Bonsai plants – I have dabbled with them in the past and I love them.
The Ficus Bonsai – pictured below – is an heirloom given to me more than 30 years ago by my sister-in-law Rasheeda. This plant has weathered many seasons whether placed in the home or outside. It has been looked after and neglected at times but its enduring resilience helps it to keep thriving. I have even wired the branches to give it a shape – you can see the wires slightly in the pics. The little girl on the water buffalo is a reminder of the many wonderful sights I saw in India and it was a little decorative piece on my Mum’s favorite indoor plant. All up, this little beauty is a miniature version of a huge vista and acts as a sort of diorama of lovely memories of the past.
The Banyan Tree Bonsai was given to me as a gift, about 10 years ago and has grown incredibly fast – Yes! It’s grown at least three inches in ten years – a mighty growth spurt!!
The Jade Bonsai is relatively young – about 4 years old grown from a cutting from my garden.
Now to my curiosity and my nature of always trying different methods with plants.
Bonsai is an ancient art of growing miniature trees by pruning and containing their roots in small pots and constraining them to retain their natural structure. There are species of plants that are recommended for Bonsai. However, I have gone against all rules as the two plants I have selected conflict greatly as one is a Conifer, a classic Bonsai plant, and the other one is usually used in rockeries as a pretty flowering plant.
This is going to be a sort of face-off between the old traditional and the young!
The two Bonsai plants pictures have been perfectly potted in Bonsai soil and miniature Bonsai pots.
The Cupressus Leighton Green is a fast-growing conifer that usually grows straight up to the sky and stops at about 20 metres !!! To Bonsai this plant and retraining its natural urge to shake the clouds is going to be a challenge. It has just been planted so I will wait till the original roots settle well into the pot and I can tell by the overall look of the leaves and branches that it is healthy. I will then clip the tiny branches to prevent further growth. After that, I will wire the plant to shape it and bring it into the tranquil glamour that is the stamp in trade of the Art of Bonsai & Bonsai Plants.
The Cuphea Robs Mauve is beautiful with its tiny purple flowers. It’s mainly used in rockeries and grows to about 45cm and flowers all year. I took it out of its original plastic pot, shook out the roots, and planted it in its future Bonsai space and it didn’t even look bored for an instant! Even the little flowers stayed in place as if to say “C’mon! Let’s see where this is going to take us!” Many questions remain though – will it always be happy in the Bonsai pot? – Will it bloom all year round? – Will it turn bushy and cover the pot?
Let’s hang in there and see if these little wonders can be a part of the Bonsai Plants & Bonsai world.