‘ Celebrating Marlborough ’

Garden Marlborough is New Zealand’s premier garden festival, held annually each November in the Marlborough region. The event celebrates the richness of the local landscape through guided tours of private town and vineyard gardens, expert-led workshops, and a programme of social gatherings that bring the gardening community together.

In 2025, Steven was invited to present his bonsai workshops and philosophy at the festival. Participants travelled from across the country, including winegrowers, seeking to learn the techniques and principles behind bonsai, and exploring how its philosophy of thoughtful cultivation and structure could be reinterpreted within the context of grapevine growing.