Big congratulations to all the winners from the Bonsai Open 2026. This year’s show had an incredible range of trees and displays, and the addition of the Penjing and Creative categories added something genuinely fresh to the event.
Open Category 1st — Michael Hood — Giant Cedar Forest
2nd — Ric Roberts — 1951 Japanese Red Pine (from early Koreshoff seed imports, maintained and curated by Andrew Edge)
3rd — David McKeon — Sinuous Raft Privet
Shohin Category Sean Hood — Corky Bark Japanese Black Pine (Nishiki), Willow Leaf Fig, Japanese Black Pine display
Native Category Michael Kempson — Kunzea ambigua (Tick Bush) and Syzygium (Lilly Pilly) display
Penjing Category (Debut Year) Allan Harding — Chinese Elm (Su Ren style Penjing)
Creative Display Category (Debut Year) Trish Armstrong — Rising / Cloud Dragon Juniper display
People’s Choice Award David McKeon — Sinuous Raft Privet
From large, impactful displays to refined Shohin and expressive Penjing, the quality across the board was impressive. The raft privet taking both 3rd in Open and People’s Choice really showed how much it resonated with both judges and the public.
A great event overall and a strong showing from everyone involved. Already looking forward to seeing what turns up next year.
by Rintar79
Comments are closed.