Read Ebook: All about miniature plants and gardens indoors and out by Brilmayer Bernice Bourke Kathleen Illustrator Schaefer Fritz Illustrator

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ers are seldom ornate; really they shouldn't be. They should have the grace and elegance of "expensive simplicity," which doesn't mean they are expensive. They just look as though they were. Colors are subdued, not bright or showy. As a rule to follow, darker and somber shades are used for evergreens, lighter shades for flowering plants, the specific choice depending on the color of the bloom. In shape and form, bonsai containers are simple and graceful and are selected to set off the shape or lines of the plants. Erect trunks often take shallow, rectangular containers. Hanging or weeping lines call for round containers with more depth. Square or oval containers are used for extremely delicate, graceful subjects.

Container size, of course, depends on the plants themselves. As a general rule, the smallest and most shallow container that is culturally practical, and in good proportion, is the best. In true bonsai containers, diameters range from two to twenty-five inches; depths, from one to ten inches. The accepted rule for good proportions allows the plant to occupy 80 per cent of the picture, the container 20 per cent. Should you have very small plants the ratio is slightly changed--60 per cent for plant, 40 per cent for the container. However, these figures should not be considered as hard and fast, but as a guide when purchasing containers. Your eye may tell you what is better suited for your particular plant or shrub.

PLANTING AND CARE

This is often the first thing you do for a plant that is to be grown bonsai-style. It is a procedure that is repeated regularly if your plant is to have a long life. Dwarf trees and shrubs are root-pruned so they will fit their small containers, or to make room for fresh soil when they are repotted, or to keep the root system in balance with the growth above soil that is being restricted. Pruning also keeps the roots compact, near the surface of the soil, and vigorously young. Removing old, woody roots encourages the growth of fine new ones.

When seedlings, rooted cuttings, and small newly purchased or collected plants are made ready for their first bonsai containers, they are not immediately root-pruned in a severe sense. Any roots that are dead should be trimmed off and long taproots should be cut back at least one-third. Otherwise, it's a matter of trimming off the root ball with as little disturbance as possible, just enough to fit the container.

After they have been established, plants are root-pruned when they are repotted. When roots are crowded and completely cover the soil in a close mesh, it's time to repot and root-prune. For some plants this may come once in a year, for others once in five years.

Hold the base of the trunk in one hand--your left hand if you are a right-hander. Use a dull-pointed pencil and loosen the soil around the outside. Pick away about one-third of it if the plant is established, somewhat more on younger plants. When you have finished, the soil ball should be, roughly speaking, one-fourth smaller than its container. Then, with sharp scissors, cut away all the loose root ends which you have removed from the soil. This is rather drastic surgery, although not like removing an arm and a leg of a gardener, because the plant or shrub has the happy faculty of growing new roots. However, it will need special care and protection until it is back on its feet again. Bonsai plants are root-pruned and returned to the same container year after year. None of this making each container one size larger each time the plant is moved into a new house. That's for house plants per se.

Potting soil for dwarfed trees and shrubs is particularly important. There is so little of it in small containers. In general, it should provide good drainage and aeration while also holding a certain amount of moisture. On the specific side, soil contents and textures should vary to meet the individual plant's needs.

If your plant happens to have been dug locally, take along a supply of local soil. If you happen to have purloined the plant from a neighbor's woods, purloin a little soil. It's no more of a sin to have stolen a sheep than half a sheep. In our neighborhood it is a standing joke about how many plants, flat paving stones, etc., we swipe from each other. If you have been honest enough to have bought your plant from a nursery, ask their advice on the soil. If they are not smart, although most of them are, get the reference book down off the shelf and find out whether the plant craves a mixture that is sandy, rich in humus, acid or alkaline, fine or coarse. You have a baby on your hands. Treat it right and it will award you with adulthood in bonsai. Neglect it and it will curl up and die. Mix your soil as you would a baby's formula. Remember, babies cry when the formula is faulty; plants can't. They silently pass away.

