The Black Pondo Podcast

In this episode, Jeremiah Lee sits down with Sergio of M5 Bonsai Works for a wide-ranging conversation about bonsai, art, garden design, and the journey of becoming a serious practitioner.

Sergio shares how his early fascination with plants eventually developed into a lifelong practice, how he taught himself bonsai through books, magazines, online resources, and working alongside other American bonsai artists, and how his background in art continues to influence his approach.

They dive into Sergio’s personal style, designing and building his bonsai garden, creating a dedicated studio, managing light and shade, working with local stone, rock plantings, root grafting, and selecting Japanese maple cultivars that are well suited for bonsai.

The conversation also explores the challenges and failures that come with experimentation, the difference between being a plant collector and a bonsai practitioner, developing trees for the long term, and knowing when it’s time to let a tree go.

Jeremiah and Sergio also discuss the future of American bonsai, the importance of regional shows, display standards, workshops, and Sergio’s involvement with Bonsai Central.

A thoughtful conversation about craft, creativity, horticulture, and what it takes to keep pushing bonsai forward in the U.S.

️ Featuring Sergio of M5 Bonsai Works
Bonsai • Garden Design • Rock Plantings • Root Grafting • Japanese Maples • American Bonsai

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Bonsai Central Expo Sponsor Intro
(00:02:06) - Meeting Sergio and Talk of National Shows
(00:04:47) - Sergio's Early Life and Discovery of Bonsai
(00:08:51) - Learning Bonsai the Hard Way and First Real Tree
(00:10:48) - Becoming a Serious Bonsai Practitioner
(00:14:56) - Self-Teaching Through YouTube and Modern Resources
(00:17:51) - Japan Apprenticeship vs Learning in the US
(00:20:43) - Going Full-Time and the Meaning Behind M5 Bonsai
(00:23:53) - Describing His Bonsai Style
(00:26:37) - 2026 Business Growth and Type of Work Taken On
(00:31:05) - Building His New Bonsai Studio
(00:34:18) - Designing His Bonsai Display Garden
(00:38:50) - Sourcing Materials and Garden Design Philosophy
(00:45:27) - Technical Tips for Building a Bonsai Garden
(00:52:34) - Shade Cloth System and Garden Tinkering
(00:56:03) - Long-Term Bonsai Goals and Collection Philosophy
(00:59:16) - The Story of the Sentinel Cork Bark Elm
(01:03:07) - Selling the Sentinel to Longwood Gardens
(01:12:56) - Reflections on Losing the Sentinel Tree
(01:15:56) - Approach to Rock Plantings and Stone Selection
(01:21:56) - Specific Rock Planting Compositions and Collaborations
(01:28:15) - Philosophy on Stone-Tree Composition Sustainability
(01:32:27) - Multi-Species Plantings and Watering Challenges
(01:35:05) - Root Grafting Techniques and Success Rates
(01:39:05) - Choosing the Right Japanese Maple Cultivars
(01:46:26) - Bonsai Central Lineup and Regional Shows' Importance
(01:52:28) - Workshop Material and Bonsai Central Details
(01:55:39) - Raising the Bar for American Bonsai vs Europe
(02:00:48) - Closing Thoughts and Farewell

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work with a professional bonsai artist—and what that client/professional relationship actually looks like?

For Episode 46 of The Black Pondo Podcast, I sat down with bonsai professional Julian Tsai his client, Geoff Martin, a high-level bonsai collector and enthusiast from Southern California. We talked about the benefits of working with a professional, things to consider, favorite trees in our collections, and plenty more.

An interesting conversation about bonsai, collecting, and the relationships that help us grow as artists and enthusiasts.

 Episode 46 — now available! 

