This is it! The cutting edge of Zen technology. This is where you will read about the most recent advancements in personal harmony. These are the latest goings on in The Art of the Bonsai Potato world (the most recent news is listed first).

If you have news about the Bonsai Potato art form or are interested in organizing an official Bonsai Potato growing competition, send an e-mail to .

To see a summary of our news clippings, click here.

February 18, 2006     Mike Dillon talks on “Garden Talk with Jane Nugent”
Pittsburgh's AM Newstalk 1360 “Garden Talk with Jane Nugent” host Jane Nugent, (duh) spoke with Mike Dillon about the thrill of growing a Bonsai Potato.



June 1, 2005     The "NEW & Improved" Bonsai Potato Website is LIVE
All good things take time. It's funny that it takes much longer to update a website than it does to grow a Bonsai Potato. We think it was well worth the wait!



May 2, 2005    

LEAP-UP Gifted Enrichment Holds "First Annual Bonsai Potato Show and Competition"
This fun activity was part of a horticulture study as well as an exercise in creativity and presentation.

Students in the Acadia Parish LEAP-UP gifted enrichment classes, located at South Crowley Elementary School in Crowley, Louisiana, researched traditional Bonsai, and then incorporated their own ideas with the traditional art form to create delightful displays using sprouting potatoes and their imaginations. The completed pieces were entered into competition in the fields of horticultural display, artistic rendering, and written tribute.

The project began when the classes came into possession of a “Bonsai Potato - Zen without the wait!” kit during a horticulture study. The students visited local garden club shows, horticultural festivals, and area green houses as part of the horticultural study and these visits gave them a wealth of ideas from which to work. Several students were very interested in Bonsai but few had the time to dedicate to the art form, (not to mention a lack of patience!) The discovery of the Bonsai Potato kits was a welcome challenge to the students.

Each student selected a potato, placed it in a warm dark location for a few weeks, and waited for it to sprout. Once the potatoes sprouted, the students placed them in sunny locations. Students pinched back growth they did not want on their potatoes and hoped for the best. At the end of 6 weeks the students developed displays for their horticultural art pieces with respect for the oriental heritage of Bonsai. The option of creating artistic renderings or written tributes was offered students in case a potato rotted or did not grow to the artist’s expectations. Some students chose to do both horticultural displays as well as artistic renderings. In fact, one student created a lampwork glass bonsai potato resting in a bed of frit.

Awards in the competition included Mr. Potato Head toys and a variety of potato based snack foods. As the competition grows they hope to increase the prizes to include other potato related items as well as t-shirts designed by the students.

This was the program’s first annual Bonsai Potato Competition and Show. The LEAP-UP program plans to continue this tradition, however they plan to give the students 10 to 12 weeks (or more) in the future to prepare, as many potatoes did not sprout or grow as fast as they had hoped. Students are anxiously awaiting the start of the new school year and the chance to start new Bonsai Potatoes for the 2nd Annual Bonsai Potato Show and Competition, which will be held the last week in April 2006.


You can see the winners in our “Individuals” Gallery.





August 2004

Running Press has now officially release the new version of the Bonsai Potato kit. Check it out here. It is available in fine bookstores and gift stores everywhere. (OK, not everywhere, but US, UK and Canada.) The new design is the result of lots of hard work from the talented people over at Running Press. I feel that it perfectly captures the History Nouveaux look we were seeking. We are now huddling in the root cellar, working on a complete redesign of the website to reflect the new look. Stay tuned.



October 2003

Running Press has joined the Bonsai Potato team! A new miniature version of the Bonsai Potato kit is forthcoming (early November) and will be available in nearly every book store and gift store on the planet. We are proud to join the ranks of the Mini Zen Garden, Itty Bitty Buddha and the Mini Bonsai kit. As we suspected, there are still plenty of frustrated Bonsai Potato artists that need this knowledge in order to reach their full potential. Thanks to Running Press, the goal of global enlightenment is growing closer.

Next spring, Running Press will go even further and introduce a new and improved version of the Bonsai Potato kit. Inner peace every time you turn around!



January 7, 2003

International Fame!
Mike Dillon and Jeff Fitzsimmons were interviewed on RED FM in Cork Ireland!  :: Listen! ::



November 2002

I was psyched to hear that American Science and Surplus is carrying the Art of the Bonsai Potato Kit!

