In the Appy Bonsai universe, some users stand out for their passion and dedication. Stan is unquestionably one of them. With 738 trees registered in the app, he currently holds the record for the highest number of bonsai listed. But that is not the only record he holds. Stan is also the user who has suggested the most new species to enrich the app’s botanical database. Thanks to him, enthusiasts around the world now have access to new information about species that are sometimes extremely rare.
Behind these impressive figures, however, lies a story far deeper than a simple bonsai collection.
Originally from Ukraine, Stan became interested in plants and nature at a very early age. He studied biology, not as a chosen career path, but because understanding living things and observing plants already felt natural to him. He grew up in a village where trees were simply part of the landscape. At that time, bonsai played only a marginal role in his life. What attracted him most was plant life itself: observing it, understanding how it worked, and following its development.
Six years ago, his life took a radical turn. Stan and his family left Ukraine to settle in Israel, leaving behind almost everything they owned. Among his belongings, he brought only one plant: a small ginkgo. That tree is still alive today and continues to grow despite a climate that is not particularly favorable to it. Stan lives in an almost desert-like region near the border with Gaza.
"The October 7 attacks traumatized me"
On October 7, 2023, the tragic events that struck the region deeply affected his life. Stan simply explains that something broke inside him that day. Since then, plants have taken on an even greater place in his daily life. They have become a form of refuge.
Unlike many bonsai enthusiasts, Stan does not see himself as a bonsai artist. He sees himself more as an amateur biologist observing plant life. Bonsai are, for him, a practical solution when space is limited. Miniaturizing trees allows him to keep observing their growth, adaptation, and evolution.
His collection was built in a rather unusual way. The vast majority of his plants are grown from seeds that he orders from all over the world. Not all of them germinate, and not all young shoots survive, especially in such a demanding climate. Some species sometimes have to be given up. But for Gideon, that is part of the process: observing, understanding, testing, and starting again.
Over the years, his collection has grown to the point that it resembles a true small personal botanical garden. Managing more than 700 trees requires extremely rigorous organization. Watering is partly automated, but monitoring the plants still takes up a large portion of his free time.
To organize this collection and keep track of his plants, Stan uses several apps dedicated to plant management. Among them is Appy Bonsai, which notably allows him to manage species, record observations, and organize the care his trees need.
But his contribution to the community goes far beyond his own collection. By proposing a large number of new species, Stan has made a significant contribution to enriching the Appy Bonsai database. His work now benefits the entire international bonsai community.
Between sowing seeds, caring for plants, organizing his garden, and the many projects related to setting up his home, Stan devotes a large part of his free time to his plants. He also shares his home with an iguana, which fortunately does not have access to the plants, some of which are toxic.
Despite the workload involved in such a collection, Stan always comes back to what has guided him from the beginning: the simple pleasure of observing plant life. Working with plants soothes him, calms him, and brings him joy. In an environment that can sometimes be difficult, seeing a seed germinate, a young shoot develop, or a tree adapt to the climate becomes a precious source of serenity.
Stan’s story may not be only a bonsai story. It is the story of an amateur biologist who continues to observe life, even in the most difficult conditions.
