We think of bonsai as a Japanese art form, especially when you always see them in the background of all those karate and kung-fu movies...... but this art form actually started more than 2000 years ago in China. There it was called 'pen-jing' (a combination of 'pun-sai' and 'pun-ching'), and it was considered an expression of harmony of heaven and earth. By the 11th Century, it moved East to Japan by Buddhist monks, who considered the plants religious objects. I guess back then, it was the "don't leave home without it" item. I mean, who vacations with their plants these days? Well, actually, I do know someone who took their orchids with them to Texas...ooops I digress, sorry..... Between 1280-1368 during the Yuan Dynasty, Japanese ministers brought back bonsai on their trips to China. In 1644, a Chinese official fled the rule of the Manchus to Japan, where he brought his entire collection, as well as his vast collection of literature on the subject. By then, bonsai in Japan was already flourishing (well, only if you considered the upper-upper classes); but now vast writings and many different styles came into being. At that time, it was only allowed to be the property of the emperor, Samurai, and monks. It is equal to Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, or Mozart creating their masterpieces then saying, it's only for the king and upper class to enjoy...I mean....boo hiss....share already! Did you know, it took until the end of the 19th century before it became a hobby for all??? .....well, it was about time!!!
Bonsai is correctly pronounced: bone-sigh, not, Ban-zai - like you're jumping out of an airplane or surfing the pipeline! It is considered an art form....the only art form in fact, that is never finished, because the plant is continuously growing. Bonsai is made from two words: bon (meaning tray or dish) and sai (meaning plant or tree). The definition of bonsai is a miniature tree or shrub that is grown in a container.
The perfect bonsai can be held up close, while standing in a field, and it would look like it was part of the scenery.....therefore, the object of bonsai is to make a tree or plant look natural.......just scaled down to size. There are many techniques to achieve such miniature perfection. This is done through the pruning of its branches and roots, and a few special techniques. Does it bend with the wind, or curl down over a rock, or stand majestically tall? How is this done? Magic?? Well, sort of...
Wire is carefully wrapped (from bottom to top) around the trunk and up the branches to train the plant to grow into a desired shape. Bending the branch takes delicate practice. Care must be taken, because, with too much muscle, you could break a branch right off! It's happened to everyone who takes up this art, so don't feel too bad if it happens to you! With care and proper wiring, breaks can actually be fixed. Anywhere from a few months to a year after wiring the trunk and branches, the wire is removed to avoid the bark from growing around it. Having the trunk ruined by the indentation from wire is not a desirable look. These marks will ruin the trunk permanently, so be careful not to leave the wire on too long.
If you have never seen bonsai up close, it's worth a trip to a botanical garden! I used to work at the Brooklyn Botanical, and I know there is a room just for them. I am not sure if there are any at Staten Island Botanical, but it can't hurt to give them a call. And of course, every year at the Philadelphia Flower Show (which always runs the first week in March), there is always a fantastic display of them, some of which are one hundred years old! That's dedication to art.
Next time: Bonsai containers and specialized tools.