Nestled in a scorchingly hot, flat, middle-class neighborhood of Sylmar is a shade covered patch of land entirely filled with the work of Roy Nagatoshi and his father.

Roy at work.

Of course, most of my Bonsai education is firmly rooted in The Karate Kid, but one step into Roy’s paradise, and I was instantly taken with the beauty of the art form.  To train the growth of anything, much less that of a fifty year old tree, takes a level of vision and patience that I am not sure I possess. Roy’s specimens were astounding – tiny forests with moss covered stones, “dead” driftwood stumps soaring above the tops of miniature spruce trees, dwarfed pomegranate trees in full bloom, some in full fruit, and shrunken maple trees with their feathery full sized leaves. Each was more beautiful than the next.

Miniature forest.

Pomegranate tree in full bloom.

So if you should find yourself deep in the Valley, stop by and see my new friend Roy and his spectacular collection. Maybe you’ll even buy one as a gift for yourself.