Kiyohime Japanese Maple Bonsai Workshop with John Kirby
Join us for a rare, hands-on Japanese maple workshop featuring Kiyohime Japanese Maples grown by Mark Comstock. These are premium, workshop-ready trees with beautiful small-leaf character and tons of development potential.
In this all-inclusive class, you’ll set up and style your maple properly and leave with a clear seasonal roadmap for building refinement year after year.
This workshop is a great fit for beginners, hobbyists leveling up, or anyone who wants a strong foundation in how to develop Japanese maples correctly. John’s teaching style is practical and methodical, focused on tree health first, smart decision-making, and clean technique that sets you up for long-term success.
- What You’ll Learn: How to evaluate structure: fronts, branch options, and long-term goals
- Pruning decisions that build taper, movement, and classic maple structure
- Wiring and positioning for Japanese maple branching (without overdoing it)
- Repotting fundamentals: soil choice, root work, and secure tie-down technique
- Health first: vigor management, pest awareness, and stress prevention
- Seasonality: what to do now vs what to save for later in the year
What’s Included
- Kiyohime Japanese Maple from Mark Comstock (premium workshop material)
- Pot included (Japanese production pot; upgrades available to handmade, Yixing, or Tokoname)
- All tools & supplies: soil, wire, tie-downs, and everything you need
- Guided instruction: step-by-step coaching from John throughout the workshop
Good to Know
- Previous bonsai experience helpful, but not required
- Refreshments (water, soda, snacks) available for purchase
- Restroom on site
- Need help after the workshop? We’re always happy to support your tree’s next steps.
Workshop Details
- Date: Sunday, March 15, 2026
- Cost: $195 per student
- Time: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
- Instructor: John Kirby
- Class Size: Limited to 8 participants
- Location: 914 S. Main Street, Bellingham, MA 02019 (In the greenhouse behind our retail store.)
Extras
Refreshments available for purchase (soda, water, snacks).
All sales are final. No refunds will be issued for workshops.
Learning Resources and Bonsai Tree Care Guides:
Bonsai trees are not all the same - and neither is their care. Read our specific care sheets for individual bonsai species. Read the Bonsai Care Guides
Shipping Bonsai Trees:
Bonsai trees are generally shipped on Mondays & Tuesdays to avoid having them stay in the boxes for any extra time over the weekends.
Shipping Non-Tree Items
All non-bonsai items such as bonsai pots and bonsai supplies are shipped within 48 hours of receiving payment. Most orders are shipped either the same day or the next day, depending on the time of day the order is received.
Important Guidelines:
** We cannot ship to a FPO, APO, P.O. Box or to locations in Alaska, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hawaii or anywhere internationally.
** All Bonsai are shipped direct from the nursery and may ship separately from other items purchased via the Bonsai Outlet.
** If extreme weather is expected, we may delay shipping your Bonsai tree to guarantee a healthy arrival; in such a case we will contact you. We are shipping living trees and must be conscious of the temperature conditions to the delivery address, as well as, while in transit. That said, we reserve the right to hold the tree(s) to guarantee a healthy delivery. We will Hold Your Tree Until It is Safe to Ship.
