Bonsai Lessons
Saikei Zen offers bonsai lessons and workshops in Tauranga and the Bay of Plenty for staff and corporate events, one-on-one learning, hospitality venues, garden centres and stores with garden departments, fundraising events, and social clubs.
A calm, practical introduction to the art of bonsai, taught with care, patience, and respect for tradition. Our lessons are for anyone who is sincere and curious. If you are wondering whether bonsai is right for you, this is a very good place to begin.
Staff & Corporate Events
Give your team a chance to slow down, learn something new, and enjoy working with a living tree. Our corporate bonsai workshops offer a calm, practical activity for staff events and team gatherings.
Best suited to beginners and intermediate learners, lessons bring people together in a relaxed, shared setting. You do not need experience, special tools, or confidence. Only interest and an open mind.
Corporate group lessons start from $180 NZD per person, with a minimum of 6 participants. Your company can cover the lesson fees, staff can pay individually, or you can agree on a shared contribution. We will work through the payment arrangements with you when planning your event.
Workshops are usually held at your premises. If you need a separate location, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
One-on-One Bonsai Lessons
Personal lessons are tailored to your experience, questions, and trees. Suitable for beginner to intermediate levels, they are ideal for focused guidance or help with specific challenges.
We teach bonsai as it is practised in Japan: slowly, thoughtfully, and with close attention to the tree. These lessons are not about perfection. They are about understanding, learning how to care for a living tree, and enjoying the process as it grows over time.
Lessons are charged at an hourly rate per person. Please enquire for one-on-one pricing. Bonsai lessons also make a thoughtful gift for someone who enjoys learning, nature, and quiet focus.
Lessons are usually held at your premises. If another location would suit you better, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
Bonsai Events for Hospitality Venues
Give your guests a reason to make a night of it. A bonsai workshop pairs a relaxed, hands-on lesson with the atmosphere of your bar, café, or restaurant, bringing people together over a new skill.
Bars in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch have embraced monthly social events that pair drinks and nibbles with bonsai lessons. These gatherings have proved popular in other cities and offer something a little different for a social evening.
If you run a bar or hospitality venue in Tauranga or Mount Maunganui and have always wanted to host something similar, get in touch. We can work together to bring a bonsai event to life at your venue and discuss how your drinks and food offering could fit around the lesson.
Guests pay from $180 NZD each for the bonsai lesson, with a minimum of 6 participants. The lesson fee is paid by the people attending, rather than by your venue. We will agree on booking arrangements with you beforehand.
Workshops are usually held at your premises. If you need a separate location, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
Bonsai Workshops for Garden Centres & Stores with Garden Departments
Turn a visit to your garden department into an occasion. A hands-on bonsai workshop gives people a reason to come into your store, spend time there, and explore what else you have to offer.
For customers curious about bonsai, a welcoming lesson can be the nudge to get started. As they learn about caring for a living tree, they can also discover your range of pots, tools, growing media, and other gardening products. It is a natural way to connect practical learning with browsing and shopping.
We can work with your team to plan an event that suits your space and customers, whether you are an independent garden centre or a store with a dedicated garden department.
Customers pay from $180 NZD each for the bonsai lesson, with a minimum of 6 participants. Your store hosts the event; the people attending pay the lesson fee. We will discuss bookings and practical arrangements with you before the event.
Workshops are usually held at your premises. If you need a separate location, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
coming soon
Bonsai Fundraising Events
Bring people together around a new skill while supporting a cause that matters to your community. A bonsai workshop offers a relaxed, shared experience for fundraising groups and their supporters.
We will talk through your group, plans, and fundraising goals so you can decide whether a workshop is the right fit. No previous bonsai experience is needed.
Participants pay from $180 NZD each for the bonsai lesson, with a minimum of 6 people. The lesson fee is paid by those attending. We will discuss how participant payments, workshop costs, and the amount retained by your charity will be handled before the event.
Your charity or fundraising group keeps the majority of the profits from the event. We will discuss workshop costs and agree on the fundraising arrangement with you, so you know how much your group will retain before you go ahead.
Hosting the workshop at your own premises helps keep costs down and leaves more for your cause. If you need a separate location, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
What You Will Learn
After a lesson, you should feel confident to:
- Understand the basic principles of bonsai
- Care for and nurture a bonsai tree over time
- Water, position, and maintain your tree correctly
- Recognise early signs of stress or poor health
Our aim is not just to show you what to do, but to help you understand why. You can then continue caring for your bonsai with confidence.
Flexible Payment Options
We can make the payment arrangements work for your event, with the details agreed together before bookings open.
Corporate events and company bookings: We can invoice your business directly. Whether the company covers the full cost, staff pay individually, or you share the cost, we will help you arrange a practical approach.
Hospitality venues, garden centres, and retail stores: Your customers pay for their place at the workshop. We can set up event tickets and take payments through the Saikei Zen website, or your venue can sell the tickets, collect payments, and pay us the agreed workshop fees.
Every event is a little different. Get in touch and we will work through ticketing, invoicing, and payment arrangements with you, so everything is clear and easy to manage.
Bonsai Lesson Enquiry Form
Tell us what you have in mind and we’ll be in touch to discuss your lesson or event. Fields marked * are required.
Bonsai Workshops for Social Clubs
Try something a little different for your next social club gathering. Our small group bonsai lessons let you learn alongside others in a relaxed setting, with patient guidance and room for questions.
Suitable for beginners and intermediate learners, a workshop is a chance to enjoy a shared interest, spend time together, and discover the quiet satisfaction of caring for a tree.
Members pay from $180 NZD each for the bonsai lesson, with a minimum of 6 participants. The people attending pay the lesson fee; your club can coordinate the booking and payments with us.
Workshops are usually held at your premises. If you need a separate location, we can organise a suitable venue for an additional venue hire fee.
Enquire