Rock, did you have a chance to hear Arthur speak on this at the WBC a couple of weeks ago? He spoke of
his philosophy regarding this and native plants for bonsai.
Here is a link to a brief article on the NC Arboretum I submitted to the NABF newsletter a while back.
http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/nabf/new...ncarboretum.htm
Each fall the Carolina Bonsai Expo is held the second weekend of October at the Arboretum. Last year Brook Zhao was the guest artist, and 12 clubs from the southeast participated in the show. Previous artists have included Walter Pall, Jim Doyle, David DeGroot, Harry Tomlinson, etc. Asheville NC is a popular destination in the fall so consider coming by for a nice weekend. (Be aware that hotels do fill up early...like now!) Here's the website:
www.ncarboretum.org
Here are a few pics of the permanent bonsai display area earlier this year. I understand a formal dedication ceremony will take place in September.