Neat Gardens

Bonsai trees are beautiful.  They are like a miniature version of a Asian tree that you can keep on your windowsill.  They are the pampered pets of the gardening world, something that is petted and cosseted as it develops into the shape and structure that its owner wants it to become. This is part of the Zen Buddhism of the bonsai culture -   the combination of man working with nature to create harmony. 

Although Chinese in true origin, the trees that we generally associate with the word bonsai today have Japanese roots.  It was the Japanese who took the dwarf Chinese trees and began to craft them into a thing of beauty.  Creating a bonsai tree that is perfectly in balance takes a lot of time and patience to perfect.  It can take many years for a bonsai tree to grow more than a couple of feet high!  Like the ancient Asian culture from where it comes, the bonsai tree steeps itself firmly in history, refusing to abide by the fast pace we live by today.  There is no super-fast growing fertilizer that will speed the process along for you.  If you serious about wanting to grow bonsai trees, you will also learn patience! 

Sculpting bonsai trees is where the main skill - and patience comes into play.  Unlike shaping a hedgerow or a fruit tree where you attack it with an electric saw and entire branches fall away in minutes, here you will painstakingly remove one leaf at a time, always checking that the balance of the tree leaves and trunk remain in harmony.  Despite the time it takes to create this work of bonsai art, it doesn't actually feel like it's taking time.  Instead, you find that you are absorbed in the craft of sculpting your bonsai, and the stresses in your life get shelved for a little while.  This creates an inner harmony within you that will leave you feeling energized for the day ahead. 

If you've never given bonsai trees a second look, find a website with photos of bonsai trees and see what serenity and grace they have.  Even if the thought of spending hours deciding which few leaves doesn't attract you, I'm sure the thought of having such a beautiful miniature tree in your home will.