The Living Art of Bonsai- a Little Miracle

Many think that the bonsai is a plant. It is wrong, because the bonsai is a form of art, from the orient, which follows the recreation of nature in a minimalist landscape that is based on the study of plant growth in the natural environment.

A Bonsai is a genetically modified tree so that it stays dwarf, it is not fed with magic potions that limit its growth, and it is not the victim of any cruel treatment. It is only a normal tree that must be mown and cared regularly. In fact, if we provide him enough water, light and air, a Bonsai can survive at least as much as a tree that grows naturally, from the same species.

In its literal translation, the Japanese word 'bonsai' means a 'tree in a vase', but in time, it received a much richer content.

Your first initiation into the mystery of bonsai likely was made in the day when you receive a little tree as a gift. The joy to hold in your hands such a feeble tree, knowing that his life depends only on your care, is an incredible experience. This charm of art continues to motivate a lot of enthusiasts around the world to create and buy Bonsai.

Not all plants can become a bonsai, but only a few: trees, shrubs or bushes. Besides the fact that plants are particularly fascinating in their appearance, they may even be considered a 'family heritage', as they live hundreds of years.

To maintain the shape of a Bonsai, the mown has an essential role. By reducing the height, the trunk gets ticker. It's very important to know the proper execution for this process. Usually, the bonsai can be mown in the spring, but at some species, this can be done in the summer, eliminating in this way the branches unpleasantly the aspect of the bonsai.

After the mown it is recommended a frequent watering, done carefully, because the excessive watering may lead to the bonsai's death. Many plant lovers lost their beautiful bonsai, because of the lack of knowledge regarding its special treatment.

A bonsai doesn't need much water. The watering must be done depending on the species, generally once at 2 days, but the soil must be always wet.

There are plenty to say about the bonsai, but I hope that these tips will help you to take care of him better.

Bonsai Classification on the light required:

As I said earlier, the light is one of the most important factors. So, depending on the type of Bonsai and the brightness available, there are four categories of species that are appropriated to those locations:

Indoor Bonsai - shady areas: Fichus benjamina, Myrtus communis, Nandina (bamboo), Sageretia theezans.

Indoor Bonsai - bright areas: Serissa foetida, Carmona microphylla, Sageretia theezans, Olea europeae, Bougainvilleea glabra, Punica granatum, Podocarpus.

Outdoor Bonsai - shady areas: Rhododendron (azalea), Acer palmatum, Acer buergerianum, Carpinus betulus, Ginko biloba, Taxus baccata.

Outdoor Bonsai - bright areas: Ulmus parvifolia, lagenaria Chaenomeles, Cotoneaster, Juniperus sargentii, Ilex crenata, Picea abies, Wisteria floribunda, Pinus parviflora, Pinus thunbergii, Malus, PyraOutdoor Bonsai - shady areas: Rhododendron (azalea), Acer palmatum, Acer buergerianum, Carpinus betulus, Ginko biloba, Taxus baccata.

Don't forget:

- To mown it in the spring;

- To wet it once at 2 days;

- To keep it in areas with more humidity; the heat and sun are excluded;

- To name it.

Bonsai styles

The bonsai have different personalities and aspects, same as people have different personalities and behavior. And as no man is exactly the same as another, so no Bonsai is similar to another.

Knowing the styles is part of the essential knowledge a passionate must have. These styles determine the shape of a bonsai, so that the final result is more aesthetic and harmonious. In every bonsai you'll find the shape of a triangle. The bonsai unites the Heaven and Earth, creating a path of spiritual values followed by men who takes care of a little tree.

An old legend says that an old man keep his youth because when he was working on his bonsai, 'the time was freezing'. He used to say: "while the flowers die in the winter, in my house, they are always young', thus illustrating the stagnation of time in this art. The Bonsai is a symbol of eternity. In fact, he ignores the time, reflecting the harmony between man and nature, between Heaven and Earth.

The bonsai represents one of the few human interventions in nature, which actually creates a "small" miracle.

Sources: www.bonsaisite.com/techniq1.html, www.care2.com/c2c/group/bonsai, www.incasa.ro, www.thebonsaiworld.com/forest-korabuki.html, www.bonsaigardener.org