Bonsai

Whenever I visit the Huntington Library and Gardens in nearby Pasadena, I am always fascinated with their extensive bonsai collection. I usually start my day walking through the Japanese Garden, ending up contemplating the lovely stone Zen garden and then strolling over to the bonsai. This beautiful trees, in miniature, capture my attention with their gnarled and weathered-looking trunks, as well as their tiny, yet perfectly formed, leaves.

While I appreciate the conifer-based bonsai, the maple trees are my favorite. They remind me of the giant maples that arched over every main street in my my small home town, New London, Ohio (Satellite Photo).

I am not sure I would ever have the skill or patience to create a decent bonsai, but this tutorial from WikiHow might be a good place to start.

How to Create a Bonsai Tree - wikiHow

Japanese maples are ideal deciduous trees for creating beautiful bonsai. Using a method called air layering, it is very easy to make a branch sprout roots that will support it after separation from the tree. By selecting a nicely shaped branch you can create a bonsai tree that will bring years of enjoyment.

With this method you can create a tree that would normally take five years or more to develop from seed or cuttings.

(Via del.icio.us/tag/garden.)