BONSAI -timid, cute miniatures
Pursuing a hobby is considered to be the best way to beat hectic urbane lifestyle. And it’s all the more great if you are indulging in the
living art form, Bonsai. Countering the space limitations, it offers a respite to man’s desire to stay close to nature by replicating the beauty of mature trees and landscape to narrow confines.
With the spurt in flat-accommodation in green and clean Chandigarh, the
BONSAI culture is gaining popular. Among a total of 200 members of Bonsai
Club (India) 100 are from the tricity itself.
Using twisted wires and pruning skills on roots,
trunk and branches, the practitioners of Bonsai art create visual delights like cascading Bougainvilleas, shaping it near to it’s natural mold. Lot of hard work and patience goes into it. Over a span of two-three years, as the plant matures into a full bonsai, bearing flowers. “The creator experiences immense joy similar to that of a parent feels when his baby starts walking,” says horticulture expert and landscape artiste Anil Kaushik. He is the one to initiate the Bonsai Club six years back. He calls Bonsai the art of re-creating nature as miniature.
Kaushik says, “Man’s innate creativity has evolved and honed various forms of art which include landscaping and
making of Bonsai.”
Starting with the abc of growing bonsai making, the club imparts training to amateurs. Weekly meeting are held where the members bring their bonsais to practically discuss the problems. Kaushik says, “Any person with some basic knowledge of plants and aesthetic sense can make the beautiful living art form. But it requires lot of patience.”
Tips on bonsai:
Plants with small leaves and woody trunk, makes good bonsai.
Use a proper shallow container. Its depth should be as much as the thickness of the trunk.
Trunk should flare at the
base and taper gradually from base to apex, giving the aged looks.
There should be more foliage behind the trunk than in front to give it greater depth.
Tree should never lean back, and should bow forward.
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