The Bonsai Tree Is A Greatly Amazing Art

Many people believe that bonsai is a plant, but it is actually an art form. Bonsai has its origins in China. In the first phase, this art was called pun-sai and consisted in growing a tree in a pot. The first bonsai trees were having small leaves, branches with strange shapes and contorted trunks. These early species had a granular trunk in the shape of an animal, dragon or bird. There are many myths and legends about bonsai trees.

For Japanese people, bonsai trees represent a deep connection between the ideals on which the society is based. Zen Buddhism originally believed that man, nature, elements and changes are all concentrated in this form of expression and meditation.

Nowadays bonsai is seen as a hobby which allows a better understanding of the communion with nature and also a special way to decorate our house and garden. Bonsai is an entity in itself, being part of Mother Nature at the same time. This phenomenon is best described by the phrase “heaven and earth into a pot”.

A bonsai can live hundreds of years. Some bonsai trees are transmitted from generation to generation, being admired for their age and beauty. The most important is that they have the desired aesthetic effect, but also must be considered the size of the pot where they are kept.

The artist doesn’t make from bonsai a copy of nature, but he finds a way of expressing his individuality. Bonsai may suggest many things, but in all cases it must look natural. It must be mentioned that in China, bonsai trees often take the form of dragons and other cultural symbols.

Bonsai trees need natural light. Place them in a bright room, close to the window. The lack of sunlight makes them to become weaker. During the summer, it’s important to keep the bonsai outside. If you place it on cement or near a cement wall, don’t let it in the sun for more than one hour. Excessive warmth will affect its roots and the tree might die. Also, if you live close to the sea, keep the bonsai away from sea breeze, because salty air is not good for it.

There are many different styles of bonsai. Bonsai artists gradually began to add other important cultural elements to these miniaturized landscapes. Japanese masters invited us to create new styles and forms inspired by nature. We mustn’t limit ourselves to a few styles, repeating them indefinitely, but to develop our creativity.

Bonsai has many elements that enhance its spectacular appearance. We must understand that bonsai accessories and the way in which it is arranged in the pot are part of bonsai art; we must appreciate them as a whole, and not as separate elements.

In the past, using ornamental stones to decorate the bonsai was a very popular practice. The excessive use of stones and statuettes around a miniaturized tree created a new art called Saikai.

April Kerr owns website Bonsai Tree Care which has details of Japanese maple bonsai tree guide and how to care for a cherry bonsai tree.