BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The Franklin Park Zoo is hosting a special floral exhibition and workshops all weekend long.
The Bonsai Show spotlights intricate bonsai trees curated by the New England Bonsai Gardens. It will include demonstrations on the ancient Japanese floral arrangement artform, Ikebana.
“We want to be known not only as a lovely area for animals but also as a destination for plants as well,” Brianne Walker, the horticulturalist for the zoo, told WBZ NewsRadio.
Russell Bowers, an Associate 2nd Term Master and instructor of the Ohara School of Ikebana based in Japan, is leading a two-hour hands-on Bonsai Basics Workshop for visitors to learn about the origins of bonsai trees and more.
“The philosophy, at least at the dojo, is that it’s a mind, body, spirit kind of experience,” he said, adding that the importance of negative space is one of the main aspects in Japanese floral arrangements.
"The negative space is what gives the arrangement a shape,” he continued. Bowers also teaches bonsai classes at Boston Ikebana.
The Bonsai Show lasts through Sunday next to the Bird’s World building.
For more information on special events at the Franklin Park Zoo, visit their website here.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.