Bonsai Gardening

“To appreciate and find pleasure in curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity.”

                                                            -Japanese scroll in Kamakura period

“You have to learn a little bit about horticulture and a little bit about styling to begin growing bonsai trees.”

                                                            -Dr. Gene Manahan

Dr. Gene Manahan has seen the world in search of attaining as much knowledge about bonsai gardening as possible.  He has treaded on the soil of Japan (three times), China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, The Philippines and Hawaii.  These fantastic journeys were all in the esteemed company of various bonsai masters to further understand this unique and intricate form of growing plants.  Dr. Manahan quite possibly has indeed mastered bonsai along with centuries of enthusiasts before him.  The living art is as fascinating as its history and as beautiful as the gardener’s soul who embarks on molding these little trees to their eyes fancy.

The word bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is derived from the Japanese word “hom”, meaning tray, and “sai” meaning tree.  The art of bonsai gardening is a wonderful way to keep a gardener occupied all year long with this intricate and patient form of growing plants. 

History

Bonsai first appeared in China over 2000 years ago on a very basic scale, known as pun-sai, where it was the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots.  These early Chinese specimens displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds.  A great number of myths and legends surround Chinese bonsai.  In fact Taoist Monks believed that these trees in pots were magic forces in concentrated forms.  The old, gnarled trees were meant to represent the aged bodies of immortal people.  In this way the foundations of bonsai are closely intertwined to age and magical powers. 

Bonsai gardening really took form when the Japanese discovered it and perfected the art.  The Japanese were introduced to bonsai during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) by way of Zen Buddhism.  In time the simple trees were spreading beyond the confines of the Buddhist temples and were being introduced to the aristocracy of Japan.  They soon were symbols of prestige, wealth and honor.  However, over time bonsai began to seep into the fabric of the Japanese general public.  By the mid-19^th century word was soon spreading of these dwarf-like trees in pots and exhibitions were being held in London, Vienna and Paris.  The Paris World Exhibition in 1900 really opened the world’s eyes to this ancient form of gardening called bonsai. 

Bonsai began to take on various styles by incorporating different mediums within the shallow pots.  Rocks were introduced into the containers, supplementary and accent plants and even small buildings and people which itself is known as the art of bon-kei.  Bonsai gardeners were also looking to reproduce miniature landscapes in nature known as sai-kei.  In general those that practiced the art form were beginning to investigate a diverse range of artistic possibilities.

Bonsai Enthusiast

Dr. Gene Manahan, a retired Lawrence surgeon, works tirelessly in his garden and heated greenhouse on his bonsai plants.  He has 15 to 20 hardy bonsai which are still outside like juniper, elm and black pine and another 10 or so tropical bonsai in his greenhouse like bougainvillea, ficus, buttonwood and Funkien Tea.  He keeps every tree labeled with dates of when they were last re-potted, defoliated and root pruned and a detailed journal with photographs and notes of his bonsai plants progress and appearance throughout the year.  Dr. Manahan’s oldest bonsai was bought in 1971 and at the time of purchase the Ginko tree it was anywhere from 75-100 years old.  Thirty three years later that Ginko tree is anywhere from 108-133 years old. It sports a gnarled old truck and stunning yellow leaves and while it only stands about 3 feet tall any observer can see how ancient and worn this little tree is.   The beauty of bonsai plants is the way the little potted trees look, as Dr. Manahan explains, “It is not how old the tree is.  It is how old the tree looks like it is.” 

Bonsai are ordinary plants they are not special hybrid dwarfs of some kind.  Many of Dr. Manahan’s trees he collected out in the forest or by taking a clipping from a tree found in nature.  Small leafed varieties are most suitable, but any plant may be used regardless of the size it grows to in the wild.  Dr. Manahan elaborates, “Bonsai are interesting because when some varieties are potted they will adapt and actually reduce the size of their leaves however their flowers and fruit sizes will remain the same.”

What is Bonsai?

For the Japanese, bonsai represents the fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.

