! He will be with us during the morning session and for an afternoon workshop as well.
Kaya Mooney is a professional bonsai artist based in Japan, known for his thoughtful approach to design and strong grounding in traditional technique. Originally from South Florida, Kaya’s early interest in trees led him to pursue bonsai seriously in Northern California, where he began formal training under Boon Manakitivipart.
Kaya later continued his education in Japan, completing a five-year professional apprenticeship at Fujikawa Kouka-en in Osaka. In 2024, he earned professional certification from the Nippon Bonsai Association, marking his transition to independent professional practice.
His work emphasizes natural form, seasonal sensitivity, and long-term development, with a particular interest in deciduous material. Kaya currently teaches workshops internationally and works with private collections, sharing both traditional Japanese methodology and a contemporary, accessible teaching style well suited to students at all levels.
“My goal in a workshop is not to ‘finish’ a tree, but to help each student understand what their tree needs next—and why.”
If you’d like to join in the afternoon workshop please register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bonsai-workshop-with-kaya-mooney-tickets-1979605393020?aff=oddtdtcreator
The workshop will be from 1:00 – 4:30pm and is limited to a maximum of eight persons. Please see the event link for further details.
Membership:
This meeting is open to all current ABS members and those interested in bonsai. If you’re not yet a member, we encourage you to join before or at the meeting.
We look forward to an inspiring day of bonsai learning and fellowship.
April Beginners Meeting
On April 8th from 7:00pm – 9:00pm at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center Conservatory, we will continue our 2026 beginners series with local hero and bonsai teacher Rodney Clemons of All Good Bonsai. Rodney has been an active grower and resident of the Atlanta area for over 30 years.
April’s beginners meeting will cover essential tasks for spring to set trees up for a strong and healthy growing season.
The format for our beginner sessions remains the same as previous years: Anyone may attend, but to bring a tree (or trees) we ask that you reserve a ticket.
Book your ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/introduction-to-bonsai-with-rodney-clemons-tickets-1136912157869
Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
980 Briarcliff Rd NE
Atlanta, GA 30306
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ysufyMKM9dWBoRN26
April Club Meeting – Kusamono with Young Choe
Join your fellow club members on Saturday, April 18th at Trees Atlanta for Young Choe’s return to Atlanta. Young will guide us through a demonstration on kusamono and shitakusa in the morning, then lead an afternoon workshop focused on meadow plantings.
Spaces for the workshop will be quite limited, so watch your inbox for registration details soon. For the workshop, plant materials and potting soil will be included, but participants will need bring your own containers (preferably more than one!). Feel free to be creative — you can bring pottery, stones, driftwood, anything you can think of.
Meeting info:
Saturday April 18th, 10:00am
Trees Atlanta Kendeda TreeHouse
825 Warner Street SW, Suite A, Atlanta GA 30310
https://maps.app.goo.gl/syYt6M7rHHsFhjn97
Workshop Info:
Saturday April 18th from 1:00pm – 4:30pm
Cost per person: $100.00
Register here for the workshop: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/kusamono-workshop-with-young-choe-tickets-1983594394230?aff=oddtdtcreator
Please note the workshop includes a variety of plant material, soil and other supplies. Please bring your own containers, ceramics, stones or driftwood to plant on!
May: Annual Club Show at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
The Atlanta Bonsai Society will host its annual Bonsai, Kusamono, and Suiseki Exhibition on May 2nd and 3rd, 2026, at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, located in Day Hall.
Members of the public are warmly invited to attend and experience the art of bonsai through a curated display of miniature trees, companion plantings, and viewing stones presented by members of the Atlanta Bonsai Society. The exhibition offers visitors a chance to see bonsai at many stages of development and to learn more about this living art form.
The Atlanta Bonsai Society is a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to promoting the art and appreciation of bonsai through workshops, exhibitions, and monthly meetings open to enthusiasts of all experience levels.
In addition to bonsai, the exhibition will include kusamono—artistic plantings of grasses and small seasonal plants—and suiseki, naturally formed stones that suggest landscapes or natural forms and are appreciated as objects of contemplation.
The show is open to all club members, and everyone is encouraged to exhibit—especially if you have never displayed a tree before. There is tremendous value at every level of bonsai practice in preparing a tree for exhibition, refining its presentation, and sharing your work with the public. We sincerely encourage everyone to participate, and there is no fee to exhibit.
Please register your exhibition entry here:
[Exhibition Entry Registration Link]
Awards will be presented in three bonsai categories: Novice, Intermediate, and Expert. The Novice category is intended for younger trees and for members who have not previously exhibited. Intermediate and Expert exhibitors are asked to present a complete display, including a bonsai, a stand, and an appropriate accent.
This year’s show will again be member judged, as it has been for the past several years. If you would like assistance preparing your tree or refining your display, please reach out to one of the club’s experienced members.
This year the club will feature guest artist Tyler Sherrod. Tyler is a professional bonsai artist and educator who has studied extensively in Japan and has worked with several highly respected bonsai masters. Known for his thoughtful approach to design and teaching, he regularly conducts workshops and demonstrations throughout the country.
During the exhibition, Tyler will offer a critique of the show on Saturday and Sunday mornings, present a lecture on bonsai techniques on Saturday afternoon, and lead a “Bring Your Own Tree” workshop on Sunday afternoon.
Sunday Workshop Registration:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984491153461?aff=oddtdtcreator
Participants should bring their own bonsai or pre-bonsai to work on during the session; the club will provide aluminum wire and basic supplies for styling.
We will also have a full slate of vendors participating in the exhibition, including several returning favorites as well as new sellers joining us this year.
Details
Setup
Friday, May 1st — 1:00 PM
Day Hall, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Tree Drop-Off
Friday, May 1st — 4:00 – 7:00pm
Day Hall, Atlanta Botanical Garden
Saturday – May 2nd
9:00 AM — Show opens at Day Hall
10:00 AM — Guest Artist Critique
2:00 PM — Guest Artist Lecture
3:00 PM — Member Guided Tour
6:00 PM — Show closes for the day
7:30 PM — Informal Banquet at Dim Sum Heaven
Sunday – May 3rd
9:00 AM — Show opens at Day Hall
10:00 AM — Guest Artist Critique
1:00 PM — Workshop: Bring Your Own Tree https://www.eventbrite.com/e/1984491153461?aff=oddtdtcreator
2:00 PM — Member Guided Tour
5:00 PM — Show closes and breakdown
For more information about the Atlanta Bonsai Society, including meetings, workshops, and membership, please visit:
https://www.atlantabonsaisociety.com/
Bonsai Workshops
We offer novice workshops led by a local bonsai professional and advanced workshops led by various guest artists. Since bonsai have needs based on the calendar, our workshops are seasonal in nature.
Depending on artist demand, we may have more than one workshop session per weekend, so check the events page for times as the monthly meeting approaches. Please remain flexible with whether you can take morning or afternoon workshop. The cost of each workshop session is currently $75 for at least 3 hours, unless we are including tree or other materials, which may be extra. The club will provide wire to use at workshops and meetings; everything else you may need should be brought by workshop participant, including tree and tools.
Recent Guest Artists
- Young Choe
- Shannon Salyer
- Jonas Dupuich
- Rodney Clemons
- Adam Jones
- Kenji Miyata
- Kathy Shaner
- Tyler Sherrod
- Jerome Kellerhals
- Sergio Cuan
- Eli Akins
- Mike Lane
- Julian Adams
Membership
ATLBS Online
