The Art of Bonsai- What is the art of Bonsai?
The Art of Bonsai- What is the art of Bonsai?
Bonsai (literally “potted plant”) is the art of aesthetic miniaturization of trees by growing them in containers.
Originating in China, Bonsai is a Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Penzai. The word Bonsai has been used by the West as an umbrella term for all miniature trees.
History
The history of bonsai is cloaked in the mist of the past, but it is now widely believed to have started during the Han Dynasty in China. It was the Chinese who first created the miniature landscapes and trees that we now know as bonsai or Penzai. Since originating in China many centuries ago, it has developed into many new forms in various parts of China, Japan, Korea and Vietnam.
At first, the Japanese used miniaturized container-grown trees for decorating their homes and gardens.
During the Tokugawa period, landscape gardening attained new importance. Cultivation of plants such as azalea and maples became a pastime of the wealthy. Growing dwarf plants in containers was also popular, but by modern bonsai standards the container plants of this period were inappropriately large.[citation needed] The then-term for dwarf potted trees was “a tree in a pot”.
The c.1300 rhymeprose essay, Rhymeprose on a Miniature Landscape Garden, by the Japanese Zen monk Kokan Shiren, outlines the aesthetic principles for bonsai, bonseki and garden architecture itself.
Techniques
Shaping and dwarfing are accomplished through a few basic but precise techniques. The small size of the tree and the dwarfing of foliage are maintained through a consistent regimen of pruning of both the leaves and the roots.
Various methods must be employed, as each species of tree exhibits different budding behavior. Additionally, some pruning must be done seasonally, as most trees require a dormancy period and do not grow roots or leaves at that time; improper pruning can weaken or kill the tree.
Most species suitable for bonsai can be shaped by wiring. Copper or aluminum wire is wrapped around branches and trunks, holding the branch in place until it eventually lignifies (converts into wood) and maintains the desired shape (at which point the wire should be removed).
Some species do not lignify strongly, or are already too stiff/brittle to be shaped and are not conducive to wiring, in which case shaping must be accomplished primarily through pruning.
To simulate age and maturity in a bonsai, deadwood features called “jin” and “shari” can be used to good effect with coniferous bonsai, especially. “Jin” are created by removing the bark from an entire branch to create a snag of deadwood, while “shari” involves stripping bark from areas of the trunk, simulating natural scarring by limbs being torn free. Care must be taken when employing these techniques, because these areas are prone to infection, and removal of too much bark will result in losing all growth above that area. Bark must never be removed in a complete ring around the trunk as it contains the phloem and will cut off all nutrient flow above that ring.
the source:bonsai trees
June 16 2008 10:35 pm | What
June 27th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Nice work! Your garden looks lovely and it looks like you are going to have a great summer full of fresh veggies and herbs.