I am frequently asked how often an established tree or shrub should be repotted. It depends, first, on how fast it grows. A willow may need this attention twice a year, a conifer once in five years. A general rule is to repot flowering and fruiting plants about once a year, most deciduous varieties every other year, evergreens every three to five years. But don't follow that schedule too literally. If a tree begins to wither or look weak, if its color turns sickly and it shows no sign of growth, if its roots are so packed they hump up the soil, root-pruning and repotting are often the "shot in the arm" that can save it.

The most favorable repotting seasons vary with types of plants and the climate. Again, it's a good idea to consult some authority or reference book. In general, and in most areas, it is safe to repot evergreens, deciduous foliage varieties, and summer-or fall-flowering types in early spring before new growth begins. As for spring-flowering plants, repot immediately after flowering; for fruiting types, in early autumn before cold weather sets in.

As a side light, it is possible to use watertight containers minus drainage holes. That is rather desirable when a plant is to be displayed on finely finished furniture in the house. The container should be a shade larger than usual so that, in potting, a corner area or space along the side can be left empty and the soil sloped down toward it. If there is any standing water it will show up in this section. Just up-end the container and drain off the excess water. In the process make sure that the plant is not also drained off or disturbed. But that you will know from plain common sense.

If a pot has drainage holes, I always make sure they are partially covered with crockery or aluminum window screen so the soil will not sift down and clog the holes. To insure even better drainage, I screen the first layer so that it is coarse and granular, put a little soil on top, and then set the plant in place. In oblong or oval containers, the trunk is usually one-third of the distance from the end and a little behind the center line. Of course, that depends on the shape of the containers. In round or square containers, the plant is usually centered.

When planting, fill in the soil gradually. Use a pencil, or if you have the true Oriental feeling, a chopstick, to tuck the soil in tightly around the roots. Whatever you use, be sure to eliminate any pockets of air. Roots don't like it. As to how tightly you pack it, that depends on the type of plant and the texture of the soil. If your soil is built up around the edges and sloped toward the center, you will have a depression that will hold water until it can seep down to the roots below. Unless you have some particular plan or design, finish off the surface with a ground cover of moss, or perhaps a layer of gravel. Moss is not only an added attraction but functions as a mulch and delays the evaporation of moisture from the soil underneath.

After repotting, soak the soil thoroughly, and soak the container, which is probably dried out. Mist the foliage and remove any debris such as fallen leaves and petals. Then keep the plant sheltered for several weeks until it is re-established. Remember, it has had what a human being would regard as a major operation.

Some of the most appealing bonsai plants are grown with their roots around a rock of interesting and harmonious size, shape, color, and texture. Soft, porous tufa is especially good for this purpose because you can cut and shape it easily. You can hollow out cavities and crevices, just the place for roots to grow. Any rock should have a stable base. Please don't let it tip or wobble.

For this sort of planting, select a healthy plant in vigorous growth with roots long enough to reach down the side of the stone. Prune away any roots that are too short or dead, and remove the soil from the others. Set the base of the trunk in place on top of the rock and arrange the roots so that the tips reach down and can be buried in the soil in the container. Both roots and plant may need to be anchored in place for a while; that is, until they can stand on their own.

Such plants naturally need special watering and protection for the first few months, perhaps even for a year or so. You can help them along by rubbing soil into the roots after they are fastened in place, or covering them temporarily with a thin layer of moist moss. Should you do any repotting, be careful not to loosen the roots on the rock.

Recently, in the home of one of my Redding neighbors, I saw a bonsai arrangement that pretty much follows what I have been describing above, except that it goes it one better. This gardener, in the search for the "right" rock, had walked miles along the stone fences that divide fields, woods, and properties in our area. Eventually she found a beautifully weathered specimen with a large pocket in the top. This she filled with a rich, moisture-holding soil mixture, encasing some of the roots of her bonsai in it. Then she set the rock in water in a shallow container to help keep it moist. Someday I am going to defy the snakes that are said to lurk in the cracks and crevices of our rock walls and see if I can't find something to approximate what my neighbor discovered. I hope it will have a few lichens on it. That would be a crowning touch of age and antiquity.

These are the techniques, says one author, that "make bonsai culture an art." That statement alone is sufficient reason to invalidate just about all of the specific rules. But there are others--the wide variations among plants and types of plants, plus the personal element, the variances in personal tastes and degrees of artistry.

