here are a few pics from the brooklyn botanic garden yesterday, soon after proposing to my beautiful girlfriend under the cherry blossom trees! i considered popping the question in the bonsai museum, but i don’t think she would have appreciated it as much as me..

this delightful (and, depending on how you feel about squirrel genitalia, somewhat discomfiting) pic comes to us from my sister in ann arbor, michigan. the succulent guy on the right, despite its apparent stabilization issue, looks expertly anchored and happy. i can’t tell if the juniper is yellowing, basking in a glorious ray of sunshine, or perhaps variegated? 

it should be noted that every member of my immediate family now has one or more bonsai. 

as you know, the brooklyn botanic garden is one of my favorite places in the world. if you’re in the neighborhood, now’s a great time to visit! the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and it’s always a good time to visit the c.v. starr bonsai museum. 

hey everyone! after a long, cold winter, these guys are happily soaking up the sun. i’ve been neglecting my tumblr, but feel free to follow me on instagram @mwsol, where i am a little more active. happy spring! 

guys it’s a miracle! i was sure he was dead. not sure what happened here but i’m very happy. 

this guy’s not looking so good

following a tip from my sister’s friend tim (see his bonsai collection below), i drove out to merrifield garden center when i was in virginia last week. they had a nice selection of pre-bonsai and more mature, expensive trees. i picked out a weeping fig and a young dwarf brush cherry tree. they survived the train ride back to new york, and even took their first subway ride! i ended up giving the weeping fig to my girlfriend’s sister. in a few months i’m planning to repot the dwarf brush cherry and try to train it into a tight spherical shape. 

my dad’s new juniper looks very happy in their backyard