Bonsai

Watching bonsai trees develop and forming them into beautiful living works of art is an absorbing and very rewarding hobby. Growing bonsai trees isn’t an expensive hobby with few tools needed, but a magnificant bonsai tree can be more of a statement in your home than many ornaments can. A bonsai tree is a true living sculpture.

Bonsai Trees are pot planted plants or trees that are developed to be a miniature of of its natural size counterpart. Bonsai can be created from nearly any perennial wood stemmed trees and shrubs that produce branches and can grow small through pot confinement with the aid of root and crown trimming.

A Bonsai tree can be developed from seeds, from young shoots lifted from the wild, (please have regard for any local laws in respect of taking wild plants in your area), or can be purchased as mature planted bonsai trees. Although growing bonsai trees from seed is the slowest method, but you will have total control over how your bonsai tree will develop.

Bonsai are grown in pots that restrict the development of the roots but will also enhance the look of your bonsai tree. Specialist soil mixtures can be purchased that provide the perfect environment for your bonsai to grow in.

Many methods are employed to sculpt and give character to your bonsai tree including leaf trimming, wiring, grafting on other plants, short term dwarfing and deadwood, (aging and adding character to bark). Only a few specialist tools are needed to shape bonsai trees, and these are easy to come by for little cost. Everything you need to get started can be easily purchased from a bonsai nursery.

Bonsai can be had as indoor and outdoor types, and some bonsai are best if they are left outside in the warmer summer months and grown inside during the colder winter months.

For those that like the idea, but doesn’t want to keep bonsai, you can purchase artificial bonsai trees.

If you wonder if growing bonsai is right for you, I say give it a try, bonsai are easy to grow, take very little of your time, every bonsai tree is individual, and who doesn’t admire a bonsai tree every time they see one.