Some more of my 'bonsai '

I have, perhaps rather foolhardily,  decided to grow bonsai from scratch.  That is, from cuttings of suitable species. This of course means that my bonsai may only bask in the title of 'pre-bonsai' for what looks like a long, long time. To prove my point, this is a citrus species which has been growing in a pot in our garden for, surprise, 6 years now ! It's all of 2 feet tall.  This is what started off the bonsai odyssey, at any rate. 

Bonsai need constant care. Most bonsai growers I know here in South India keep their bonsai on a  rooftop terrace to catch the maximum sunlight. Fertilizing fortnightly seems satisfactory for my bonsai ( they are all very young!) . I also pinch some of the shoots which get too long, especially the bougainvillea and the casuarina , which I want to look bushy, and not sparse as they do if left to grow naturally.

These images are from a visit to Veegaland, a water theme park near Ernakulam. These trees are not bonsai of course, but topiary. The root over rock formation is, however, reminiscent of bonsai techniques . One could imagine them tiny and in a pot, maybe individually rather than grouped. Amazing, aren't they?

So, my bonsai are coming along reasonably. I say reasonably, because a Carmona microphylla suddenly , inexplicably, died.  The blackened branches still protrude from the pot rather sadly. I mourned it for a few days, then decided to instead concentrate my energies on keeping the others alive.  I also acquired some new cuttings , mostly from other people's gardens .

Ficus microcarpa, Tigerbark variant

One of my bonsai in training:

Bonsai from anything , really

I read in the newspaper about a gentleman who grows  medicinal plants in bonsai form . He thought of it when he realised that these plants are gradually disappearing from our gardens, where once they were commonplace. The older generation would regularly use these plants as household remedies for common ailments, but most of us cannot even recognise the plants , let alone identify their uses !  Interesting that he chose to 'bonsai-fy' them, though .

'Different' bonsai

We hear mostly of Ficus bonsai here in the South. But who has heard of Lantana or Calliandra being used as bonsai material ?  These are not rare or unusual plants, surprisingly. Lantana is seen everywhere, growing wild in fields and also neatly kept in garden pots. The little orange, pink or white flowers blooming in profusion make a pretty picture, if you can tolerate the prickly leaves and stems. Calliandra or the 'powderpuff tree' also grows in our gardens,  and is a shrub or small tree with feathery pink flowers .( For details on these species, please visit http://www.flowersofindia.in/ , a most informative site and a fantastic venture by Ms Girija and her team. )


This is a beautiful Lantana bonsai pictured on a commercial bonsai site































Here is a picture of a Calliandra bonsai , from Amazon.com

Proud member of Kerala Bonsai Association

My Bonsai journey begins with a chance viewing of a Youtube video posted by Kairali channel . This led to a weekend trip to Nagercoil to see Mr Ravindran's Nikki Bonsai Garden, as pictured in the video. Words are not enough to describe the sheer magnitude  and beauty of this garden. I soon began on my own with a few plants purchased from his garden and some cuttings acquired on my own. The enthusiastic purchase of a bonsai book from Flipkart completed my initial inventory .

On Sunday I joined the Kerala Bonsai Association, an impressive organisation driven by the vision and enthusiasm of its president Shri Ravindran, bonsai supremo of South India, secretary Ms Jaya Nair, herself a seasoned bonsai exponent of 17 years, and numerous illustrious members. A workshop had been organised at the Kerala Raj Bhavan, as part of a plan to establish a bonsai garden in the already extensive and beautifully maintained Raj Bhavan grounds.  The sumptuous tea provided by expert catering staff kept us going through the three hours of  enthralling bonsai education.

The Association president himself  restyled and wired my casuarina bonsai in training. I left with a deep sense of gratitude and inner peace.