Bonsai

The art of bonsai translated into Russian means "tree in a pot." This art arose in 200 BC. e. in China, more precisely, it originally sounded like "pan-san." A few centuries later, the Japanese, together with Buddhism, mastered this art, brought it to perfection and now it is considered traditionally Japanese.

The first images of bonsai literally - hachitue, are found on scrolls of the late Kamakura period (1249-1382). Love for dwarf trees can be explained simply - they do not have a large territory and the opportunity to grow a garden near the house, the Japanese wanted to find a corner of nature at home, and small trees did not take up much space. At first it was a mass hobby, mainly among the common people. Much later, after defeating China in 1885, bonsai became the subject of fashion, scientific study and collecting. Various bonsai schools and growing styles began to appear.

About 400 species of plants are suitable and bred to create bonsai. A real bonsai has dimensions from 20 cm to 1.5-2 m. A special direction is the creation of miniature landscapes, where not one tree is grown in a bowl, but a whole piece of nature, with a lake, stones, miniature mountains and even waterfalls. Bonsai art does not tolerate fuss, it requires patient care. Bonsai grooming is a kind of ritual and meditation. Trees are grown for decades and centuries. There are bonsai specimens in the imperial garden in Japan that are about 300-400 years old.

From all that has been said, it follows that the true bonsai must bear the imprint of time. Therefore, bonsai refers primarily to trees with thick trunks. Fancifully bent or broken branches, trunks with cracked or peeled bark covered with moss are especially appreciated. All this symbolizes many years of survival in difficult natural conditions and emphasizes naturalness.

Plants for bonsai

Not every plant is suitable for growing as a bonsai. Although there are styles in bonsai art in which the composition is formed from herbaceous plants, traditionally bonsai are grown from trees and shrubs, i.e. plants having a hard, often lignified trunk and branches. The most valuable coniferous trees: pine, juniper, thuja, cypress, larch, as they are quite hardy and a piece of the world around us looks very unusual in miniature. In addition to conifers, hardwoods are often grown as bonsai - maple, birch, mountain ash, oak, beech, hornbeam, willow, etc. Fruit-bearing and flowering trees look especially colorful - acacia, guayava, pomegranate, myrtle, magnolia, peach, plum, citrus fruits. In any case, the choice of plant is determined by the conditions of content - primarily temperature. If the room is cool, then you can take on conifers, if the room is hot, especially in winter, then the choice is limited to heat-loving plants (ficus, dracena, cordylina, gardenia).

Adenium obese Acacia Albicia comb-shaped, Leonkaran Bamboo Bauhinia Blanca, variegated, purple Japanese birch bark Japanese turquoise Brachyhiton rock Bougainvillea smooth, beautiful Small-leaved elm Gardenia jasminiform Cooper's hibiscus, dissected lobe Pomegranate common variety Nana Dovialis caffra Cork oak, rocky Eugenia single-flowered Honeysuckle shiny Strawberry large-fruited, small-fruited Ixora sticking out Casuarina tuberous, protruding, horseshoe Calliandra Tweda Callistemon willow, large-point, lemon yellow, beautiful Chinese camellia, mesh, Japanese Arizona cypress, evergreen, Kashmiri, large-fruited Kneorum three-tailed

Coprosma Bauer, Kirk Bark rod-shaped Kumquat oval, Hinds Japanese Kufea is issopolous Lagerstremia Indian, beautiful Rockrose Pomegranate lafoension Leptospermum rod-shaped Liquidambre formosa Malpigia glabrous, hazel-nosed European olive White wood melaleuca, St. John's wort Metrosideros high Mirsina africana Myrtle common Myrcinaria coloration Balsamic euphorbia Muraya Konta, panicled Nandina homemade Variegated nicodemia Pelargonia semidolous, zonal, ivelly, curly, strongly smelling Podocarp large-leaved, Nagi, sickle-shaped, bluish, thin Balfour's Polyscias, Gulfolia, pinworm Portulacaria harp Rapis high, low

Rhododendron Simsa Rosemary medicinal Tea sagerecia Boxwood, small-leaved, evergreen Serissa or "tree of a thousand stars" Syzygium paniculata Wavy tar seed, Tobira, thin-leaved Scots pine, Mediterranean Sophora creeping, four-winged Baby fat pale green Asian trachelospermum, jasmine-shaped, Japanese Trichodiadema calvatum, Littlewood, bulbous Feijoa Sellowana Ficus Benjamin, boxwood Figs dwarf, small-fruited, boxwood, awl-shaped Pistachio mastic Fuchsia hybrid, small-flowered, rare-flowered, thyme-leafed, three-leafed Holarrena pubescent Small-fruited citrofortunella Citrus fruits: orange, bitter orange, real lime, limetta, lemon, tangerine, etc. Eucalyptus (various species) Small-leaved erethia Jacobinia small-flowered Griffith ash

Common bonsai styles

It should be noted that there are a lot of styles and forms of bonsai, sometimes even a grown tree can be attributed not to one, but to several styles.
Styles differ in the complexity of appearance and grooming. The selected bonsai style determines the size, shape of the plate or container for landing, and frequency, and watering technique, etc. For example, the so-called cascade styles are rather unstable, since the crown of the tree deviates from the center to one degree or another, they require a more stable capacity, i.e. wider or heavier.

Bonsai cultivation

A few rules and recommendations for those who are going to grow bonsai:

• Match plants that are resistant to local climatic conditions or able to survive in indoor conditions throughout the year.
• Do not use plants with large leaves, flowers or fruits as bonsai.
• Accurately determine not only the family, but also the type of plant grown as a bonsai.
• Use simple plates with drainage holes, do not take the container "with a margin," and correctly place the plants in accordance with the style.
• To create a composition, do not use items that are not intended for this, for example, iron parts.
• When forming the crown and shape, observe the principle of naturalness - the composition should look as natural as possible.
• Start a diary where all procedures and bonsai care work, dates and deadlines will be recorded.

• Choice of capacity, soil, transplantation, watering, fertilization
• Placing, creating a traditional bonsai, forming a crown or trimming a bonsai