At the mention of bonsai, not a few people refer to it as works of art with high-end grade, rarely associated with ordinary people's life. In fact, with the reputation of "Nature on Palm", such small-sized miniature bonsai is very suitable for ordinary families to view and admire due to small occupancy. More and more city dwellers, who are advocating green life and spiritual independence, are attracted by its delicacy and characteristics of much in little. It has become a fashionable lifestyle to care for and enjoying miniature bonsai in spare time at home as a way of adorning life.
Miniature bonsai is also known as "Bonsai on Palm", for the small size and low weight make it possible to be viewed on palm. There are even smaller ones able to stand on finger, hailed as "Bonsai on Finger". So to what extent can a bonsai be counted as a miniature bonsai? Standards vary in different periods, gradually from the previous plant heightstandard of no more than 10 cm, to 15 cm, 20 cm, till 25cm nowadays. There are unique rules related to miniature bonsai in terms of material selection, shaping, conservation management, and appreciation, which are "much in little, minority over majority and simpleness above complexity". In general,it is dedicated to depicting beautiful scenery of trees, mountains, rivers and lakes in nature through modeling as simple as possible.
Containers & Ornaments
Containers of miniature bonsai are required to be small and exquisite, elegant with classic simplicity, instead of being colorful with garishness, with materials of red stoneware, ceramic, porcelain, stone, etc., in shapesofcircle,cylinder, rectangle, square, hexagon, abnormity, etc. Small-sized teapot, teacup, teabowl and similar others are also available, for novel and chic shapes, but it is better to punch holes at the bottom to facilitate drainage, in avoidanceof macerating roots.
In addition, the reasonable application of ornaments, with images of characters such aschess playing, drinking, reading, reciting poetry, woodcutter and cowboy, animals such as horse, cattle, deer and crane, as well as boat, raft, various pavilions, bridges, towers and others, is indispensible to create artistic conception and increase connotation, together with ornament of moss, arrangement of appreciating stone, match of grasses such as Sedum Lineare, ShortleafLilyturf, and Acorus Gramineus, as well as support of antique shelf and frames.
Bonsai Shaping
As the saying goes, "The sparrow may be small but it has all the vital organs." Miniature bonsai, with small size, are divided into plants bonsai, rocks bonsai and bonsai combining trees and rocks. Moreover, there are a series of shaping for each category; for example, various shaping such as Straight, Oblique, Twist, Double-Stem, Waterside, and Cliff are available for plants bonsai. Plants can be chosen among woody plants and herbaceous plants, with flowers, foliage, fruit, or succulent of appreciation value. No matter what category the plant belongs to, small and thin branches and leaves, as well as vigorous stem of classic elegance are required so as to present the charm of ancient trees in nature, in the way of much in little. In order to show these characteristics within a small container, through small-sized shaping, the reasonable application of techniques such as trimming, twisting, root lifting, transplanting is in demand.
Conservation Management
Miniature bonsai should be managed according to specific habit and characteristic of each plant. Most miniature bonsai are usually kept by burying small container within a larger one, so as to avoid speedy evaporation, dry branches and leaves, and even death caused by small growing space. Pay attention to clipin and timely cut off branches which influence shaping, in order to keep exquisite modeling. Keep the soil moist without hydrops at ordinary times, and apply small-amount fertilizer frequently to ensure sufficient nutrient supply, so as to promote plant growth.When it is displayed to view, remove it from the larger container, clean up soil and cover moss on the surface of the small container, with appropriate shaping and decoration of ornament stone or other appreciation accessories, andthen place it in small frames or antique shelves for appreciation. After viewing or blossom falling, return it back to original place for rigorous recovery. Succulent plants, with good drought resistance in itself, rarely affected without watering for several days, can be placed in sunny balcony or on the windowsill for appreciation in a long period.