When I was a wee lad, I was on the Olympics of the Mind team, and my favorite part of the season was the field trip to American Science and Surplus. We would spend hours exploring the bins of bizarre curiosities, and I am THRILLED that the Bonsai Potato kit is one of those bizarre curiosities! Check out their website but be prepared to spend some time, because you will never find a more eclectic mix of stuff you never realized existed but can't live without.



March 2002

The Bonsai Potato Is Featured On The Food Network In "Spuds Unwrapped"



February 2001

Check out the Individual Gallery to see potatoes grown by Jazer Cerojano and Dave Little.



December 2, 2000

Sweet Potatoes are all the rage at the Holiday 2000 Bonsai Potato Growing Competition.



October 13, 2000

Evening Magazine host John Curley interviewed Sensei Jeff Fitzsimmons about the Bonsai Potato kit and the upcoming Holiday 2000 Bonsai Potato Growing Competition. This in-depth, all-telling interview is scheduled to air at 7 p.m., Monday, on Seattle NBC affiliate KING 5 TV.



September 2000

Sensei Jeff Fitzsimmons and Potato Master Mike Dillon announce the Holiday 2000 Bonsai Potato Growing Competition, to be held in a suburb of Seattle, on Saturday, December 2, at 1 p.m., at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park Towne Center.



September 2000

Garden Design magazine reviews the Bonsai Potato Kit in its October 2000 issue.



August 2000

Shambhala Sun magazine reviews the Bonsai Potato Kit in its September 2000 issue.



June 2000

Seattle Magazine lists the Bonsai Potato as one of the top 10 most bizarre Seattle-based web sites ("Who's Building Our Dot.Com Empire," June 2000).



06/02/2000

The Book

Now available online are excerpts from the 64-page book included with The Art of the Bonsai Potato Kit. Enjoy!



05/05/2000

Semi-ancient Bonsai Potato Radio Ad Rediscovered!

While digging through the Bonsai Potato archives, Sensei Jeff came across a dusty, old CD encrypted with a radio ad from the early days. What a discovery!



May 2000

PBA Clippings

The May 2000 issue of the newsletter of the Potomac Bonsai Association includes our article about the 80-year-old woman who swept the March 2000 Bonsai Potato growing competition.



3/25/2000

80-year-old Woman Sweeps Bonsai Potato Competition

Potato Masters Jeff Fitzsimmons and Mike Dillon hosted this star-studded event at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, Wash. More than a dozen entries were judged by local Seattle celebrities, with "Best of Show" going to local Shoreline resident Barbara Hilty.



1/25/2000

"U say Potato, I say Tomatoe: The Movie"

Bonsai Potato enthusiast M.A. De Tomaso has been busy, and we greatly appreciate his submission of not only two Potatoe photos but a Potatoe movie as well! To see his movie, click the link above.



1/24/2000

Bonsai Potato(e) Haiku, by Adam Smith

bonsai potato
branches hurry up and grow!
my tranquility



1/1/2000

Happy new year!

Last night the planet was alive. People celebrated by gathering around their favorite landmark, singing, dancing and reveling in the flaming spectacle of it all. I stood watching the space needle as a lone, specially- trained SWAT officer c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y lit a single sparkler (under close fire department, bomb squad and FBI supervision) to ring in the new year century in Seattle.

I am glad to see that we have all survived and that human beings will carry on into the 21st century and beyond. I have a renewed hope that we can each find a niche for ourselves and appreciate that others decorate their niches differently. Hope that we can slow our lives to a point that we can enjoy it without becoming slaves to our increasingly high maintenance "labor saving devices" Hope that we can be a more social people and find time to come face to face as the fad that we call the internet wears off. (yes it's a fad. Remember television?..airplanes? when was the last time you used one of THOSE?) Hope that we can realize that there is MUCH more to life than money! (that reminds me, T-shirts and hats are COMING SOON!)

I hope that you got everything that you needed this holiday season, spent time with people who love you and that the resolutions are still in effect.

-sensei


11/26/99

The last book signing went so well that we're having another at Third Place Books in Lake forest park today. (2PM) The only difference is it's the day after Thanksgiving and the stores are filled with blurry-eyed shopper zombies with tryptophan-hangovers. Day of the living Holiday shoppers. We'll be there as an island of tranquility to help people keep themselves grounded.