Julian Tsai- Instagram: bontsai_

Geoff Martin- Instagram: geoff_martin_

Chapters

(00:00:00) - To Baby Trees
(00:01:04) - Teaching Bonsai to the Professional
(00:02:55) - Julian and his fiancee talk trees
(00:05:46) - Julian's Bonsai Collection
(00:11:30) - Bonsai and the saltwater aquarium hobby
(00:12:26) - Bonsai Is For Real
(00:14:32) - Jeff Stern and Julian Bonsai
(00:17:03) - What are your goals in bonsai?
(00:19:28) - A message from Julian Bonsai
(00:21:38) - Julian Oakley's role in Southern California bonsai
(00:22:24) - Bonsai Clubs
(00:32:01) - Julian's Bonsai Club
(00:40:34) - The Working Relationship of Julian Bonsai
(00:49:54) - Julian and the
(00:54:26) - Jeff and Julian's Tree Selection
(01:02:04) - Julian's 2019 PBE
(01:08:27) - My Top 3 Trees
(01:11:38) - How to fulfill a bonsai client professional relationship
(01:19:04) - The Best Trees For Your Property
(01:22:00) - How To Rank Your Bonsai Trees
(01:27:34) - The 3 Best Trees in Your Collection
(01:29:43) - Do Chinese Quinces Bonsai Well?
(01:34:23) - How to grow a deciduous bonsai tree
(01:42:33) - How to grow a Bonsai with clean water
(01:51:45) - How to Prevent Juvenile Growth
(01:58:49) - How to Supplement Your Trees
(02:09:44) - The garden as a guinea pig
(02:11:36) - How to care for juniper trees--
(02:20:29) - Jeff's rocky mountain juniper
(02:21:49) - Rocky Mountain Juniper Grow in Southern California
(02:25:47) - John Naka Memorial Bonsai Exhibit
(02:30:13) - Jefferey At The Trees 2016
(02:31:55) - Interviewing Julian and Jeff
(02:32:47) - I'm Not 100% Honest With Clients

After a quick bathroom break, Jeremiah and Peter return to a deep-dive Q&A that shifts from practical bonsai technique into the bigger picture of the craft. Peter answers listener questions on ramification, branch structure, cut paste, and grafting, while also sharing his broader philosophy on patience, refinement, and the long game of developing trees. A major focus of the conversation is apprenticeship: Peter compares the apprenticeship model in the United States and Japan, reflects on the value of learning from skilled professionals, and talks candidly about his own apprentice Travis. He also shares that he is open to taking on a second apprentice, making this second half both highly educational and especially relevant for anyone serious about bonsai as a craft or career.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Black Pondo: Auburn Water
(00:00:45) - Your Bathroom Is The Best Bathroom In The World
(00:02:40) - QUESTIONS FOR THE ACTIVITY
(00:03:05) - US Bonsai Apprenticeships vs Japanese ones
(00:07:34) - Would You Take Another Apprentice?
(00:12:03) - Looking for a Bonsai apprenticeship
(00:15:17) - How to Up Your Bonsai Game Most efficiently
(00:20:19) - Bonsai Teacher Peter Sink on His Hobbies
(00:22:44) - Should Age Be Included on the Rubric for Bonsai?
(00:30:47) - What is the marker of age in bonsai?
(00:34:10) - Peter Bonsai's
(00:35:01) - What's the most satisfying thing you've done in life?
(00:38:56) - Do Japanese Bonsai Pros Get Criticism in the US?
(00:44:35) - American football fan on Japanese culture
(00:48:52) - Inventing Bonsai: A Personal Style
(00:54:20) - Zen and Japanese bonsai
(00:59:16) - Bonsai: Worst Advice Ever Heard
(01:01:42) - Cut Paste vs. Bonsai Healing Wounds
(01:05:57) - How to Heal a Wound
(01:08:44) - What's the Worst Advice You've Ever Heard?
(01:12:41) - What is a technique that you use in your bonsai?
(01:15:24) - Thread graft, approach graft, and scion graft
(01:21:35) - Grafting Scion graphs
(01:26:08) - Thread Gardening: Approach Graph and Thread Graph
(01:30:35) - Do you defoliate the whole tree for a thread graph?
(01:35:15) - Q&A With
(01:35:27) - Peter the Pie Maker

Episode #44 & upcoming #45 is a two-part conversation with Peter Tea of PTBonsai.com. In Part 1, we dig into one of the biggest challenges in deciduous bonsai: building fine ramification when internode length isn't cooperating, with a particular focus on Japanese maples. Peter shares the techniques, thought process, and long-term strategies that have helped him become one of the country's most accomplished deciduous bonsai artists.

