The streets of Gandia were full of life with the ‘Fira I festes 2003’ festivities that were held earlier this month and began with the traditional parade of the ‘Tío de la Porra’. A number of different shows and exhibitions were held over the four days and the main event was the concert by ‘Oreja de Van Gogh’, currently the biggest selling band in Spain. But one of the most interesting exhibitions was held at the gardens of the Casa de Cultura where over 20 bonsai trees were on display. The exhibition was organised by the Club Bonsai Safor that is based in Gandia. Having never seen a bonsai tree I was more than surprised to find so many in the centre of the town so I took the opportunity to speak to one of the ‘experts’ there. However, Alejandro Peris says he is not an expert, although bonsais have been a hobby of his for over five years, though he is always learning new things about the subject. According to Peris, keeping and growing Bonsai is not as hard as you may believe. They are no more difficult to look after than most houseplants, needing food, water and light to survive. However most bonsai are not houseplants. Bonsai is an ancient art form that originated in China, known as Pen-Jing, where it is still popular today, however, the Japanese were the major influence on bonsai in western culture. The term bonsai literally means ‘a plant in a tray’, the generally accepted meaning, however is a tree in a pot. The aim of bonsai is to capture the beauty, and strength of an ancient tree, without showing that the tree is produced by the ‘hand of man’. Peris explains that the art of bonsai involves the bringing together of tree, and pot in visual harmony. Bonsai may have one or more trees, these being referred to as group plantings. Trees in a group planting should be of the same species; mixed species plantings with rocks, and ornamental figures are called ‘Saikei’. Bonsai are classified by styles, relating to the trunk angle, shape or the number of trunks, formal upright, informal upright, slanting, cascade, and group planting. They vary greatly in size from ‘shito bonsai’ trees, grown in containers the size of a thimble, to trees needing several men to move. A bonsai should have a well-tapered trunk, and have branches all around the tree to give the bonsai visual depth. The lower part of the trunk should be visible to show its ‘power’. It is assumed, Peris continues, that age is a prerequisite for bonsai though this is not the case. There are several techniques available to the bonsai grower to increase the apparent age. Branches on young trees are wired down for as long as needed, to encourage them to set into the desired position, increasing the impression of age. Also the removing of some of the bark, and subsequent carving of the exposed wood adds to the effect of an ancient tree that has suffered a trauma many years ago. I wondered if bonsai is an expensive hobby and according to Peris it does not have to be. If you create your own trees, the only thing you would have to purchase are pots, and sundries such as wire, feed, and compost. Create your own tree? A bonsai may be developed from any woody plant (tree or shrub), however there are a few things to keep in mind: 1-A bonsai is the tree, and the pot. 2-The trunk is what gives the tree its “stature”, poor trunks make poor bonsai. Ideally the trunk should have a good taper, with a good root formation visible at soil level. 3-Bonsai have larger branches at the bottom of the tree; the branches decrease in size as they get nearer the top of the tree. The distance between the branches decreases the nearer the top of the tree they are. 4-There should be ‘negative’ (open) areas between the branches; this gives the impression of a tree rather than a shrub. 5-A bonsai may have areas of dead wood to give an impression of age.
I have never been a keen gardener though these miniature trees intrigued me. Another interesting fa
