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The Growth of the Goldstein Garden
The Growth of the Goldstein Garden
by Maya Laesch
Bonsai trees are a bit like college students because they’re constantly being reshaped and molded by what’s around them. So then, how surprisingly fitting it is that the University of Michigan has its own bonsai garden in the Matthei Botanical Gardens. With its free admission and large variety of plants, this place has recently become one of my favorite places to experience a bit of nature in the city.
The Melvyn C. Goldstein Bonsai Garden is an open-air outdoor structure just a 15-minute bus ride east of central campus. As many bonsai require certain temperatures, you’ll be able to find them outside in this garden from May through October. During the winter season a select few are in the botanical gardens’ conservatory (“Two”). If you visit during the right window, you’ll encounter a variety of bonsai you never knew existed. Ranging from Azaelea to Japanese Black Pine, its inventory is vast and continues to grow with donations from local bonsai artists (“Little”).
Outer view of the garden, March 17, 2024, by Maya Laesch
Example of donated plant, Chinese Banyan bonsai, in conservatory, March 17, 2024, by Maya Laesch.
This exhibit emphasizes the importance of community as all of its plants come from donors. The donations started with Dr. Maurice Seevers in 1977, when he donated an astounding 163 trees from his estate (later whittled down to a much more manageable number) (“Bonsai”). Prior to the garden’s opening, three of these bonsai trees had been shown in the greenhouse (Meislik). Then in 2000, the bonsai received an exhibit within the conservatory (“Bonsai”). The true shift occurred however when the bonsai garden opened in 2012 showcasing 20 trees of its 70 piece collection (Meislik). Originally named the Bonsai and Penjing Garden, its creation was largely due to the tireless work from bonsai botanists around Ann Arbor. Groups like the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society had been rallying and fundraising for bonsai to have their own place within the botanical gardens for years, and it finally became reality.
After 10 years of existence, the garden was named to honor one of its most influential bonsai donors, Michigan alumnus Melvyn C. Goldstein (“The Melvyn”). A social anthropologist and former professor at Case Western University in Cleveland, Goldstein attributes his interest in bonsai to a trip to Tibet he took “in order to preserve its cultural history and religious traditions” (Hawkins). He first encountered bonsai at his hotel, while doing fieldwork there and was intrigued. Goldstein purchased his first trees in China in 1955, and upon his eventual return to the United States, he studied bonsai, learning from experts about their proper care. He slowly increased his collection and was able to donate more than 125 bonsai trees to the exhibit (“The Melvyn”). This, coupled with past years of generosity, made Goldstein a perfect candidate for the new namesake.
Bonsai is a Japanese term that translates to “planted in a container” and that’s fitting to describe how these plants are grown (“What is”). Originally, bonsai were naturally small. However, as popularity for the miniature plant grew, their abundance dwindled. Subsequently, practices evolved to minimize the size of trees. Such practices include trimming of roots to keep them confined to small containers, top pruning to limit size and accentuate certain aesthetics, and wire wrapping to train the tree to grow into a desired form (“The Bonsai”). This wiring practice can be observed on some of the trees in exhibit in the conservatory today.
There’s a disconnect in the materialistic meaning of the name Goldstein and the generous man this garden’s named for. The surname is made from two German words: “gold,” a reference to the precious metal and “stein,” meaning rock or stone (“Goldstein”). His first name however is a variation of Melvin, meaning “gentle lord” from Irish roots (Lawler). Such a name seems fitting for someone who controls how plants grow and are shaped, but does so in a caring, nurturing manner to keep them healthy and thriving. Meticulous care has and continues to go into the peaceful yet powerful Goldstein Bonsai Garden, leaving a lasting effect on the community and commemorating those who came together to create it.
Melvyn C. Goldstein (right) next to UofM president Ono (left) at the garden's opening ceremony. Photo courtesy of: Alumni Association Linkedin
Works Cited
Alumni Association of the University of Michigan. “UM President Ono standing next to Dr. Melvyn C. Goldstein.” Linkedin, 18 June 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michiganalumni_u-m-alum-dr-melvyn-goldstein-has-gifted-activity-7084969921826185217-KE1F?utm_source=li_share&utm_content=feedcontent&utm_medium=g_dt_web&utm_campaign=copy. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.
“Bonsai Thriving in Ann Arbor.” Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, mbgna.umich.edu/bonsai-thriving-ann-arbor. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“Goldstein Family History.” Family Search, https://www.familysearch.org/en/surname?surname=goldstein. Accessed 9 Apr. 2024
Hawkins, Sydney. “The gift of bonsai: An exhibition of living art.” University of Michigan News, 25 May 2016
https://news.umich.edu/the-gift-of-bonsai-an-exhibition-of-living-art/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
Laesch, Maya. Inner view of the garden where bonsai will be presented in May through October. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. List of garden’s donors including Goldstein. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. Outer view of the garden. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. View from below of a small bonsai exhibit in the conservatory. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. Example of donated plant, Chinese Banyan bonsai, in conservatory. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. Younger Chinese Banyan Bonsai found in conservatory. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Laesch, Maya. Another view of the empty garden in which the list of donors can be seen. 17 Mar. 2024. Author's personal collection.
Lawler, Emma. “Melvyn.” The Bump, https://www.thebump.com/b/melvyn-baby-name. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“Little trees, big impact,” Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, https://mbgna.umich.edu/bonsai-home. Accessed 1 Apr. 2024.
Meislik, Jerry. “The New Bonsai & Penjing Garden at the University of Michigan.”Journal of Tropical & True Indoor Bonsai, 2013. www.fukubonsai.com/1f9a11.html. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“The Bonsai Tree.” The Sciences, vol. 5, no. 8, 1966, pp. 19-22. Wiley Online Library, https://doi.org/10.1002/j.2326-1951.1966.tb00230.x. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“The Melvyn C. Goldstein Bonsai Garden Opening Ceremony.” YouTube, uploaded by University of Michigan, 17 June 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia4ARuhqdfw.
“Two Places We Call Home.” Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum, https://mbgna.umich.edu/bonsai-garden. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
“What is Bonsai?.” Bonsai Empire, https://www.bonsaiempire.com/. Accessed 27 Mar. 2024.
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