Bonsai and Penjing

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum inWashington, D.C., this exquisite book tells the awe-inspiring stories of bonsai andpenjing trees in the renowned collection of the National Arboretum and their criticalrole in international diplomacy and as a vehicle for American presidential influence.

An extensive, first-hand account by the former director of the Arboretum, Dr. JohnL. Creech, details the extraordinary gift of 53 bonsai from Japan to the UnitedStates in 1976, which prompted the founding of the National Bonsai & PenjingMuseum. Stories of the individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as well asthe skilled and talented creators of these living art forms visionaries such asJohn Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu. Theinclusion of bonsai and penjing in world’s fairs and in notable gardens throughoutthe United States, the extensive cultivation of bonsai in North America today, andthe remarkable evolution of the National collection are also highlighted in thisfascinating volume.

Bonsai and Penjing: Ambassadors of Peace & Beauty is certain to delight anyoneintrigued by these living works of art and curious about the stories they bring to life.

Author Biography

Ann McClellan is delighted to add Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace, From the Collection of the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum U.S. National Arboretum Washington, D.C. to her previously published books about the flowering cherry trees of Washington, D.C.: Cherry Blossoms and The Cherry Blossom Festival, Sakura Celebration. All three books reflect the lifelong love of trees that she developed while growing up in New Jersey on an arboretum-like campus laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted. Her professional career has included executive positions at nonprofit organizations, such as the Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and the American Association of Museums. She treasures the living collections of the National Museum of Bonsai & Penjing as profound expressions of the best that people together with nature can create.