Ron and Kelly (KD) Anderson are the co-owners of Dirty Locust, a family-run garden center at 7955 Oak Ave. in Citrus Heights.

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – Get your Zen on and gently step into a space where nature is shaped, styled and brought to life.

Accept an invitation by appointment to visit the Dirty Locust Garden Center in Citrus Heights and take a meditative walk in a garden of hundreds of bonsai trees as the delicate scent of incense fills the morning air.

Ron and Kelly (KD) Anderson are the co-owners of Dirty Locust, a family run garden center at 7955 Oak Ave. in Citrus Heights.

The business name derives from a special type of potting soil the couple developed which helps between 600 to 800 types of bonsai in their backyard garden thriving.

With a little guidance, you may discover you're perfectly capable of growing your very own Bonsai trees without a mystical green thumb.

The Dirty Locust offers bonsai plants, trees, shrubs, succulents and garden art as well as offering bonsai classes, consulting and other garden services to customers in the greater metro Sacramento area.

The couple moved from Santa Cruz and lived for a time in Hawaii. Their son Shane is a well-known rap artist, known as Raspberry Sky.

Anderson invites his guest to first take a meditative walk in the garden, urging me to pause closely to look at a myriad of different tree varieties he knows in precise detail, and has carefully nurtured by hand.

I walk by a small sign that says, “This bonsai is speaking to you. I know. I hear it too.”

The center also carries a full inventory of specific Bonsai tools designed to help customers design their tree and make precision cuts.

Bonsai trees have a rich and fascinating history that spans centuries and are intended to be a miniature representation of nature. The goal is to create a Bonsai that accurately replicates a miniature version of a full-scale tree in its natural environment.

With a little guidance, you may discover you're perfectly capable of growing your very own Bonsai trees without a mystical green thumb.

The traditional styling of Bonsai trees includes basic methods like regular pruning and wiring but also includes more advanced techniques including the creation of deadwood.

Anderson is a professionally trained and certified Bonsai teacher. His passion for Bonsai started several years ago and his passionate desire to learn the correct steps through Japanese techniques and training led him to complete an extensive course in the field of Bonsai through a world-renowned Bonsai sensei. He said he’s committed to teaching the proper steps in creating these exquisite pieces of living art.

A sign in the garden features lyrics from Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.”

In her professional art studio, Kelly displays her natural ability to enhance an environment with her one-of-a kind “living” art sculptures made from colorful mosses, driftwood and live plantings.

“(Kelly) has an eye for colors, blends, imagery that can transform any space. Her artistic approach really shines as she helps the client achieve their creative goals,” Ron Anderson said.

Many people simply use the potted Bonsai trees as living ornaments for interior design, while others – Zen Buddhists, for example – believe the bonsai is an object of meditation or contemplation, he said.

In addition to an extensive inventory of bonsai trees of all types, Anderson has a deep inventory of decorative containers suitable for specific bonsai tree types and whether they are displayed by their owners indoors, or outdoors.

How often a tree needs to be watered depends on several factors such as species of the tree, size of the tree, size of the pot, time of year, soil-mixture and climate.

“Each tree species has specific requirements for its cultivation, training, and care, so Bonsai tree identification is crucial to take proper care of your tree,” Ron Anderson said.

Bonsai tree species into Broadleaf evergreen (leaves year-round), Deciduous (sheds leaves in fall) and Conifers (with needles or scale-like foliage).

In her professional art studio, Kelly displays her natural ability to enhance an environment with her one-of-a kind “living” art sculptures made from colorful mosses, driftwood and live plantings.

The center also carries a full inventory of specific Bonsai tools designed to help customers design their tree and make precision cuts.

The Dirty Locus Garden Center offers group Bonsai classes or an individual one on one instruction. Retail bonsai trees, supplies, succulent arrangements, living arts, home décor are available for purchase.

Customers can bring in their own bonsai tree for a 30-minute consultation and checkup to discuss what can be done to that specific Bonsai tree and includes a discussion of your tree’s health, soil, style and planting angle.

Anderson said he finds it especially rewarding to work with owners in a hands-on setting to achieve their goals for their specific bonsai trees.

Take a meditative walk in a garden of hundreds of bonsai trees as the delicate scent of incense fills the morning air.

“Our customer base appreciates the fact that “The Dirty Locust” truly values and cares about each, and every one of their customers,” he said. “We invite you to experience first-hand the quality of our Bonsai plants and the captivating atmosphere of our garden center.”

In coming months, Anderson is looking to open the Dirty Locust Garden Center as a serene and peaceful place for special events, including for photography, yoga, and meditation classes in the garden.

“It’s a very serene space, and we’d love to share it,” said Ron Anderson.

The Dirty Locust Garden Center at 7955 Oak Ave. in Citrus Heights is open by appointment only on Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit: thedirtylocust.com, call 916-347-6706, or email: [email protected].