My Bonsai

I’ve been growing a bonsai for about 5 years now, I pulled this “Chinese Maple” sapling that was growing into our fence and decided I would try my hand at making it into a bonsai. I’m definitely no expert, and I initially followed the advice of a friend of mine who is pretty clued up. Apparently when you first uproot it you need to let it sit in whatever you potted it in for at least one to two years, so the new root hairs can take. Only after this period can you re-pot it.

It’s a very long process and you only see it taking shape over the years, I don’t know all the traditional shapes they’re supposed to take, so I’ve just been shaping it as I go, twisting the trunks and branches around one another into a shape that I think fits my little tree.

It’s a very calming process, I guess anything to with gardening is, but it’s nice to have a little project, and a project that could span a lifetime – maybe one day I can pass on a 40 or 50 year old bonsai onto someone.

I managed to get this picture before all the leaves had fallen off for winter.