As part of our series of articles on nurseries participating in Virtual Hortlandia, Lucy Davenport from Bonsai Akira nursery shares her thoughts with us on her nursery and display garden:

I opened my bonsai nursery in 2015, to promote the practice of bonsai in the Pacific Northwest. I decided to focus on species we see in our gardens and on our walks through old neighborhoods, where generations of gardeners have experimented with both exotic and native species. From Hydrangeas to Lilacs, Japanese Maples to Dogwood, and many rare and unusual flowering shrubs— the range of plant material for doing bonsai in this climate seems endless. My passion is teaching this ancient art to anyone who feels drawn to experiment with shrubs and trees in miniature. Over 100 species have found their way here, and the nursery currently offers over 130 finished bonsai for sale.

The display garden features plantings typical of Victorian “cottage” gardens, as that is how it originated, with roses and shrubs lovingly chosen when the house was built in 1900. In addition to spring flowering perennials and shrubs, hostas and grasses, clematis and bulbs, the recent addition of an extensive array of lilies and daylilies will create interest in the hot summer months.

The shade gardens feature a variety of more delicate perennials under the old foundation plantings of forsythia and weigelia.

In addition to offering six “open garden” weekends a year, we are a working studio offering group and one on one instruction and bonsai care for collectors. All bonsai for sale have been styled personally by me, and fitted to fine handmade ceramics from local potters’ studios.