Garden Bonsai

Also known as a saikei, a garden of bonsai has long been a treasure in Asian cultures. In more recent times, garden bonsai have become a part of American and European cultures, prompting the growth of bonsai plants in some unlikely environments.

Garden bonsai most often include various bonsai plants. In addition, it may also include a blend of rocks, soil, water, and vegetation. Some people only garden with bonsai, placing them on various platforms for a beautiful, outdoor arrangement.

Bonsai is technically the art of creating visually-pleasing miniature trees, although most people use the word “bonsai” for all miniature trees. However, bonsai are not genetically small trees. Instead, it is the container in which they are planted that controls the size of the bonsai.

While modern bonsai are known for being quite small, traditional Japanese garden bonsai were dwarfed, but still larger than what is typically considered a bonsai. They are considered bonsai, not because they are small, but because they are contained. Additionally, bonsai are often classified by their size, including tiny, small, medium, medium to large, and large.

To care for a garden bonsai, there are several steps you must take. With an outdoor plant, you must take precautions in winter months. There are multiple ways to protect your garden bonsai, including mulching it in the container up to the first branch, placing it in an unheated garage, or burying them in the container with the root system below the frost line. However, the way that you winterize your garden bonsai will be based on the type, or types, of plants.

Additionally, a garden bonsai must be well cared for all year long. The bonsai pot must allow for drainage and a special bonsai soil should be used. For maintenance, there are special tools to care for your garden bonsai, including ones that allow you to cut, prune, bend, and shear for complete design control.