25. Buy a bonsai tree—from a monk

And pick up some tips from the monastery while you’re at it
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Illustration by Ed Fotheringham

In 1944 a handful of Trappist monks established a community in the woods outside of Conyers. The Monastery of the Holy Spirit now encompasses a church, cloister, visitors center, retreat house, and several workshops—including the Bonsai Nursery, which evolved out of Father Paul Bourne’s hobby and is now known for remarkable examples of the craft. You can purchase your own bonsai plant for about $25 (the monks’ religious order requires them to be self-supporting, and this is one of their businesses) and get hands-on tips from experts like Abbot Francis Michael Stiteler.

This article originally appeared in our April 2013 issue.

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