University of Miami hosts bonsai lecture on art, science, and care

Richter Library’s third-floor conference room in Coral Gables will give bonsai a classroom, as the University of Miami hosts The Art and Science of Bonsai and places a hobby often taught through clubs and specialist societies inside a university setting. The choice of venue says as much as the lecture topic: bonsai is being treated not just as a display craft, but as a subject with room for botany, design and long-term stewardship.

The speaker, Johnny Lamb Jr., brings an unusually grounded perspective to that conversation. The university describes him as a maintenance mechanic who also earned a Certificate of Apprenticeship in Horticulture and Landscape from the U.S. Department of Labor. That combination makes him a fitting voice for a campus audience, because bonsai depends on both the eye of an artist and the discipline of someone who understands how trees actually grow, recover and fail.

The session is set to cover the art, history and science behind bonsai tree cultivation, with attention to species selection, pruning, wiring, soil and watering essentials. It also is slated to address pests, disease prevention and the kind of ongoing maintenance that keeps a bonsai healthy over time. That mix gives the event practical value at both ends of the learning curve: beginners can focus on choosing the right species and getting the basics of water and soil right, while more experienced growers can sharpen technique around pruning, wiring and long-term care.

The university says the presentation is aimed at both beginners and seasoned gardeners, widening the audience beyond the usual specialist circle to students, staff and local residents who may be curious about the art form. In South Florida, where climate and plant care already shape daily gardening decisions, the lecture places bonsai in a more public-facing role and reinforces its legitimacy as a living, teachable discipline. With a campus library as the backdrop and a working horticulturalist leading the discussion, bonsai is being presented as both craft and science, and as a subject ready for broader attention in Coral Gables.