KAREN WIGHT -- No place like home

All things Oriental seem to be too hot to handle these days, but there’s

something about bonsai that transcends the trends. Bonsai have a lasting,

living spirit that encourages us to use our imaginations.

To pretend that we are tiny enough to enjoy these man-made forests by

shrinking ourselves and lying under a bonsai tree.

To imagine looking up through the horizontal branches, feeling the

gnarled trunk with our fingers.

Just for a moment, transporting us into another time and place. A simpler

time and place. A Lilliputian under a Grand Tree. A child under a

Monterey pine. A voyeur into a secret and magical world.

This is the true appeal of bonsai.

The art of bonsai is a Japanese gardening technique that produces

miniature specimens of shrubs and trees. Bonsai were created more than

2,000 years ago in China in an attempt to replicate natural oddities:

infrequently a tree in the forest will become dwarfed because of

root-binding conditions.

In China, these tiny treasures were regarded as a magical phenomenon.

Many of the Chinese elite attempted to copy the conditions necessary to

produce these small wonders.

In the 15th century, the technique was introduced to Japan, where it has

enjoyed great appreciation and enthusiasm. The ancient form of training

and miniaturizing healthy trees and shrubs in containers is receiving

kudos in the Western world, as well.

True bonsai aficionados have been around for years, extolling the virtues

of the Oriental technique.

Ben Oki, curator of the Japanese Garden at the Huntington Library in San

Marino, is a bonsai master and has been a bonsai consultant for years. He

tours the country, speaking about bonsai as well as the art of arranging

stones in outdoor gardens and ikebana, the minimalist art of arranging

cut flowers. He also designs private gardens for clients.

One of Oki’s specialties is using California junipers in a rugged

free-form style by fast wiring to achieve horizontal branches, and root

pruning to limit growth.

Bonsai was used frequently during the Arts and Crafts movement in the

early 1900s. Many of the Craftsman-style homes and buildings incorporated

Asian influences into their interior and exterior designs.

Bonsai trees can be deciduous or evergreen and generally range in height

from 2 inches to 4 feet.

Bonsai literally translates into “tray-planted.” They are kept small by

pruning the tops and roots, creating a balance of the two. Branches are

pinched and occasionally wired to achieve horizontal branch growth.

Bonsai are intended to have a mature look, with trunks that are weathered

and gnarled, with roots twisting upward above the soil.

The only elements of a bonsai that are not reduced in size are the

natural flowers and fruits of the plant.

“Bonsai is a never-ending thing,” says Bob Harris, president of the

Bonsai Society of St. Louis. “A tree is never finished. Once you achieve

the shape you want, you must maintain it and keep the plant healthy.”

Harris continues “bonsai are the most pampered of plants. They are

watered daily and frequently fertilized. The pruning allows the tree to

fill out and opens it up to get more sunlight and air.”

Bonsai can live hundreds of years in pots. In Japan, these horticultural

family members are passed down from generation to generation.

Plants with small leaves are the best candidates for bonsai. Small,

leafed boxwood, junipers and azaleas are all popular candidates for the

bonsai process.

Bonsai can range from $10 for a young plant to thousands of dollars for

an old, well-maintained specimen.

Harris encourages beginners to start with a 3-inch potted plant. Prune

the inside of the plant to expose the trunk. Keep branches that grow

horizontally and selectively trim them to give them the appearance of a

mature tree.

Harris likes to plant five or six of the same plants in a shallow tray to

give the appearance of a small forest. He uses regular potting soil, only

an inch or two deep, and covers the soil with sphagnum moss. He

recommends placing the plant outside where it gets only morning or

filtered sun, and light watering several times a week.

Bonsai enthusiasts explain that the technique is the perfect blend of

horticulture and aesthetics. And it’s fun to do something a little

different every now and Zen.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs Saturdays.