Bonsai, the art of styling miniature trees, technically originated in ancient china. It is in Japan, however, that was developed into the art form it is today.
And, I did not realize this until i did some research, but there is quite an artistic community devoted the care, growing, and creative styling of miniature trees. I also found out that one of the main goals of this art is to mimic tree forms found in nature.
After doing a bit of research, I went to a nursery down the road and got a dogwood bush. Yes, a bush. At first I thought it was a tree, and by the time its shrubiness became apparent, I had already become attached to this adorable little plant. Also, I found --also in the course of my research-- that many types of shrubs work as bonsai as well.
I took the tree home, and started the process of shaping the branches with wire. This technique uses the natural adaptability of plants to create a desired shape by coiling wire around branches, bending them a certain way, and keeping the wire in place for 3-6 months.
I did not think to take a picture of the dogwood before doing this, but it really looked just like any sapling or young shrub.
Here is a picture of how I decided to style the tree:
This is based on a style known as "partial cascade". In about 3 months I will take off the wire, and see what to do next.
I also planted some japanese maple seeds, which will take several years, and various steps, to get to a point where I can do anything with them.
But for now, I can safely say that I will be trying more of this art in the future.
No comments:
Post a Comment