SLOW GARDENING: BONSAI

In the age of fast food, watch-on-demand television and instant messaging, is there anything slower than the Japanese art of bonsai?

Highly rewarding, the creation of bonsai takes patience, time and dedication. It’s an exacting and fascinating art, but not for the time-poor or easily bored. It involves trimming the roots to limit growth and ‘landscaping’ the tree to get the shape you want.

Bonsai is a Japanese tradition that can be traced back to around the 6th century ad, but is actually based on the Chinese practice of penjing, which is substantially older. It took nearly 1400 years for Europeans to fall under the spell of dwarfing trees, but these days bonsai are an extremely popular and common feature of the horticultural landscape.

After a childhood interest in bonsai, my interest was reignited as an adult. But did I start with something easy? Oh no: rashly, I began with a variety of native trees and an established elm, both bought at a bonsai show.

HOW TO GET STARTED

•  Research: discover how to create a bonsai and what you will need. There are online guides as well as excellent books on the subject available.

•  Find a local nursery that specialises in bonsai – visit them and ask questions.

•  Begin with a pre-made bonsai or bonsai starter kit, and then find an easy plant first – such as a jade plant – and see how you go.

•  Another option is to check your garden for any unwanted seedling trees. Why not attempt to turn one of these into a bonsai?

•  While a special pot isn’t a necessity, it will help create that iconic bonsai look and is thus recommended.

•  Depending on the tree you select, finding the right location for your bonsai is crucial. Your climate and the plant you select will dictate whether the plant should be kept indoors or outdoors – but remember, trees like sunlight, rain and the seasons.

•  The greatest challenge is watering. How much water you give your bonsai will depend on your environment and the type of tree you are growing.

•  ‘Landscaping’: have a vision of how you want your miniature tree to look, and research the techniques needed to achieve this aim.

•  If you are going away for an extended period, make sure you have someone looking after your bonsai with appropriate instructions on its care.

I learned very quickly that, while many plants in my backyard seemed to thrive on neglect, bonsai were altogether different. It wasn’t that they needed daily trimming or anything fiddly, it was the watering that was a challenge. My budding collection either perished or ended up in the garden embracing life as a normal tree to save them from my well-intentioned failure.

Next I did what I should have done all along and went back to basics. I got myself a dwarf jade, a bonsai pot and started from scratch. Five years on, my jade bonsai is alive and flourishing, and it now takes pride of place outside by the front door.

BEST PLACE TO SEE BONSAI IN AUSTRALIA

    The National Arboretum in Canberra hosts the National Bonsai and Penjing Collection. For more information, visit www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/living-collection/bonsai

TOP 3 BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS

Dwarf jade (Portulacaria afra) • Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) Japanese elm (Ulmus davidiana var. japonica)

3 AUSSIE NATIVES THAT MAKE GREAT BONSAI

(Note: Not for beginners)

Bottlebrush (Callistemon species)

Port Jackson fig (Ficus rubiginosa)

Coast banksia (Banksia integrifolia)