Create your own bonsai from scratch.
Then take it home.
A two-hour hands-on session at my nursery near Milan. You pick a plant, prune and wire it with my guidance, and leave with a bonsai you made yourself.
From €50 · ~2 hours · English, Italiano
Looking for a present? Gift the workshop →
Two hours, your hands, one tree
You don’t need a six-weekend course to make your first bonsai. You need two hours, a good plant, and someone beside you who has grown thousands of them. That’s the workshop — just your group and me, working on a real tree from my nursery, start to finish:
Choose your plant with me
See how a bonsai is designed
Prune & shape it yourself
Wire the branches to hold the shape
Learn the care basics to keep it alive
Take your bonsai home
The tree, the tools… everything’s included. No experience needed; I guide you through every cut.
How many are you?
Everyone shapes their own tree and takes it home.
Booking in three steps
1
Tell me your plan
How many of you, a day if you have one, and anything else you’d like me to know in advance.
2
We agree it together
Once a date works for both of us, I send you a secure payment link.
3
You come and create
Two hours at the nursery in Merate. When you leave, your bonsai leaves with you.
Sending the form is free. You only pay once we’ve agreed a time.
A working nursery in Merate
The workshop happens where I grow my trees — my nursery in Merate, a half-hour drive from Milan, twenty minutes from Lecco.
Luca Valagussa
I’m Luca. I grow every tree Treevaset sells — from seed and cutting — and I share the work on YouTube. When you book a workshop, it’s always me at the bench beside you.
What the workshop feels like
Everyone arrives differently: some have never touched a tree, some come with their partner or a group of friends. Here’s what the afternoon has felt like for the people who’ve done it, in their words:
★★★★★The course is genuinely well organised and the welcome was warm. Luca knows how to put you at ease and guide you. The explanations were clear, practical and easy to follow even for beginners. I came away with a broader grasp of the technique and philosophy of bonsai. Top!
★★★★★A genuinely interesting experience, with a true lover of rare plants. Friendly, welcoming and highly knowledgeable. Authentic!
★★★★★An absolutely lovely and interesting experience. Stepping into his rich bonsai garden you can clearly feel the passion that drives Luca — and that he manages to pass on through his explanations. Warmly recommended.
★★★★★I went in worried it would be very technical — the bonsai world seemed complicated to me — but not at all: I'd never have thought a workshop could be this easy to follow. Luca gave me clear instructions and guided me through the whole process. Highly recommended. Thanks Luca!!
★★★★★Thank you for the wonderful afternoon! We asked so many questions and learned to create a little bonsai. Just a beginning — but already beautiful! See you soon, with more friends.
★★★★★Luca welcomes you into his nursery, surrounded by hundreds of trees at different stages of development. The hands-on part is the highlight: you learn to wire, prune and shape your own bonsai, and you walk away with your own creation. Highly recommended whether you're a complete beginner or already curious about bonsai.
★★★★★Knowledgeable and friendly — a pleasant and very instructive experience. I'll be getting more bonsai; it's got me hooked.
★★★★★An experience you simply have to do.
All reviews are public and verifiable on Airbnb.
A bonsai they make themselves
Two hours at the nursery, and a tree they shape with their own hands — for a birthday, an anniversary, or someone who loves plants. Prices as above, valid for whatever date they choose.
1
Tell me it's a gift
Tick the gift box using your email in the form. I’ll write to you, not them.
2
I prepare their voucher
Personal, with their name on it. No expiry, no fixed date.
3
They pick their day
Whenever they’re ready, they book their date directly with me.
I'll bring the workshop to you
A company event, a team building day, a bachelorette party, a big birthday… I pack the trees and the tools, and set up wherever you are.
★★★★★I did an "accelerated" bonsai course with them and loved it. Clear explanations, lots of little bonsai as hands-on examples — but above all, the chance to take home your own plant to grow.
Tell me your plan in the form below — I’ll come back with a proposal and a price.
Let's plan your workshop
I read every request personally and come back to agree a time that works for us both. I schedule Monday to Sunday. Sending is free, and you only pay once we’ve agreed a time.
Already have a bonsai that needs help?
That’s a different session — a personal consultation about your tree.
FAQ
Can kids join?
Yes — no minimum age. They just need to bring an adult along.
Where exactly is it?
At my nursery in Merate (Lombardy) — a half-hour drive from Milan, twenty minutes from Lecco. Visits are by appointment only; you’ll get the exact address when your date is confirmed. For groups and events I can also come to you — just say where in the form.
Which languages?
English or Italian — pick yours in the form. If neither is your first language, don’t worry: between a bit of French, Spanish or German and the tree in front of us, we’ll understand each other.
Do I need to bring anything?
No — everything is waiting for you at the nursery: the tree, the tools, the pot. Come as you are.
Will I be able to keep it alive?
That’s part of the workshop. Before you leave, we go through exactly what your tree needs — where to keep it, when to water it, what to watch for.
Will we repot the tree?
No — repotting is winter work, when the tree is dormant. In the workshop we prune, wire and shape; your tree goes home in its pot, and you’ll leave knowing when its first repot is due.
Is this the same workshop as on Airbnb?
Yes — the same workshop, at the same nursery, taught by me. The differences are practical: booking here it’s €50 instead of €59 (and less per head in company), you propose your own date instead of picking a fixed slot, and the session is private to your group. The reviews above come from the Airbnb page.
How does payment work?
Sending the form is free, and there’s nothing to pay upfront. Once we’ve agreed your date, I send you a secure payment link — the exact price for your group size, everything included.
What if I need to reschedule?
Life happens. Just reply to any of my emails and we’ll find a new date together. No fees, no drama.