This past weekend, I had the pleasure of reconnecting with Bob Ricker and Julian Tsai at the John Naka Memorial Exhibit in Southern California—a truly inspiring gathering for bonsai enthusiasts.

Bob Ricker is a dedicated student of Peter Tea and currently serves as Vice President of the American Bonsai Association in Sacramento. His passion and craftsmanship are evident in every tree he touches. You can follow his journey on Instagram: @bonsai_bob_

Julian Tsai is a Los Angeles-based bonsai professional whose vision and leadership brought the Naka Memorial Exhibit to life. His work continues to elevate the art form and build community around it. Find him on Instagram: @bontsai_

Episode Picture-Hinoki on display at the Naka Memorial Exhibit, from the Jeff Stern collection, brought by Peter Tea. 

Chapters

• (00:00:00 ) - Black Pondo Podcast: Baby Trees
• (00:00:29 ) - Bonsai Exhibition & Feast in Little Tokyo LA
• (00:05:41 ) - Interviewing Bob Ricker and Julian Tsai
• (00:08:51 ) - White Mountains Tree Collecting
• (00:12:29 ) - Bonsai Club Member tips for collecting trees
• (00:15:41 ) - Bonsai Club members collect Suiseki and other rocks
• (00:17:13 ) - Working under Peter's Tree Garden
• (00:19:14 ) - Working With Peter Clinch
• (00:22:27 ) - "It's fun to play hockey
• (00:22:38 ) - How To Build Trees
• (00:26:27 ) - Bob Bonsai on the Future
• (00:31:01 ) - How to Build a Bonsai Tree
• (00:35:09 ) - How many trees would you say you have or projects you have?
• (00:36:13 ) - Bonsai Collection Final Goal
• (00:39:25 ) - Do You Graft Your Trees?
• (00:43:09 ) - Bob Chaiman On Daydreaming About Collecting Redwoods
• (00:45:35 ) - A bonsai with a tree trunk
• (00:48:17 ) - How to grow a dwarf oak tree
• (00:53:23 ) - Ripping a Bonsai Tree Out of the Ground
• (00:54:34 ) - Jeff Lowe on the John Naka Memorial Show
• (00:56:26 ) - Bob Bonsai on Working Full Time
• (00:58:37 ) - The Bonsai Collection at the Huntington
• (01:03:45 ) - Questions about the Brooklyn Museum
• (01:03:57 ) - "We Talked..."
• (01:04:08 ) - The Nan Fukai Memorial Exhibition
• (01:06:50 ) - The John Naka Bonsai Exhibit
• (01:10:12 ) - John Noka's Legacy
• (01:11:12 ) - Trees for the Exhibition
• (01:13:02 ) - Volunteers are needed for the exhibition
• (01:15:03 ) - The Descent Tour
• (01:15:49 ) - How to maintain your health in bonsai