At one time in my life I thought I would like to own a bonsai, one of those warped little living caricatures of trees. They captivated me with their Lilliputian world of make believe, each an orchestrated miniature scene from the forest distilled like a moment frozen in time.
Eventually I came to realize that the best bonsai are generations old, and have been lovingly trained to echo the tree as it grows in its natural state. Intricate pruning techniques are used to accentuate the individuality of each specimen, and to enhance the essence of its species. So a pine in bonsai training will be evocative of a pine growing wild on a cliff top battling ferocious winds, a zelkova in bonsai training will speak to your heart with the gravitas of that stately tree.
What I didn't realize then is what I know now to be true: bonsai is harder than it looks: art and science go into the making of a bonsai, plus time. I could no more own a bonsai than I could own the moon, for a true bonsai owns its care giver of the moment.
During its tenure as a bonsai specimen, the tree will undergo its natural responses to seasonal change and in so doing will bring you the care giver a deeper appreciation of the passage of time. The special daily care routine for bonsai will teach you about pastimes, too.
Bonsai are kept small, or dwarfed, primarily by carefully timed and repeated pruning -- both of the branches and the roots. The trees are grown in tiny pots or trays and the ultimate aim is to foster a plant that is in harmony with its small environment. The top should be in balance with the base, the form should be pleasing, the plant should be healthy and as a result, a beautiful work of art.
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