Monday, March 9, 2009

Bonsai Trees and Their Beauty

If you are looking for a way to bring nature indoors, you definitely need to look into getting a bonsai tree. Bonsai trees are beautiful and add a refreshing feel to a room. They are fun to take care of and they even make great gifts.

It is believed that growing bonsai trees first start during the Han Dynasty (206 BC~220 AD) in China. Later on it came to Japan where the art of bonsai tree growing was perfected. Bonsai tree growing is nature captured in miniature, thus, the small trees in pots.

A bonsai tree has a unique beauty. It is almost like you take your favorite tree that you enjoy sitting under and shrink it down small enough to set on your table. By growing your own or shopping for the perfect bonsai tree, you can find one that reminds you of your favorite tree that you grew up enjoying.






























Growing Bonsai Trees

Bonsai trees can be purchased easily, ranging in budget from affordable to several thousands of dollars for a perfectly formed and healthy bonsai tree. Because of the captured beauty in a bonsai tree, many people began growing their own.

Here are some tips on how to grow a beautiful bonsai tree.

1. Choosing the right pot is essential. You have to consider not only its sturdiness to support the little tree but it should also complement perfectly the kind of tree you want to grow. The size and shape of the pot in relation to the tree also matters.

2. It pays to know the different seasons. As seasons change, so does bonsai trees. So, in order to grow a beautiful bonsai tree, choose the season wisely wherein your tree will grow better as there are some seasons where bonsai trees will need more attention.

3. Visualise how your bonsai tree will mature over the years. You should have a mental picture of what your bonsai tree will look like before you manipulate its shape and branches.

4. Wiring to give shape. This is more an advanced technique to shape and train your bonsai into beautiful shapes to give character. Wiring requires certain skill and is not recommended for beginners. Wrapping the wiring too close to each other will suffocate your bonsai and eventually kill it. Wrapping it too loosely will have no effect on your tree's shape. For those new to bonsai growing, wiring is not necessary, and you can still give your tree enough shape via simple pruning and trimming of branches.