Bonsai can be developed from seeds or cuttings transplanted into containers.  Bonsai range from 2 inches to 3.33 feet in height.  Bonsai are kept small by pruning the branches and roots and by training the shape with wiring.  Bonsai are potted in shallow vessels.  A bonsai tree should always be positioned somewhat off-center in its container, for not only is asymmetry vital to the visual effect, but the center point is symbolically where heaven and earth meet and nothing should occupy this space.  Another aesthetic principal is the triangular pattern necessary for visual balance and for the expression of the relationship shared by a deity, the artist and the tree.  Tradition holds that three basic virtues are necessary to create a bonsai: shin-zen-bi which stands for truth, goodness and beauty.

Overall the art of growing a bonsai tree is quite personal and there are no strict rules.  However, it requires quite a commitment of time, patience, skill, endurance and artistic expression.  There are two styles of bonsai: classic (koten) and the informal (bunjin).  In the classic, the trunk of the tree is wider at the base and tapers off towards the top.  It is just the opposite in the ‘bunjin’, and this form is more difficult to master. 

Five classifications of bonsai (seasonsindia.com)

Formal Upright (Chokkan), the trunk is kept straight and the tree has a very balanced distributions of branches.  The first branch should be the most developed and should be positioned roughly at one-third the height of the tree.

Informal Upright (Moyogi), is one of the most common styles.  This is the most basic design wherein the idea is to develop a single line of the trunk.  In this style there should be little or no empty spaces.  Most deciduous trees will be best suited for Informal Upright.

Slanting (Shakan), the word slanting denotes the direction in which the tree’s trunk moves.  A Shakan bonsai will have a very distinctive slant, with a properly balanced movement of the trunk and placement of the branches so that the tree does not appear to be lopsided.

Cascade (Kengai), these trees give the appearance of a waterfall or cascade of foliage which spills over the pot and down toward the ground and thus the name.  The Cascade has a long cascading main branch that flows from the lower portion of the trunk to the apex exhibiting both beauty and strength.

Windswept (Fukinagashi), in this style each of the branches appears to be “swept” to one side, as if being blown by a strong wind.  These trees are the replicas of trees usually found in coastal areas where strong environmental forces have given them such a shape.

How to Get Started

Find a shallow container.  Dr. Manahan suggests not potting in any ordinary soil because drainage is of the utmost importance.  His advice,“try using a mixture of baked clay bits with peat moss and a little bit of plain dirt, this concoction works wonderfully for me.  Sand is okay as well but great drainage is an absolute must.”  Before planting in the soil take the young plant and gently spread out and look at its roots.  They should be healthy and have many small tendrils.  You may trim the excess length off and round out the rootball.  Place in the shallow dish put the soil mixture over and then let the bonsai grow for about six months without disturbing it other than watering.  After the first six months a gardener may begin to manipulate the plant to achieve the desired look.  This is done by wiring around the limbs and or trunk using a paper coated wire is best to protect the plant.  The wire is usually left on anywhere from 3-6 months.  After the 3-6 months passes it is generally a good time to re-pot and trim the roots.  Dr. Manahan suggests, “The roots should be pruned 1/3 to ¼ of the entire rootball.” He goes on to advise, “Junipers and pines are good plants to get started in bonsai.  They are not as difficult because they only have to be re-potted and the roots pruned every 2 or 3 years.” 

Commonly Used Bonsai Plants

Camellia, are favored in bonsai for their profusion of flowers.  Informal upright is generally how they grow with single or multiple trunks.

Cedar Elm, can survive neglect.  One desirable feature is its rough, fissured bark.  The specimens are collected from the wild and have an aged look.

Chinese Elm, good for beginners to bonsai.  They have a predictable growth pattern and are forgiving when pruned.

Coteneaster, has glossy green foliage and is covered with tiny white flowers.  Some varieties produce minute red berries.

Dwarf Pomegranate, seasonal yellow-orange ‘trumpet style’ flowers.  It has a naturally twisting trunk and the leaves are a dark green with shades of bronze.

Flowering Quince, have red, pink or white flowers.  They have tough, springy branches that are often thorny.  The leaves are simple and finely toothed.

Funkien Tea, have shiny, oval, dark green leaves with a grey-green trunk.  They have slightly perfumed flowers which may boom all year round.

Jade Tree, is an evergreen succulent with a thick trunk and branches.  The green succulent leaves may develop red edges and produce clusters of white flowers.

Japanese Maple, is a compact tree with delicate ferny foliage and brilliant autumn coloring that varies anywhere from a rich gold to blood red.

Juniper, are hardy, non-flowering evergreen conifers that are easy to grow, prune and train.