Bonsai!!!

Bonsai trees are becoming ever more popular as people look for ways to spruce up their homes. Gaining a reputation as status symbols, the trees also help a household achieve balance. In appearance, bonsais are quite beautiful, which is why people want them in their homes. Caring for a bonsai is not as simple as watering it every day, as new owners quickly find out.

What is a Bonsai and What Does It Symbolize?

The word “bonsai” refers to the art of growing trees, or plants shaped like trees, in containers. Bonsais symbolize different things in different cultures. For the Chinese, who began the art, they were meant to represent peace, harmony, and all other good things in the universe. For Buddhist monks, bonsais represent honor and prestige. For the Japanese, they are meant to be a living fusion of ancient Eastern philosophies related to harmony between man, the soul, and nature.

• The Bonsai Primer

Bonsai History

Bonsai history began over 1,000 years ago in Ancient China as the art of penjing. The Chinese would use potted landscaped plants as a means of making art and decorating houses. The plants had deep meaning to the Chinese people. The first incarnations of bonsai trees appeared in Japanese paintings around 1195, when rich folks imported them from China as a way to signify their wealth. At first, the trees were only used as decorations, but around the 17^th century, bonsai trees started to gain in popularity when they were used in plays and stories. By the end of the 18^th century in Japan, bonsai cultivation was flourishing and it captivated the public’s attention. It started the “classical bonsai period.”

Books were published on how to properly style the trees and they began to appear in art. Even the Japanese Meiji Emperor began to display bonsais in his palace when he moved to Tokyo in 1868. He even encouraged his citizens to take up bonsai growing. Bonsais were even being exported from Japan and into the US as many Japanese immigrants also brought the trees with them from Japan. Today, people from all cultures grow bonsai trees. There are currently over 12,000 books in print in 26 languages about raising bonsai trees.

• History of Bonsai
• A Comprehensive History of Bonsai
• Bonsai: History of A Living Art
• An Informal History of Bonsai
• Short History of Bonsai

How to Create and Maintain a Bonsai?

First, you have to select a tree type. Consider your location, what your weather is like, how much water they’ll require, and how large they are likely to get without interference. Then, you have to pick the right pot. A general guide is to use a large enough pot to allow the roots to be covered but it needs to be just large enough, not overly large. Then, you can install the tree into its pot. After that, its growth must be monitored. Branches have to be wired or cut to give it the correct appearance and it will need to be carefully watered and fertilized. In essence, bonsai trees require a lot of care.

• Bonsai Tree Care
• Bonsai Care and Upkeep
• Caring For Your Bonsai
• Indoor Bonsai Care
• General Bonsai Care
• Basic Care of Bonsai
• How to Grow a Bonsai Tree
• Bonsai Maintenance
• Basic Bonsai Pruning
• Watering and Fertilizing

Bonsai and Art

When it comes to aesthetics and bonsai trees, there are definitely standards to adhere to. First, there must be no trace of the artist on the bonsai tree. This means the tree must look like no human hands have touched it visibly. The tree must also be visually balanced. A static balance means that the tree is in a “restful” shape. A dynamic balance is achieved when the shape implies instability in the tree. There needs to be proportion among elements. The best bonsais look exactly like fully-grown versions of the tree they are, just on a smaller scale.

• The Art of Bonsai Project
• Art of Bonsai

What is Suiseki?

Suiseki is the “study and enjoyment of naturally formed stones as objects of beauty.” In other words, the art involves collecting and using stones that are untouched except by streams of water. Hence the sui means water, and seki means stones. People chose stones that have been shaped by moving bodies of water and use them as decoration. Often, the stones will have some symbolism according to the unique patterns. Sometimes, the stones are actually used for decoration on their own and not used in conjunction with bonsai trees.

• What is Suiseki
• Suiseki and Other Forms of Stone Appreciation
• Suiseki Information

Further Resources:

• BonsaiSite
• Bonsai and Penjing Questions and Answers
• American Bonsai Society
• Bonsai Soil, Pruning and Light Needs
• Bonsai Trees, or How to Delegate a Lattice Basis
• Growing Bonsai Trees
• Bonsai4Beginners
• Bonsai Through the Year
• American Bonsai Styles
• Bonsai Styles
• Typical Bonsai Styles
• Bonsai Tree
• Bonsai Care Techniques
• Bonsai Tree Growing