P.S. The new shirts are in! they look great. Sneak preview at the bookstore today.


10/25/99

Halloween is coming and the proof arrived in my mailbox this evening. This was sent to me by a person who was at an evidently fabulous costume party over the weekend and who thought that I "might appreciate this". Appreciate it? I want to borrow it!


10/20/99

Mike and I will be at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park for a demonstration and book signing on October 30th. Teaching a short course in the art of the Bonsai Potato is a little like creating an acronym for an abbreviation but we'll give it a shot. If you are interested in coming there is a map on their website.


10/13/99

Mike and I are back from Los Angeles "where the fun never makes sense". We had a great time and got to meet Timmy from the incomprehensibly hip daytime drama 'PASSIONS'. Mike also introduced me to Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of DEVO fame) who is now doing amazing things for the ear over at Mutato Muzica. I've neglected my students and as a result an evil potato compromised an entire group of potatoes. Patience doesn't wait for anyone.


9/6/99

It's been five months since the scandal erupted at Curran Mendoza and what a long strange trip it's been. The charges have been dropped and the results are in. The prizes are being sent to the winners and the results are posted in the gallery. It's time to get on with the adventure.

Mike Dillon and I will be in California for the beginning of October to encourage the modern Bonsai Potato revival. Stay tuned for details.


4/5/99

Scandal erupted today at the Curran/Mendoza Bonsai Potato growing competition amidst allegations of improper growing methods.


3/25/99

The Bonsai Potato web site is featured in the March version of Web Talk at Beta online. This month's theme is 'Zen & Architecture' (hint: the bonsai potato kit is not architecture) Web talk is an Internet radio show hosted by David Tomere and John Rabasa, a couple of web consultants from the Big Apple. They praise or slam various wesites every month. I'm still not sure if they liked it but they called the website a 'meta-meta joke' which is good enough for me.



1/27/99

Just got word that the Curran Mendoza Potato Certification Day (PCD) went well and there are many promising entrants. The SPUD contest committee chair has promised that a written dispatch and photos will follow.


1/7/99

IMPORTANT NOTICE For all of the participants of the Curran Mendoza growing competition "...the Rescheduled Potato Certification Day (RPCD)...(originally scheduled for 1/11/99) which shall not be confused with any other significant or insignificant significance attached or assigned to said date,...shall be postponed until Monday, January 18 at 9:00 a.m..." P>


1/7/99

Check out the article in the Southern California living section of the Los Angeles Times, or head over to User Friendly, where we made link of the day for Thursday, January 7. This site has a cool comic strip and lots of great links so Do Not visit unless you have tons of free time.


1/5/99

I want to thank CmdrTaco for the mention and all the readers at Slashdot for the traffic. Stop by anytime.


12/23/98

Zen and Technology have finally merged. For those of you with the Real Audio player we have posted a copy of the December 15th interview on The Pat Cashman Show with Bonsai Potato master Jeff Fitzsimmons and Zen marketing guru Mike Dillon.

If you do not have the real audio plug-in you can download it from here for free.


12/20/98

Seattle Times columnist Jean Godden was quick to realize the importance of our nearly-lost art form. She, through this story, has done a tremendous job of bringing the issue to the foreground.


12/11/98

The San Jose Mercury News published a story about the Bonsai Potato kit.


12/10/98

Bonsai Potato masters Jeff Fitzsimmons and Mike Dillon were asked to share their enlightenment on the radio on The Morning Show starring Pat Cashman, Lisa Foster and Dustin Hornby. We were particularly excited about this one because The Morning Show shares a similar philosophy and, like the Bonsai Potato, "does not require batteries" and is "easy to use."

The interview aired live at  7:30AM Tuesday December 15
click here for the real audio version


12/7/98

The Northwest regional NBC affiliate aired a short segment about The Art of The Bonsai Potato Kit tonight on Evening Magazine, starring Seattle legend John Curley.
Monday December 7, 7:00PM PST


10/28/98

A legal firm in South Seattle has announced a private Bonsai Potato growing competition for office staff. Keep posted to the Gallery for the winners.


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Bonsai Potato and Zen — Without the Wait! are registered trademarks of Bottled Lightning! Inc.
Bottled Lightning! is also a trademark of Bottled Lightning! Inc. of Mukilteo, WA, USA
Questions? Problems? Contact sensei@bonsaipotato.com