FALMOUTH, Maine — Bonsai began in the East in China and Japan. Pronounced (bone-sigh), it is the ancient art form of training miniatures trees. But don't let its distinguished heritage intimidate you. Gardening with Gutner learned that it's actually a very simple art form to learn.
Chris Suthard works for Skillins Greenhouses in Falmouth, Maine where he manages the perennials as well as creates and teaches bonsai.
"It's basically combining horticulture and art," Suthard stated as he showed different bonsais he had created. "Most of them are tropical or subtropical varieties of plants. The reason for that is so it's easy to care for."
To shape the trees, wire is wrapped around the branches.
"You take that wire and wrap it around the stem carefully and you can bend the stem and have it hold in that place. And usually, depending on the tree, between a few weeks and a few months that stem will harden, and you can take that wire right off and it will keep the shape that you left it at," the horticulturalists disclosed.
Suthard went through each step in the process of creating a bonsai:
"First, pick your plant and then pick your pot and try to envision what you want it to look like in the end," Suthard instructed.
To keep the plant in the pot, it has to be attached to the container using wires. The pot had two holes in the bottom where bonsai wire was bent in a U shape up through. The wires were then pulled over the root system to attach the plant to the container, twisted together, and then trimmed. Once your bonsai is mounted add special soil mix just for bonsai up over the roots.
To shape your branches cut bonsai wire the length of the stem shaping a cup at the end to wrap around the stem. Then gently wrap the wire between the off-shoots of the stem. Then using your thumb on each loop slowly bend the branch to the shape desired.
Suthard likes to use moss and stones to enhance the area around the base. He added a couple of stones and a clump of moss to the plant he was working on while frequently spraying with water.
"What I like to do even with the topsoil in there or the potting mix is spray it down. Let it saturate with water," Suthard instructed.
To finish, Suthard screens out the soil and keeps the grit from the soil mix to top off the dirt creating a granular top coat. Then locks it together by spraying it with water.
Not only is the process to create elegant bonsai simple, but Suthard emphasized it was therapeutic as well.
