We visited a local resident’s stunning bonsai collection recently and were reminded of how healing the process can be…

The word Bonsai (盆栽) literally means "tray planting," and was born in China over 1,300 years ago. 800-1000 years ago the Japanese version ‘took root’ but the western fascination for the subject really only became mainstream following the first Karate Kid film (1984) in which the Master teaches the pupil, Daniel. ‘to think only tree’ - attaining mindfulness through a focus nurturing the Bonsai, which of course became one of the key lessons Daniel would need to apply to his practice of Karate.

From a technical perspective, a simple description of Bonsai would be that it is the miniaturisation of trees and the landscape they would naturally sit in. Despite the fact that many man-hours and years of painstaking care are involved in rearing a bonsai, and there are many specific styles which traditional bonsai technique dictate, the aim is that there be no obvious indications that the Bonsai’s creator has shaped it. That is where a true Bonsai Master excels and why they are respected as artists - no different to a painter or a sculptor.

Bonsai is an art form that celebrates the connection of the tree with the human heart. The bonsai artist works with the tree to bring out its essence. Doing so can be a form of meditation, or mindfulness, as the plant and bonsai artist come together to grow a new story—a connecting story that weaves together that of the tree and that of the artist.

Local resident and long-time Bonsai aficionado, Jeff. Recently suffered the loss of his soulmate and wife through Cancer. I asked him whether working on the Bonsai helped him through the process and about his personal experience of dedicating himself to the art form which he began practising 25 years ago - collecting oak seedlings out of the gutters around the oval after football training.

“It’s easy to lose yourself in Bonsai, which is to say that you leave so much of your world behind when you are tending to the trees, The world of trees can be just as complicated as what you have left behind. They require watering, leaf pinching, trimming, root pruning, mossing, wiring, protection from the wind or sun, repotting, repositioning and more… but all these things can only be done with a sense of service and devotion. The result is constructive and beautiful, and just knowing that the tenacious and gracious little tree may outlive you is a wonderful source of inspiration.” Jeff said.

Some of Jeff’s outstanding collection (above) laying testament to the love and care he has provided them over the years. In this area they are framed by gorgeous red roses - the flower most associated with romantic love and somehow a poetic statement in this case…

Jeff’s wife, Bridget, used to refer to the Bonsai as his ‘babies’ and just as in the case of children, the responsibility of keeping them healthy and looking their best is one that can’t be ignored without potentially dire consequences…