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EAST MARLBOROUGH — Seven trees from The Kennett Collection are now on display at Longwood Gardens thanks to a recent charitable gift from a Kennett man.

“I am delighted to give specimens from The Kennett Collection to Longwood,” said Doug Paul. “I have spent many happy years stewarding these bonsai and sharing them with other bonsai connoisseurs at the Kokufu exhibition — the Westminster dog show of the bonsai world. I am now looking forward to a wider public getting to enjoy their beauty and splendor at Longwood.”

The Kennett Collection, located in Chester County, is considered the finest and largest private collection of bonsai and bonsai-related objects outside of Asia. This collection has continued to grow annually for more than two decades, with masters from around the world always at work on the special trees there.

Received in two parts, Paul’s initial gift to Longwood will include 50 bonsai gifted over the course of the next two years, as well as a yearly cash gift to support their maintenance.

“These important bonsai trees, which have been so lovingly and carefully trained, will elevate Longwood’s collection to one of the most significant in the country,” said Paul Redman, president and chief executive officer of Longwood Gardens.

“The initial 50 specimens will expand the breadth and depth of our existing collection of 78 bonsai, best known for the diversity of our flowering species and for four notable trees developed by artist Yuri Yoshimura,” Redman said. “We are extraordinarily grateful to Doug Paul for this transformative gift and the faith he shows in our bonsai program by entrusting us with these important living works of art.”

Paul has imported, maintained, and improved specimens from Japan of the highest quality into America, according to Peter Warren, the United Kingdom’s leading bonsai professional.

Once The Kennett Collection trees are situated at Longwood, it will be without doubt one of the top three collections in the United States, he added.

“All of the trees in the collection have a unique and prestigious place in bonsai history, many spanning generations,” Warren stated.

Kevin Bielicki discussed the artistry of bonsai on Thursday morning at Longwood Gardens with the Daily Local News. Prior to joining Longwood Gardens as its Bonsai Curator five years ago, he gained 12 years experience in the field of bonsai artistry working on The Kennett Collection, where he also had the opportunity to learn from masters visiting the priceless works in Chester County from around the world.

With a lifelong passion for art and design, Bielickin said he has always been inspired by art and design, rooted his initial passion to bonsai when he first saw a crepe myrtle in bloom with flowers at The Kennett Collection.

“We are not only getting a donation from him, we have full access to all of the trees in his collection,” Bielicki said of Paul and The Kennett Collection. “So that is something that is very unique to our institution.”

The seven bonsai now on display at Longwood’s Conservatory mark the first trees donated as part of this bequest, which was announced on October 4.

The seven trees include a trident maple — Acer buergerianum — in the root over rock style, which was popularized more than 100 years ago in the Nagoya area of Japan. Boston-based bonsai artist Suthin Sukosolvisit, developed this specimen.

Additional trees from The Kennett Collection on display at Longwood’s Conservatory now through November 13 include a Japanese white pine — Pinus parviflora ‘Miyajima’ — which was styled by the celebrated bonsai artist Kimura Masahikol a Japanese black pine — Pinus thunbergii — considered one of the most important species in Japan and initially trained under the care of Suzuki Shinji; and a Satsuki hybrid azalea — Rhododendron ‘kinsai’ — of the kinsai variety, which is known for its flowers’ resemblance to a firecracker — a distinctive red flower with tassels, as previously reported. This superb specimen originates from the garden of Kunio Kobayashi, who founded the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum in Japan.

“The second part of the gift is a bequest, which will gift 100 additional specimens — including kicho bonsai or Important Bonsai Masterpieces because of their beauty or rarity — and $1 million for an endowment for the continued care of the collection, as well as additional acquisitions,” said Patricia Evans, public relations officer for Longwood Gardens. “The bequest will more than double the size of Longwood’s collection. Most significantly, it will add important examples of rare Japanese tree species, making Longwood the leading collection of bonsai trained in Japan on public view in the United States.”

Part of the $250 million Longwood Reimagined revitalization and construction project, now fully underway, is the creation of a new Bonsai Courtyard.

These bonsai will be the focal point of that display, Evans said.

The Longwood Reimagined project impacts 17 acres of the 1,077 acres and is set to be completed by the fall of 2024.

Longwood Reimagined: A New Garden Experience spans the renewing and enhancing the Waterlily Court, establishing a new outdoor Bonsai Courtyard, relocating, reconstructing and preserving the Cascade Garden, and the creation of a new 32,000-square-foot glass house West Conservatory at the crux of the rainbow’s end.

Part of the initial transformation phase is already completed with the expanded Orchid House on view now to the public. The Orchid House features hundreds of orchids housed now beneath a new glass roof with enhanced display cases, spacious space for sitting, and beautiful views of the property’s majestic main fountains.

The gift is one of the most comprehensive and generous Longwood has received as part of the Gardens’ Pierre S. and Alice du Pont Founder’s Circle, which recognizes and honors individuals who make the thoughtful decision to include Longwood Gardens as part of their estate plans, according to a press release on the charitable gift by Paul.

The Bonsai Collection at Longwood Gardens began in 1959. Over time, this collection evolved into one of the best assemblages of bonsai in the country. Starting with 13 trees purchased from Yoshimura, the collection has now grown to 78 trees with 50 species represented. Longwood’s collection is notable for the prominence of flora from its local landscape, the press release said. The oldest trees in the collection have been in training for more than 110 years. Nine styles are represented, including upright, informal upright, cascade, raft, forest, root over rock, broom, slant, and literati.

Paul began The Kennett Collection in 1999. Today the trees now span 1,200 bonsai specimens from around the world.

“The trees teach you so much about life, and time, and nature,” Bielicki said. “They are certainly a source of inspiration.”

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