In My Garden Blog
February 6, 2003
New England
By
Suzanne DeJohn,
Candler, NC
Just inches tall, this little tree on its rocky outcrop transports me to a rugged, windswept mountain ledge.
A New Appreciation for Bonsai
My friend's 14-year-old daughter, Hannah, has been fascinated by bonsai since she was in kindergarten. On family outings to the Vermont Flower Show, she would always bypass the exuberant displays of daffodils and tulips and head straight for the bonsai booth. Hannah is a gentle soul and a lover of nature, who would rather go snowshoeing with her mom than watch TV. However, it wasn't until a few weeks ago when we took a trip to Mill Brook Bonsai in Jericho, Vermont, that I began to understand her love of this ancient art form.
Mill Brook Bonsai
One frigid Saturday afternoon, Hannah, her mother, Judith, and I were treated to a private tour of Mill Brook Bonsai by proprietor Sandy Anderson. Upon opening the door to the tropical greenhouse, we were blasted with glasses-steaming warmth and humidity –- most welcome at this time of year. Once we acclimated, Sandy took us plant by plant through his collection, telling the stories behind this bougainvillea and that Chinese elm.
Then we moved on to the temperate greenhouse, which is kept at 32 degrees all winter. The room was packed with plants that Sandy overwinters for local enthusiasts. Bonsai specimens of temperate plants, such as shagbark maple and juniper, can't endure our frigid Vermont winters, but do need a dormant period, so Sandy "plant sits" for them for clients until temperatures moderate in the spring. It was in this chilly setting that we learned how branches are carefully wired to train them into the desired framework, and how meticulous pruning keeps plants dwarfed and gives them their characteristic shape. We also learned that the wires must be removed and replaced frequently to prevent girdling while still molding the branches into shape.
Although I've always admired bonsai, I've never been particularly drawn to it the way Hannah is. I suppose it's not my nature to focus that much attention on a single plant. But watching Hannah has given me a new appreciation of the art.
A World of Wonder
Hannah was particularly enamored of the little groves created when several trees of the same species are arranged to create a woodland setting. Peering into the shade with her, I could picture Hannah –- perhaps as she was picturing herself -– perched on a rock in that idyllic Lilliputian world. Perhaps it was summer, and sunlight was filtering through the treetops, creating dancing patterns of light and dark on the forest floor as the trees swayed in the gentle breeze.
In one of the groves, Sandy had created a miniature rocky stream bed from pebbles, and I could see a diminutive Hannah sitting on one of those boulders, dangling her bare feet in the chilly water. And I could almost picture myself sitting there with her.
You can learn more about Mill Brook Bonsai at their Web site: http://www.millbrookbonsai.com. The site also includes photos of different bonsai styles, information about caring for the plants, and has some great photos.
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