The Art of Bonsai Article

“The world of bonsai is miniature, but the natural world that it evokes is boundless” Arthur Ioura, Bonsai Curator

The definition of bonsai means literally “potted plant”. Bonsai is the miniaturization of trees by growing them in small pots. The art of Bonsai originated in China around 2000 years ago during the Han Dynasty, and at the time was called penzai. The art form spread throughout the ages in Asia through Zen Buddhism to countries like Japan, Korea and Vietnam. Monks used the cultivation of bonsai trees as a means of meditation while connecting the elements of water, earth and sky. The aristocracy in these countries soon picked up the practice and began creating variations of the bonsai tree. Some of the oldest known bonsai trees dated 400-800 years are in a collection at Happo-en in Tokyo, Japan.

When Japan opened their doors to the West in the 19th century and photographers were allowed into the country, they took fantastic pictures of the miniature trees and the introduction of bonsai to the West began. In Europe everyone wanted to know how the dwarfing of plants was possible and enthusiasts began the quest to bring the techniques to western culture. Forward to present day and the art of bonsai is now taught in almost all Western countries with plantations and greenhouses dedicated to growing and maturing the small trees. The most widely used trees currently used are: Chinese Elm, Ficus, Jade, Japanese Maple and Juniper trees.

Today there are five main styles for growing bonsai practiced in Western cultures. The formal upright form evokes a vision of a person standing at attention. The tree is grown straight up with clean symmetry. The informal upright form evokes the wind swept trees on the California coast line, shaped by the wind, but somehow still standing for generations. The slanting style attempts to grow the tree at an angle to the ground. Trees that reach for the light in a dense forest over a stream often take on the slanting style of bonsai. The forth style practiced is cascading. Cascading forms of bonsai are reaching to the ground, like the water cascading over a waterfall and the forces of nature pulling it down. The fifth and final style of bonsai is the semi -cascading style which reminds us of those plants and trees that hang on cliff faces and reach out for the morning sun while rooted deeply in the rock.

“Meditation brings wisdom; lack of meditation leaves ignorance. Know well what leads you forward and what holds you back, and choose the path that leads to wisdom” – Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.