Bonsai Trees
Caution: They Are Addictive

Instead of telling you all the ins and outs of how to care for you Bonsai trees, the different styles, the techniques, the why and the when... let me just take you into the feeling of creation and give you some idea as to why most Bonsai gardeners are addicts!

It would be a very rare person who has not heard of Bonsai trees or plants. Originating in China many centuries ago, they were taken up with a vengeance by the Japanese who perfected the techniques of miniaturizing some of their standard trees and turned the skill into an art form.

Gradually the rest of the world has become captivated by this art form, and the techniques have spread to the home gardener and hobbyist.

There has been a lot written about Bonsai and its care, growing techniques, forms, styles, do's and don'ts. If I were a newcomer to the hobby I could be quite overwhelmed by the amount of information and seemingly complicated rules to follow. I may then decide that it is all too hard and might not get involved in it at all. But that would be to miss the entire point.

There is something indefinable about Bonsai trees. Their exquisite beauty in miniature form, the way they transport you to a different perspective, the peace and tranquility you feel by just gazing at your tree is something that must be experienced rather than described. With Bonsai trees in your home you can be transported to a different place, away from the hustle and bustle and pressures of modern life to a place of inner peace and calm... all the more so if those have been nurtured and sculptured by you!

To spend time with your plant, caring for it, shaping it, feeding and watering it, is to gradually enter into a kind of meditation. The world is shut out while you study the form of the tree, visualizing the shape you wish to coax your tree into and planning the small steps needed to achieve your aims. There is much to learn, there is much to practice... but the pay off is priceless. Once you have had some small successes with your creation, you are in danger of becoming addicted! But then so what! There are far worse things in this world to become addicted to than the harmless and beautiful world of Bonsai trees.

Of course nothing really beneficial comes without putting in time and care. But the thing here is that the journey towards perfection is the addiction! It’s the doing not the getting that calms the spirit. This is the whole point.

However before you can lose yourself in this type of meditation you need to learn some basic skills.

Select the type of tree that you want to grow and set yourself up with some good quality supplies. There is ample literature available both for the beginner and the experienced, and your trees will look even more beautiful in an interesting pot and perhaps on a display table.

Spend some time getting these basics right and you will have a lifetime interest in Bonsai trees that will bring you enormous satisfaction and pleasure.

Rick Lassett