I read recently that a bonsai should be thought of as a pet, not a plant. If more people did this, there would be way fewer deaths. The concept came home to me recently when I asked my mother in law how the juniper bonsai she bought in the summer was doing. She said it died when they went away on a week long trip. I asked where they had left it. The answer was, they left it outside where it had been. No moving it to a sheltered location, no burying the pot temporarily to help moisture last, no mulch, no "sitter". If she had been thinking of this plant as a pet, it might have helped her realize that you can't just walk away for a week and hope everything will be ok.
Bonsai as "pets"
What a very good idea! and I totally agree, think of the ones that the Orientals have handed down for hundreds of years. There is one for me to try and "resurrect", a sweet little thing that I had nurtured and formed over a few years time then a grandson got into my little scene and the tree suffered. It is still alive, however, has tried to revert back to its' original leaf formation and has just been patiently waiting for me to bring it back. I cannot even remember what it is called, a perennial with tiny leaves edged in white. The "trunk" had even begun to look like a tree trunk, about 1" in diameter. I had posted a picture a few years ago of it.
Thanks for the "nudge".
Just remembered its' name.............Serissa. An awkwardly growing plant if left on its' own, I just kept cutting back the "errant" branches to give it a tree shape.
This message was edited Feb 8, 2010 8:39 AM
This message was edited Feb 19, 2010 1:50 PM
Whenever I talk about bonsai to beginners, I always make sure they know that if they're not ready to make a greater commitment to their bonsai than to their houseplants, they might want to consider branching out into some more difficult houseplants as a challenge, because the commitment to your trees is very much like the commitment to mammalian pets.
I often get asked if my trees are for sale, and I usually reply with some variation of, "That would be sorta like selling my kids."
Al
Al - Is that just your way of saying, "yes, they're for sale, but they won't be cheap!"? : )
Not at all.
Al