The Beauty of Bonsai Styles

As well as a software person I'm an arborist as a side hustle. I love bonsai and I have started a few off myself in my garden (technically this makes them 'niwaki' - in garden, rather than 'bonsai' - in a pot. I went with scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, Wych Elm - Ulnus glabra and Quercus robur - english oak) as they're all native to where I live.

But I am somewhat conflicted because as awesome as they look, all that aesthetic comes from doing the exact opposite of what a tree needs. Deliberate wounding at non-meristematic sites to create deadwood, binding roots into and using wires to manipulate the structure and keeping the tree at a juvenile isolated state. Basically it would make Alex Shigo shudder in his grave.

That being said, if anyone is in their twenties and looking for a nice future hustle pension, then start off some bonsais today. In forty years, if you can keep them going, with a hundred or so you could be sitting on 300K plus of stock. The trees will teach you a lot (notwithstanding the above sentiment on treating them brutally) in terms of patience, planning and delight in aesthetic.

Been living in Japan for a while and have come to appreciate bonsai. There is a lot that goes into it. I love the concept of such an intricate thing being carefully maintained across decades and generations of people.

My colleagues gave me a bonsai when I left the company. I loved it and it was georgeous. When I switched to my actual house, the bonsai felt it and started to dry out. I could not stop it, and even transplanting it to better soil and placing him in another room. It never went up. Right now I don't know if its alive anymore, and makes me very sad.

I find bonsai fascinating, even if I would never be willing to put in the time and care required to do it myself.

I had the pleasure of seeing the bonsai collection in the Gardens at HCP (Horticulture Centre of the Pacific) in Victoria, BC, Canada recently. They have many different species of trees, and something like 60 individual trees in total. Well worth seeing, and the cafe just outside the entrance is nice too.

The oldest bonsai in this collection is over a 100 years old. Imagine training a bonsai continually for so long, the steady care and attention required across multiple generations…

Even better Man-Bonsai

https://www.google.com/search?udm=2&q=%E3%83%9E%E3%83%B3%E7%...