Growing Living Art - The art of bonsai began in China over 1,000 years ago and later gained popularity in Japan. Bonsai is an ornamental tree in a pot, grown and styled to create a miniature and sometimes stylized version of a tree in nature. Eric Schrader, our award-winning Chief Bonsai Artist, has been growing and training bonsai for more than 25 years. Trained in the Japanese tradition, Eric specializes in developing trees from raw material to refined bonsai, with a focus on compact structure, intricate detail, and long-term health. His work blends classical techniques with a modern, accessible approach that makes bonsai feel both approachable and deeply artistic.