Let’s Talk About Bonsai

Bonsai are exclusively grown for beauty and elegance and were a Japanese artform in ancient times, by cultivating bonsai, a person could achieve immortality.

The word Bonsai is often used in English as a term for miniature trees and has reached a worldwide audience, there are over 1200 books on bonsai which have been translated into at least 26 languages.

10 things you didn’t know about bonsai
  1. In China and Japan there are bonsai that are more than 1000 years old.
  2. They are considered real relics of floral and plant art from the past, and they can reach prices over $400,000.
  3. The first mention of bonsai dates back to the third century BC, in China.
  4. Creating a bonsai is a masterpiece that, unlike other artistic forms, evolves and changes every day.
  5. Bonsai is a tree and, therefore, an outdoor plant that needs water and sunlight to survive.
  6. They need to be watered daily, over the whole area of the container, including the leaves and trunk.
  7. In Japan, until a few years ago, for a family to be considered of “noble descent” they should have at least one bonsai that is over 300 years old.
  8. For a bonsai to be considered “perfect”, it should have a kind of similarity in its original state in form, size and appearance.
  9. Cultivating bonsai in ancient times was reserved for the upper classes as it represented qualities such as refinement, greatness of spirit and nobleness.
  10. Some of the most beautiful species, especially conifers and deciduous trees, develop better in cold climates.

The maintenance and care of bonsai requires patience and dedication, and even more so if we want to cultivate them inside, in 1309 miniature landscapes were admirable accomplishments for men of taste and learning.

Basic Maintenance
  • The place has to have direct sunlight and must have good ventilation.
  • The soil should be constantly wet, over the whole area of the container. The trunk and the leaves should also be wet. The container should allow adequate water drainage.
  • Every now and then you should trim the cuttings to give the desired shape.
  • Approximately every 3 years, the soil must be changed.
  • You must monitor constantly to combat the appearance of insects or illnesses.
  • Use wires to direct the shape you want to give the trunk. The wires should remain in place for a few months until the tree reaches the desired form and position.
If you don’t have time for the above we have the ideal solution

The Fora range of Preserved Bonsai Trees give you all the pleasure without the work of cultivation, we have a range of 8 options to choose from that are of the most beautiful species, with elegant bases and set in a lifelike setting.