LEARN ABOUT BONSAI

What is Bonsai?

The origin of the term bonsai, pronounced bone-sigh, is derived from the Japanese term bon meaning tray and sai meaning tree. Thus, the literal translation of bonsai means tree in a tray. Often times bonsai is misspelled "bonzai or bonzi".

Bonsai represents the artistic use of gardening techniques to develop a tree into a miniaturized version of its counterpart in nature. Bonsai is not a specific type of tree; rather many types of trees go through the gardening process of bonsai.

When the word "bonsai" is mentioned, we all conjure up ideas of the Juniper in it's majestic windswept appearance. But there are thousands of equally beautiful examples of Bonsai found in Azaleas, Elms, Maples, Evergreens and many others.

History of Bonsai

Bonsai has its origins first in China, then, later in Japan, where it was and remains an expression of the harmony between man and nature.

The spiritual roots of bonsai lie in the Oriental philosophy of life, which strives for perfect harmony between man and nature. In China this ancient art of miniature trees is referred to as Penjing. It dates back to the Han Dynasty about 210 B.C. It first appears as bonsai in Japanese writings in the year 1310.

It is the Japanese who must be given the credit for introducing the art of bonsai to the Western world at the World's Fair in 1878. In 1976, as a salute to the U.S. Bicentennial, the Japanese Bonsai Society donated a fabulous collection of bonsai to the United States National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. This bonsai display of approximately thirty trees is valued in the millions of dollars.

Spirit of Bonsai

Bonsai may be viewed as an object of meditation. The act of creating bonsai by itself is a contemplative, meditative exercise - a practice of Zen. The bonsai trees can be seen as a celebration of Nature and the healing powers extended by an intact natural environment. Creating and taking care of bonsai will draw you closer to Nature, enabling you to experience it in a more direct, intimate way.

And so it is that a bonsai artist, working with natural materials and concentrating on the here and now becomes one with the creative forces of Nature. This puts the artist quietly absorbed in a state of active meditation. Arranging trees and placing rocks, he suddenly discovers something new and exciting, beyond mere words, - a composition that flows naturally and harmoniously, engendering great beauty and universal, eternal truths with seemingly little effort. This is the ultimate experience of becoming one with your tree, Nature, and, thus, all the positive energies or Chi, in the universe.

Bonsai Aesthetics

The Bonsai artist's goal is not only to re-create a natural scenery in a container, but also to capture its essence and spirit. To achieve this objective, a wide palette of artistic devices comes into play.

On a philosophical level, this presentation of opposites is evidence of the conceptualization of the universe as being governed by two poles of cosmic energy, the yin and the yang. Artistically, these contrasts create rhythm and dramatic tension, which the bonsai artist resolves in a dynamic balance, a delicately tuned equilibrium between himself and the bonsai.

The attainment of overall structural unity in bonsai is critical. In addition to deciding on an appropriate bonsai container and determining the tentative placement of the bonsai, the artist will consider the bonsai tree species, number of bonsai trees to be used, their sizes, trunk angles and the design of their foliage mass.

The Bonsai artist will then choose decorative rocks and stones for their size, color, shape, surface details, and compatibility with the bonsai. Next the bonsai artist will add the finishing touches on the bonsai by selecting Decorative Moss and an appropriate Figurine. In the end, every element in the design needs to relate to all the others so that the entire nature-scape now appears as a single, all-embracing, encompassing entity.

Bonsai artists do not seek to create perfection. As a matter of fact, Bonsai trees trained into highly stylized forms where every angle and every root and branch placement has been meticulously calculated by a rigid formula do not suit their tastes.

Apart from being beautiful, an outstanding Bonsai must look entirely natural. It should look as if Nature itself had spontaneously created it - like a marvelous accident of Nature.

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