How did you get started? I'd been interested in Bonsai for a while but never had a garden (or the patience) to do anything about it. Around 2000 I moved into a flat that had some outside space, and picked up a few starter trees - the usual suspects - and started pulling seedlings out of flowerbeds and so on. Most of them died fairly rapidly, but I do still have some of my 'first trees'. How did you learn about bonsai? Mainly from the Internet and books. This was back before Facebook and Instagram, but there were a few specialised bonsai forums such as the "Internet Bonsai Club" and "Gardenweb" where I picked up a lot of information. More recently I'm very fortunate in that my club, Sutton Bonsai Society, has a number of members who practice bonsai at a very high level. I've learned a lot from them.
Who was your teacher? I've never really had a teacher - in fact I've never even done a workshop! I've tried to see as many talks and demonstrations as I can though, and followed the work of various people online. Probably the people who've influenced me most in terms of approach are Will Baddeley and Peter Warren.
Do you belong to a bonsai club? I've been a member of Sutton Bonsai Society since 2015. Previously to that I had worked on bonsai alone, and not had a 'club' other than people I talked to online and one or two friends who also grew bonsai. Nowadays I'd always recommend people to join a club - for me it opened up a lot of opportunities in terms of showing trees, collecting opportunities, and the chance to talk to other bonsai hobbyists. Do you consider bonsai an art form? I think bonsai has both art and horticultural craft elements. Once you start thinking about design, presentation, and display, then I think you're definitely in the realm of an artistic pursuit. I'm really interested in formal bonsai display.
Do you have a favourite tree species or size of tree? I find that most of the trees I like are chuhin sized. I have all sizes in my collection (other than super-large ones - nothing bigger than a one-person lift). I'm trying to build my shohin collection, but I usually find the trees that I really like are just a bit bigger than that. In terms of species, I am mainly drawn to UK natives, particularly deciduous species such as elms and hawthorns. Having said that, I do have quite a few Scots pines that I've collected over the years.
Do you have a favourite bonsai? Most of my favourite trees are owned by other people! I don't think I have a favourite tree in my collection, but there are a few that I particularly like - mostly trees I have been working on for a long time and have a bit of history with. All of my trees are self-developed, either from semi-styled stock, trees that I have collected, or garden centre material. That means most of the better ones have been in my garden for a long time.
Do you have a favourite potter? I don't have a favourite potter. There are a fair number of UK potters that I like and I wouldn't want to single any out. Potters whom I've commissioned work from include Dan Barton, Stone Monkey, Daniel Butler, Tony Oswin, Gordon Duffett, Erin, Tony Remington, Christine Beresford, Walsall Ceramics, Springwood Ceramics - so that may say something about my tastes. I also like good quality Japanese pots.
What mistakes have you made? Too many to list, most of them resulting from either poor choices or overworking trees. Last summer I almost lost a very promising shohin maple in the late heatwave - I use a watering system in the summer, but this one wasn't getting any water because I'd put it back in the wrong place on the bench. It took me two days to notice the leaves had gone crispy. Fortunately it has surprised, but it was a bit tense waiting to see if it would bud out again.
Have you experienced bonsai abroad? I haven't been to Japan or any of the big European shows so far. I do try to visit public collections when I can - for instance in the Barcelona botanic garden, and more recently the Lake Merritt bonsai collection in San Francisco. Both worth a visit with some nice trees. Can you recommend one or two books? My favourite book is Four Seasons of Bonsai by Kyuzo Murata which is great for inspiration, rather than 'how to' instructions. What is your best achievement? Very recently, I've had the first ever flowers on a small Prunus spinosa that I've been developing for over 20 years. That felt like a real achievement.
Over the years what has been your favourite bonsai show? In terms of regular shows, rather than one-offs, I've always liked Expo Bonsai UK ( https://expobonsaiuk.weebly.com ) which everyone will be familiar with. My favourite though is probably the two-day show that Sutton Bonsai Society holds every year in the superb setting of RHS Wisley. That gives a fairly relaxed opportunity for bonsai display, with lots of visitors from the general public, and typically includes a good number of high-quality trees.
Do you have any other interests or hobbies? Related to bonsai, I am keen on growing accent plants and kusamono. I also make carved wooden stands - although nowadays that's only when I need one for a specific display, as they are so much work. Outside of bonsai I'm keen on watersports, especially paddleboarding. Tom Buchanan Sutton Bonsai Society