Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry

127:12

Bonsai Banter with Sam Tan and Addison Galambos

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/10/01

Long-term student and friend of Mirai, Sam Tan, was in the garden for a week of collaborative study. Anytime Sam is around there is guaranteed thought provoking discussion. But when you combine Sam’s curiosity and analytical mind with the quirky crew at Mirai, the discussion turned into something entirely different. In this episode of Asymmetry Ryan, Brock, Brandon, and Addison, join Sam in a discussion of the bonsai practice, bonsai history, and a brainstorm session on how we continue elevating the

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152:23

Podocarpus Down Under with Hugh Grant

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/09/16

As bonsai professionals we are often isolated in our own echo chamber and islands of thought working away on projects and the challenge of making a living at this obscure art form. That’s not to complain, the silent introspection of a personal practice and self-expression is one of the reasons pursuing a career in bonsai is so appealing. However, opportunities to collaborate and share in the experiences of living the bonsai life are far and few between. When a misstep on the most recent Behind the

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136:54

The Bonsai Hostel with David Cutchin and Steve Varland

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/08/26

There’s never a dull moment at Mirai. But one of the most beautiful aspects of the hustle and bustle in the garden is getting to spend time with traveling bonsai vagabonds crossing the country to keep the movement of bonsai activity going. This summer has been particularly busy with guests, students, and friends from old and new. One fateful weekend recently the stars aligned for Steve Varland of the Backcountry Boys and David Cutchin of Wyrdwood Bonsai to both be visiting and dropping off trees at

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114:24

Summer Soapbox Session with Brock and Brandon

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/08/12

The summer at Mirai has been as lively as any season in the past 16 years of the garden and company. Ryan and his team had an incredible session with students, guests from across the country, and a significant amount of positivity pumped into the facility from the community. Needless to say, Mirai is alive and kicking, living at that frantic pace that Ryan thrives on. In the middle of another hot and demanding day of watering, Ryan, Brock, and Brandon sat down to catch up on the happenings this

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98:02

Bonsai in the High Desert with Jon White

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/08/05

Every pocket of the country has someone passionate about bonsai adapting their practice to the particulars and extremes of the environment. It’s one of the great marvels within the art form, the human ingenuity to create and cultivate bonsai despite the harshness of the weather and location. Jon White carries forward the lineage of pioneers in the Boise region of Idaho who have been doing just that for decades; defying the ruggedness of the landscape in pursuit of tiny trees. Through their tight

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46:26

Ryan Clumpner

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/07/29

You never know where a cup of coffee and a conversation amongst two friends can go. On a recent Saturday morning, following the final class session of the summer, Ryan Neil and longtime friend and Mirai student Ryan Clumpner sat down for a cup of coffee before R.C. returned home to San Diego. As they sat discussing a recent body of ceramic work R.C. brought to Mirai for feedback, the subject of third nature came up as a recent talking point in the modern art world. Unaware of the term and its

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67:37

Living the Garden Life with Goodland

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/07/08

Life is what you make it. For Craig and Kendra Pearce moving into the wilds of Bone Island off the coast of British Columbia was a gesture of intention to change the way they interact with the natural world and to slow down from the frantic pace of urban living. The daily reminders of the world around them and the necessity to interface with nature enhanced the way Craig and Kendra lived. Over time, their desire to create slower, analogue rituals that offered moments of pause and reflection gave way

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123:27

Garden Build Finale with Brock and Brandon

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/06/17

The garden team’s time playing with rocks has officially come to an end. Brandon, Brock, and Ryan sit down in the studio to discuss the finale of the garden build extravaganza that, like many other projects at Mirai, became something much bigger than a simple landscaping project. From boulders and trees to the discovery of cutting-edge bonsai stock, and a lot of meandering discussions about life and the implications of living vicariously through bonsai, this episode is sure to keep you on your toes

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68:23

Garden Build Update with Brock Arvesen

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/06/03

Ryan sits down with Brock to reflect on the chaos that followed Mirai's post-repotting garden build, the romantic idea of slowing down to play in the garden versus the reality that never quite cooperates. Equal parts honest and humorous, the two share a laugh about the expectations we set for ourselves, the imperfection that comes with being human, and the art of accepting what we can't control. Tune in for some lighthearted banter and a reminder that even the best-laid plans have a way of keeping

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100:45

Spirit of Collaboration with Thomas Nevar

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/05/27

Thomas Nevar is one of the most brilliant and powerful creatives Mirai has had the pleasure of working with. Through his graphic design, sculpture, and painting, Thomas has not only inspired projects at Mirai, Thomas’s work has had a direct impact on Mirai as a brand, compositions within the garden, and the spaces people at Mirai interact with. During one of his visits, Thomas and Ryan discussed an informal collaboration to see how creating in the same space at the same time might inform both

