Winter is a time for hibernating. And it seems as though that’s just what I’ve been doing. Certainly winter weather can restrict outdoor activity. But a nice sunny day came along recently so I took a look at my list of prospective local outdoor destinations, chose one of them, and headed out … to the Pacific Bonsai Museum.
Having traveled quite a bit in Asia as a child, I’ve seen lots of plants grown in the bonsai tradition, but that doesn’t mean I truly know anything about bonsai. This outing was a great learning experience as well as a treat for the eye.
The best educational website I’ve found about bonsai … what it is, how it’s done, different styles of bonsai, the ancient history … is HERE.
The outdoor display at the Pacific Bonsai Museum, that I visited this day, was much larger than I imagined it would be. There were at least 40 plants outside and another 40 (or more) plants indoors. Some of the plants were as tall as I was (notice the plant on the far left in the photo above … it was more than six feet tall).
Since you folks are perfectly capable of using the internet or your local resources to learn more about bonsai, I’ll tell you just a couple of things about bonsai that I learned during this visit and then I’ll share a few photos. I did enjoy the visit here a great deal!
One thing I learned is that bonsai is not limited to tiny plants. They are “miniature” trees, but that can mean they are just a few inches tall or they can be several feet tall, or anywhere in between. The word “bonsai” has been translated from Japanese as “tray tree”. As well, bonsai can be a single tree or can be a forest or grove of trees.
The photos here are a few of my favorite trees in this exhibit. I have also included photos here of a few trees that aren’t necessarily favorites of mine to look at, but that are interesting and different to my eye and my mind. Of special note, the last three trees shown below are old … really old!
Below the photo of each tree, I list the year that each tree was started. The text below the photos was taken from signs on display in this exhibit. As usual, click on the photos to enlarge them.
Above … date of origin: 1940. Creeping Juniper (juniperus horizontalis). In nature, trees growing on cliffs or steep mountain slopes are occasionally toppled by rock slides or avalanches yet they still cling to their rocky perches. The formerly upright trunk might trail downhill, while a formerly lower branch transforms itself into an upright arm stretching toward the sun.
Above … date of origin: ca 1950. Chinese Hackberry (celtis sinensis). This tree had originally grown up in the artist’s yard, too close to his home. At about 20 feet tall, the branches were damaging the roof of the home and the owner was obliged to cut the tree down. The 4-inch diameter trunk was transferred to a container for development. It now has an ancient-looking hollow trunk and beautifully formed branches.
Above … date of origin: 1970. Chinese Elm (ulmus parvifolia). This Penjing (Chinese bonsai) has been trained using the “Lingon” (Southern China) technique of cutting to achieve shape rather than by using wire.
Above … date of origin: 1953. Japanese Beech (fagus crenata ‘Fuji’). The unusually small leaves of this tree are characteristic of a naturally occurring variety found near Mount Fuji. The thick, well-tapered trunk and numerous, well developed branches speak of the many years of skillful attention invested to produce a bonsai of this quality.
Above … date of origin: 1972. Needle Juniper (juniperus rigida). This specimen was first developed by an anonymous California bonsai grower, then redesigned in 1977 by an artist in Chicago, and was subsequently acquired and developed by a Portland, Oregon, artist. The broken trunk — carved to suggest many years of weathering — and sparse branching suggest the image of a solitary mountain giant, blasted by wind and lightning, yet unbowed by adversity.
Above … date of origin: unknown. Shore Pine (pinus contorta var. contorta). This tree was collected from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, and was developed by an artist local to that area. The upper part of the tree had previously been chopped down, possibly for firewood, so only the stump and a single lower branch remained.
Above … date of origin: ca 1945. Trident Maple (acer buergerianum). Root-over-rock planting is popular but is difficult to create. A young tree is usually grown in a deep container for three or four years in order to develop long roots. The soil is then washed away, the bare-root plant is positioned over a suitable rock, and the roots bound tightly to the rock with wire. Only the root tips reach into the soil. This bonsai was originally grown in Japan, the three trunks growing from a common root system and clinging to an Ibigawa River stone.
Above … date of origin: unknown. Sierra Juniper (juniperus occidentalis). Ann’s note: the only other information given about the bonsai above is that the artist lives in Oregon.
Above … date of origin: unknown. Eastern White Cedar (thuja occidentalis). Country of origin: USA. Current owner/artist lives in Massachusetts, USA.
Above … date of origin: ca 1830. American (Eastern) Larch (larix laricina). This tree was collected from the shores of Dead Crow Lake at the tip of Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. Excavation revealed that it had no original root system but was a branch of a much larger tree. The branch, pressed into the soil by snow, had formed one single small root that allowed for its collection. The dead wood spiraling up the trunk resulted from that single root feeding only one side of the trunk.
Above … date of origin: ca 1700. Japanese Yew (taxus cuspidata). Country of origin: Japan.
Above … date of origin: ca 1500. Korean Yew (taxus cuspidata). This Korean bonsai was collected from the wild on Seoraksan Mountain in South Korea at an elevation of about 4,000 feet. The massive, hollow trunk and strong downward movement of the branches reveal its great age. The value of a tree such as this is its ability to inspire us with its nobility and grace.
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Bonsai is an art practiced in a living medium. Bonsai trees respond to the artist, and to the environment, and the artist responds in turn — an ever-changing dance. I like to think our responses, and our energy, in life, make us dancers too.
You can learn more about bonsai online HERE, but if you are interested in the subject, I strongly suggest you visit a bonsai garden or museum or a local bonsai club. It has always seemed to me that when we share and learn about the artistry and craft of our cultures and of other cultures, then borders disappear. Then we “remember” that we are one, with wonderful differences yes, but we are one.
I still have one more, brief, camping trip from last fall to tell you about … coming soon, I promise!