Discover The Beauty In Japanese Bonsai
Posted by Amy on Jul 12, 2010
Image by miki via Flickr
Most of us
have seen a small and beautiful tree growing in a pot and know that it is called a bonsai, and assume that the style originated in Japan. It was actually the Chines
e who created the first miniature trees, and it was over 1,700 years ago. The art spread to Japan during the T’ang Dynasty in the 7
th century. The term pen-t’sai was used by the Chinese to describe this art form that created small, miniature landscapes that included trees, rocks, and sometimes water. The Japanese transliterated the term pen-t’sai into “bonsai”, which is translated to mean “planted in a small basin”. This beautiful art form, although originated by the Chinese, was popularized by the Japanese who receive credit for the fine art form that it is recognized as being today.
Japanese bonsai is the marriage of art and gardening. It is the process of discovering the true essence of trees, rocks, and soil, and reproducing them in miniature, giving the appearance of a mature landscape that is accurately and artistically reproduced, and fitting it all into a small pot.
For the majority of bonsai hobbyists, the creation of beautiful bonsai is more than just being a specialized gardener. They may consider the hobby as a therapeudic getaway from the stresses of everyday life. One thing for sure is that it allows a person to connect to the natural world which sometimes we just don’t get enough of.
If you’re philosophical, you might see bonsai as that inseparable connection between man and nature, a universal oneness. At the same time it can be an artistic expression of your own interpretation and communion with nature.
At the same time bonsai requires gardening skills that have been used in the practice for many, many centuries. today these skills are used all over the world. The gardening knowledge and skills for bonsai can be learned quickly, but they will be perfected over a lifetime. And one day the products of your discipline, your patience, and your dedication to this craft will have taken the form of a miniature tree, which will embody your unique visions and interpretations of nature. It’s a great feeling.
The popularity of this hobby of Japanese bonsai continues to grow. The variety and beauty of bonsai plants is remarkable. To create a bonsai specimen, one that is uniquely yours, as there can be no others like it, and then to admire, and have it admired by others, is an emotion and life experience to be treasured. The hobby of bonsai should be experienced by everyone. Your life will be transformed as you experience bonsai.
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Indoor Bonsai Care
Posted by Bonsai Care on Nov 10, 2008
It is quite possible that with the correct bonsai care your tree can live to be over 100 years old. There are many cases of Japanese bonsai trees being passed down from generation to generation.
Successful bonsai care comes down to 3 main factors; Watering, Lighting / Positioning and Pruning
Watering:
In general your tree needs to always have enough water contained within it’s soil to sustain it. Just as with any plant, over-watering or under-watering can kill the plant so great care should be taken. For more accurate information on watering you need to consult a guide about your specific tree as all trees have different requirements depending on how the climate is in their natural habitat. As a very general guide you should simply make sure that the soil is always moist but never let the plant have its roots standing in water.
Positioning
You need to find as much as you can about the natural environment of your particular tree. Does it need shade or does it grow out in the open? Asking yourself what sort of climate the tree comes from will help you decide whether you have an indoor bonsai or if it should be kept outdoors. The idea is to match the natural requirements of the tree as closely as possible.
Pruning
Pruning is probably one of the biggest mysteries of bonsai care. The trees need to have nearly all new growth pruned and also the roots from time to time. This keeps them small and manageable. If you don’t prune enough then the tree gets too big and will require more nutrients than the small amount of soil they have can provide.
Other points to consider are nutrients, fertilizers and soil, repotting and training.
Liquid fertilizers can be used and as the trees are essentially pot bound they need to have their soil changed by repotting about once every two years or so.
There are unfortunately no set rules when it comes to bonsai care and each tree should be cared for on an individual basis depending upon its location and the type of tree. It is highly recommended that you consult a detailed guide or a specialist in order to find the best way to look after your tree. The general guides that you will find freely on the internet will only give a certain amount of information and will not be specific to your particular kind of tree.
Consult “Bonsai Gardening Secrets” for detailed information on bonsai care
Insider Secrets to Creating Beautiful Bonsai