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129:41

The Life of an Artist with Austin Heitzman

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/04/29

Austin Heitzman has made an indelible mark on bonsai, and put his stamp on the art form in North America. Beyond the technique and engineering that have allowed him to make some of the most gravity defying and cutting-edge designs in the bonsai realm, Austin’s passion for the unseen, never-before done, and the assumed impossible make his work something that stands alone. Ryan and Austin sat down on a cool spring evening to catch up and discuss recent happenings and upcoming ambitions. As usual, the

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59:37

Brock and Brandon Garden Ambitions

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/04/22

In the world of being a bonsai professional at Mirai the end of repotting season makes the beginning of another very exciting and dramatically different scope of work. Think of the season for garden building and landscape work as a palette cleanser for the long season of watering and bonsai madness that awaits once trees enter the post-flush phase. Every year, Ryan takes time to celebrate a job well done repotting and indulges in his second love of building Mirai. This year, Brock and Brandon are

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83:31

Raising the BAR with Tim Arsenault

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/04/15

The longstanding question of how to get more people involved in bonsai has been asked and pontificated about since the beginning of bonsai clubs in North America. This obscure art form has so many barriers to entry and at times seems impossible to expand due to its intricacies and nuances. However, Tim Arsenault and his team at Bonsai BAR found a common past time to pull beginners into the art and have started building a broader and better community, not by breaking new ground, but by applying the

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65:24

Repotting Recap with Brock and Brandon

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/04/08

Repotting season is always a journey filled with highs and lows. Each year, when all is said and done there is much to reflect on. At Mirai, repotting is the technique Ryan and his team practice the most. With that, a single season of repotting feels like a lifetime. These recaps are more of a documentation of progress than anything else. Join Ryan, Brock, and Brandon as they relax for a moment between repots to recap the highs and lows of repotting 2026 and all it had to offer.

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113:42

Lineage of Passion with Harold Sasaki

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/03/18

Kindness. Humility. Generosity. These are words anyone discussing Harold Sasaki would use to describe this gentle giant of a man. But those of us who have been personally impacted by Harold know there is a tenacity to our teacher, a hunger for knowledge, a curiosity for what’s possible, and a glean of motivation in his eye that propelled him to be one of the greatest trailblazers and pioneers of bonsai culture in North American bonsai over the past fifty years. Through his facility, Colorado Bonsai

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80:36

Stephen Voss

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/03/11

Speaking with creative people about their medium and process is one of the greatest aspects of Asymmetry. To know how other artists view the world and express themselves through their work inspires and informs the tools we all summon to bring beauty through art into the world. Stephen Voss is a D.C. based photographer whose work we have admired at Mirai for over a decade. We initially were exposed to Stephen’s work through his book In Training, an intimate portrayal of the breaths between the words,

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148:17

Joshua Stewart - Educational Psychologist, Evidence...

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/03/04

From youth education in bonsai to elite alpine instruction where people’s lives are on the line, Joshua Stewart is an educational psychologist who is applying his expertise to a multitude of projects and disciplines. Even though we’ve been working with Josh for several years now it took sitting down with him on the podcast to fully understand what exactly he does. Ryan and Josh discuss the process of applying psychology, how he processes information, and how Josh takes his knowledge and observations

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68:00

Andrew Robson

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/02/25

On a recent cold rainy morning prior to the start of the 100th Kokufu exhibition fellow bonsai professional Andrew Robson joined us to discuss the potential for expansion of display opportunities at the next Pacific Bonsai Expo. This show has rapidly risen as the premier exhibition of bonsai in North America, and the efforts of Eric Shrader, Jonas Dupuich, and Andrew Robson to create a destination to display bonsai at the highest level, opening the door to ideas that might allow people to think

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136:24

Cultural Revelations with Aarin Packard

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/02/18

It might be an American thing to try and define how culture impacts bonsai, or it might just be a reality of this very deep artform we all love. Aarin Packard, curator of the Pacific Bonsai Museum in Federal Way, Washington, joins Ryan to discuss the subject and interviews Ryan about his thoughts for an exhibition the Pacific Bonsai Museum is working on in conjunction with this year’s World Cup. Aarin selected seasoned and respected bonsai personalities from around the globe to see just how present

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92:50

Exotic Plants, Art, and the Hustle with The Plant...

Bonsai Mirai: Asymmetry ·

2026/02/11

From slangin’ exotic plants out of the back of a Lexus to architecting a budding plant-centered design movement taking southern California by storm, the Plant Daddies are a breath of fresh air and inspiration. Leaning on their long-standing friendship and dedication to bringing people happiness through the compositions they create, the trio has rapidly risen in the design world of Southern California and beyond. Dane, Macy, and Kenny bring intense passion for both the plants they cultivate and the

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