We recorded this one over a pour of scotch and a slice of what we both agreed might be the nation's best pie, so the conversation is relaxed, wide-ranging, and full of practical takeaways. In Part 2, Peter returns to answer listener-submitted questions in a dedicated Q&A.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Whiskey for Kids: Shield Egg
(00:01:30) - The Best Pie in the Country
(00:04:38) - Pecan Pie With Whiskey
(00:07:49) - Peter Barton on Starting a Bonsai Business
(00:10:49) - Oh yeah, Japan
(00:11:10) - Insecticide and fungicides
(00:16:15) - Bonsai instructor talks about life
(00:17:07) - How do I get more branches on my bonsai tree?
(00:21:34) - 6 Different Pillars of Bonsai Craft
(00:27:07) - How to shade your yard with a 50% cloth
(00:28:00) - How to grow a Japanese maemon
(00:31:19) - How to get Japanese maples shorter
(00:32:31) - Cutting a Japanese Maple
(00:36:14) - How to Get Your Maple Shorter
(00:41:44) - How to Pinching a tree during spring growth
(00:44:59) - What are sacrifice branches in Japanese maples?
(00:49:51) - Bonsai: Cutting Branches to Slow the Tree
(00:54:04) - Have Too Many Branches For Bonsai?
(01:00:40) - How do you get more ramification or short internals in your
(01:04:20) - How to Get Out of Your Own Way
(01:07:53) - Do Conifers Need More Branches? vs Deciduous
(01:14:00) - How to fix a deciduous tree branch
(01:14:51) - Japanese Maples vs Black Pine
(01:20:44) - Learning Bonsai Through Reading
(01:23:02) - Ramon on Ramification
(01:23:17) - People Try Their Pie

This episode is a little different from our usual bonsai conversations—but I think many of the ideas we explore will resonate far beyond bonsai.

I sat down with Avram Dalton, an American garden craftsman who studied the Japanese language and spent years training in Japan. Today, he designs and builds authentic Japanese gardens throughout the United States. Based in the San Diego area, Avram has devoted his career to understanding the principles, aesthetics, and philosophy behind the Japanese approach to craftsmanship.

Our conversation goes far beyond trees and stone. We discuss Avram’s approach to designing Japanese gardens, how the principles of Japanese landscape design translate from Japan to projects throughout the United States, and what distinguishes truly exceptional Japanese gardens. Along the way, we explore concepts like shokunin and several other uniquely Japanese ideas surrounding craftsmanship, beauty, discipline, and the lifelong pursuit of excellence. Whether your passion is bonsai, woodworking, gardening, martial arts, or any other craft, I think you’ll find something meaningful in this conversation. I walked away with a deeper appreciation for the Japanese way of thinking about craftsmanship, and I think you will too.

Instagram: @daltonlandscape

Website: daltonlandscape.com

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Black Pondo on Chatting With Seth Nelson
(00:04:08) - Phil Dalton on Starting a Landscape Company
(00:10:37) - San Diego Mayor on His Home Town
(00:11:37) - Bonsai Artist on His Career
(00:12:56) - Japanese bonsai apprenticeship
(00:24:07) - How to Become a Buddhist Temple Apprentice
(00:26:38) - Multiple Specialties in Japanese Gardens
(00:28:47) - Do Japanese Gardeners Plan Their Projects?
(00:38:07) - How To Build a Japanese Garden in America
(00:42:55) - David Suzuki's work
(00:49:04) - Bonsai Apprenticeships in Japan
(00:55:16) - Ex-Japanese workers speak fluent Japanese
(01:00:01) - How Japanese Garden Builders came to San Diego
(01:08:22) - Do Japanese People Talk About Landscape Gardening?
(01:14:15) - A Taste of the Quiz
(01:14:43) - Japanese Landscaping
(01:24:03) - What is a tea garden?
(01:32:57) - Tea gardens: A mountain life within the city
(01:36:50) - When You Design a Japanese Garden,
(01:38:50) - Oak and Manzanita in California
(01:44:06) - Japan's plant selection
(01:46:49) - Taste Japanese Traditional Arts and Crafts
(01:50:38) - Using American tools in the excavations
(01:52:43) - Importing Japanese stones for your garden
(01:58:44) - Bonsai in the Garden
(02:02:11) - I Would Love to Consult with You on My Japanese Garden
(02:06:56) - Workouts on the Bay
(02:07:44) - Talks of Shuhari and Zen
(02:12:32) - Experiencing Japanese Culture
(02:17:55) - A Shokunin
(02:26:26) - In the Elevator With a Master
(02:27:29) - The Importance of Japan
(02:38:27) - Talking to People With Metadata
(02:38:57) - A Talk About Talking
(02:39:31) - Philip Glass on Working with Dalton Landscape
(02:42:23) - A message from the Divine
(02:43:42) - Do You Think You're an Introvert or an Extrovert
(02:50:10) - Amino On Japanese Gardening
(02:52:24) - Honoring Hiro Aki eto