Chinese Bonsai, also known as Penjing, is the art of creating a miniature landscape through the use of careful pruning and artistic arrangement of Bonsai trees. The Chinese were the originators of the art and the earliest records of Chinese Bonsai date back to 200 BC. Over time the Chinese art of Penzai  spread to other Asian countries such as Korea, Vietnam and Japan. (Bonsai is the Japanese pronunciation of Penzai)

Chinese Bonsai differs from its Japanese counterpart in that it is more wild, brighter coloured and more eccentric artisically than the Japanese tradition of thick trunks and simple shapes with muted colours. Penjing also is more likely to have varied wild natural landscapes in minature whereas the Japanese style is usually to have the Bonsai tree alone in a simple container or pot. More literally, bonsai means ‘tree in a pot’ and Penjing means ‘tray scenery’. In Penjing the miniature landscape may use natural or artificial rock, soil or wood. There are 3 recognised styles of Penjing In China :

Tree Penjing (shumu penjing)

Landscape Penjing (shanshui penjing)

Water-and-Land Penjing (shuihan penjing)

All of these styles have some overlap, although some elements are more predominant than others depending on the artist’s direction.

The goal in Chinese Bonsai is to re-create a natural scene of nature in miniature form. This goal is not only about the physical placement of artistic devices, but it is also about capturing the very soul and character of the scenery the Penjing represents. This type of garden art is difficult to get right, but that is part of the challenge of bonsai. The composition must be such so that a balance is reached between beauty and practicality, the artist using each element in a precise fashion while at the same time making the landscape appear natural.
To start off creating a Penjing landscape it is advisable to obtain the four components that would look like they would work together:

a Chinese bonsai tree

a collection of rocks

a miniature sculture / animal figures, something that compliments the other items and of course the container or pot

For a Chinese bonsai, Chinese Elm is usually a good choice for beginners, and it is very popular for this reason. After this find an interesting shaped rock or collection of rocks that you think would compliment the tree. Look for something that harmonizes with the tree in some way. The next step is to find an adequate sized container for the landscape you are going to create. Shallow containers are usually used as they allow more of the tree and other components to be visible. Finally add in something that adds in a sense of scale, such as miniature farm animals, a sculpture of a horse and cart, anything that makes the landscape look interesting!

Getting the balance right between all the elements in Penjing can be difficult to get right the first time, but with a little practise the easier it becomes, the main thing is to enjoy it!

Technorati Tags: animal figures, artistic arrangment, chinese bonsai, container, japan, korea, landscape penjing, penzai, tree penjing, vietnam, water-and-land penjing

I get asked this all the time:

I have been given some seeds from (someone), can I use these to grow a Chinese bonsai tree – what do I have to do to start growing them?

Ok, so the answer to this is actually pretty simple, as all you have to do is place them in a pot of soil and water them! Yes, it really is that simple.

However, anyone growing bonsai from a seed is sure to be disappointed if they expect to see growth any time soon – it can take about 3-5 years(!) before the seedling is even ready to be transplanted into a larger pot.

It can be an interesting side project, sure, but the best way to begin in bonsai growing is to buy a young tree.

Technorati Tags: chinese bonsai

Ok, so you have your bonsai tree all ready, and you want to go about planting it. In addition to this, you have also found a nice pretty pot that goes well with said tree. Try to find a shallow tray if you want to go for an authentic Chinese bonsai landscape. The next step is to prepare this landscape container so that the tree can be planted in it.

Firstly, take the container and soak it in lukewarm water overnight. After this, leave the pot to dry for several hours. The reason we do this is to add a tiny bit of moisture to the container, if it is bone dry it may absorb moisture from the soil and adversley impact the growth of the bonsai.

Secondly, get some heavy guage wire and bend it at either end to create two loops. These loops hould be bigger than the diameter of the drainage holes so that the wire can run through but not pass through. Test this by running the wire through the first hole, tugging on it so that it is nice and snug. Next get some plastic mesh and place it over the holes. Secure the mesh by weaving the wire through from the bottom, and then weave it back down again through the mesh sitting above the hole and out through the bottom. Make sure the mesh does not have any movement and is held tight by the wire, then make another small loop. Repeat this process with the second drainage hole if one exists.

The mesh will stop the well draining soil that will later fill the tray from eroding away through the drainage holes. Finally take a third piece of wire (or second if there is only one hole) and thread it up through the first hole , along the length of the container and back down through the second. This wire will be used to hold the root ball of the bonsai tree, adding stability, which is essential especially if your container is very shallow.

Phew! Congratulations, you have just prepared your bonsai landscape tray for re-potting. An upcoming article will focus on moving the bonsai tree itself to this new one.

Technorati Tags: bonsai landscape tray, chinese bonsai landscape, re-potting, shallow tray

Let me start by saying that having specialist tools for Bonsai is not essential, though it can save a lot of time and effort. As my father used to always say “Always have the correct tools for the job” – he was right! It can be difficult  to sculpt bonsai to match your imagination without the correct equipment.

There are a wide variety of bonsai tools available that will aid in the growth and training of your Bonsai tree, here are a few that every budding bonsai artist should have in their possession.

Concave Cutter – These come in two sizes, one is for cutting small branches, the other for cutting the larger ones. If you are a beginner you will most likely only require the smaller version, unless you have started off with a big tree! The concave cutter is the single most vital tool in the budding bonsai gardener’s arsenal, as it allows a branch to be removed in a way that promotes fast healing on the branch. If you don’t have one of these, cuts made to the branches are likely to heal leaving an ugly bump over the cut area. The tool is named after the concave shape of the cut.

Butterfly Shears -This will probably be the most frequently used tool for pruning tasks. Used for a wide variety of bonsai duties, butterfly shears are the tool to use when one needs to cut through strong, thick branches and other tools won’t cut the mustard (or tree). In addition to this they are also capable of trimming overgrown areas of foliage, as well as more delicate cuts to smaller branches and leaves. Even though delicate cuts can be made to the branches can  with this tool, remember that using your fingers can sometimes be an easier and simpler method. In short, butterfly shears are the tool most suited to performing most of the cutting, trimming and pruning chores on a chinese bonsai tree.

Root Hook – This tool makes re-potting and the de-tangling of the tangled roots under the tree an absolute doddle. Used every 6 to 12 months when re-potting a bonsai tree, a root hook allows the old soil to be removed from the roots. Without this tool it is possible to cause unintended damage to the roots. Although essential, a root hook is not required for young or very small bonsai, in which case using chopsticks is a preferred alternative option. Tip: there are multiple variations of a root hook, go for the simple models that have only hook at the end instead of the models with multiple hooks, as the more advanced models are more likely to damage the roots if one is not careful.

I don’t recommend as a beginner that you buy top quality goods when starting out.The black high carbon steel cutters are cheaper than expensive top end stainless steel, and unless you have multiple trees to manage at once these will be more than adequate for the job at hand.

Have fun!

Technorati Tags: bonsai artist, bonsai tools, butterfly shears, concave cutter, sculpt bonsai

Chinese Elm is universally known as being a a good tree for beginners, so here are some interesting pictures I found on an internet forum. Chinese Elm are very good to use in Chinese bonsai works too – check out that twiggy branching!

Link taken from :http://www.pantown.com/board.php?id=2804&area=4&name=board9&topic=191&action=view

Technorati Tags: chinese elm, good tree for beginners

Chinese Bonsai should mirror the natural form of trees as they seen in the wild, and should give the impression that the bonsai structure could have been formed by natural factors.

Technorati Tags: bonsai structure, harmonize, penjing, viewing angle