Saving the Ancient Puglian Olive Tree

Saving the Ancient Puglian Olive Tree | Featuring Ryan Neil

“Mirai in Japanese means 'future'. It refers not to the immediate future, but to a distant dream, a romantic thought, the future yet to come, ever out of reach, unobtainable, and always evolving. It is the foreshadowing of the perpetual stewardship and unknown future that guides this very special relationship with the tree.”

This week on Everything You Didn’t Know About Herbalism, we are joined by the botanical artist who is on a mission to weave ancient Japanese bonsai traditions with the native species of North America, Ryan Neil. Tune in with us as Ryan and Tommy dive into Ryan’s journey through the world of bonsai, how trees offer a reflection into ourselves, and the commendable mission to save the at-risk ancient olive trees of Puglia, Italy.

As always, we thank you for joining us on another botanical adventure and are so honored to have you tag along with us on this ride. Remember, we want to hear from you! Your questions, ideas, and who you want to hear from are an invaluable piece to our podcast. Email us at podcast@mountainroseherbs.com to let us know what solutions we should uncover next within the vast world of herbalism.

Learn more about Ryan and Mirai below! ⬇️

🌿 Ryan Neil is an artist and entrepreneur who single-handedly carved a new space in the contemporary art canon—deemed American Bonsai. This style seeks to capture the essence of America’s wild spaces, utilizing native species and calling on ancient, asymmetrical forms. Based outside Portland, Oregon—Neil is at the helm of two companies, Bonsai Mirai and Mirai Live, while constantly seeking to expand and perfect his creative endeavors. Neil’s work is a culmination of awe, grit and transience—an enigmatic representation of humans, trees, and our interdependent spaces in a steady, primordial flux.

🪴 Mirai is a bonsai studio, garden and creative ecosystem based outside of Portland, Oregon. Founded in 2010 by artist and bonsai professional, Ryan Neil, to explore the dialogue between humans and the living tree after becoming the first western person to complete a 6-year apprenticeship under bonsai master, Masahiko Kimura, in Japan's Saitama prefecture. As a horticultural incubator and creative facility, Mirai’s mission is to explore the boundaries and identity of bonsai in the western world through the context of the tree–where compositions reflect the vast array of native landscapes and cultures that are formed in their midst.