First, let's define the objective--a miniature tree or shrub with every part in perfect scale, the line and design of trunk and branches clearly outlined and not forced or distorted but naturally picturesque. If you start with a very small plant, a seedling, or a rooted cutting, the choice of shape and design is mostly up to you. But more mature plants almost always suggest their own form. A trunk may be slightly twisted, a branch slightly bent, the leaves or needles heavier in one area than another. You simply carry on the illusion in as natural a manner as possible.

In pruning, the first step is to remove all weak or dead wood, and any unwanted branches that cross unattractively or perhaps go off in the wrong direction. Then, you decide whether more branches should be pruned away--to reveal the basic form of the tree in general or the trunk in particular; to lighten the over-all effect; to help create the desired symmetrical or asymmetrical shape. If the plant has been root-pruned, the top should be pruned proportionally. Top growth and roots should always be kept in balance. Growing tips are pinched or cut back to encourage the development of side shoots, or merely to keep the plant in dwarf proportions.

From here on, pruning depends on the plant and the planned design. Slow-growing types may need trimming only once a year; others need constant attention. Any undesirable or excess growth is best removed while the plant is still young so the operation won't leave an unsightly scar. Needles that are too long can be cut down to proper size from time to time. Leaves that are too large and heavy can be severely thinned. Because fruit that is too plentiful can weaken a dwarfed tree severely, some of it should be removed.

At repotting time you may find a few roots immediately under the soil surface that have enlarged to such a good size they can be exposed above the soil. If possible, spread them out slightly so they form a swelling base for the trunk. This is fun, but takes a bit of doing. You don't want to end up with something that resembles an unanchored telegraph pole with leaves at the top.

Stems, branches, and trunks are trained by wiring them and then bending them along the lines you desire. Wiring is best done in the spring. New growth is just starting and the older woody parts are more supple and pliant. If the soil is left dry a few days before wiring, the wood will be even easier to work with. You can use ordinary galvanized wire. If you happen to have only copper wire, try annealing it. Hold it in a fire and then plunge it into cold water. The weight and strength of the wire will depend on the size of the trunk or branch with which you are working. Be careful not to get a wire that is so stiff you can't bend it easily.

As to the actual process, first fasten one end of the wire. Perhaps you wrap it around the trunk, or better still, stick it deeply into the soil. Next coil it rather loosely around the branch that is being trained and fasten it again at the end. Now, using both hands, bend the wired branch in the direction you want it to go. Be firm, but be gentle and cautious. Ease up if the branch shows signs of breaking or being injured. Don't hurry the job. If necessary, only bend it a little the first time. Bend it a little more the next week, and the weeks after that. If you are tempted to rush, stop and think of the bonsai creations you have seen on display at flowers shows. Usually you will have seen a card that says the creation is fifty or more years old. Be especially careful with old hardened growth or plants with tender bark that is easily bruised or broken. Most important, once you start to bend a branch, don't change your mind and try to bend it back the original way. It will almost surely die. Plan before you act.

Depending on the type and age of the plant, wires may be left in place for six months, a year, or even more. However, watch carefully for signs that the plant is being choked or disfigured due to heavy growth.

There are also some easy ways to train parts of plants without wiring them. Branches can be pulled down to a horizontal line by looping soft cord around them and hitching it to the container. They can be made to hang down, or weep, by hanging weights at the tips. If you want to straighten a trunk, tie it with something strong, like raffia, to a straight bamboo stake. To narrow a wide fork between two branches, pull them together with raffia. To widen a fork, prop it apart with a light wooden wedge.

Whether you have a collection of bonsai growing on tables or benches, or perhaps just a few plants, in summer give them outdoor growing quarters where there is a free circulation of air. Full sunlight is good except during the hottest weeks or months. Be careful to protect them against hot, drying winds and burning sun, which they cannot stand. Being in small containers, excessive heat or dryness is dangerous. We had some old bamboo shades that once enclosed our porch which were good protection. We also had some lath screens which came in handy. Lacking either, hang up old sheets or sections of burlap. You can help by keeping it moist with the garden hose.

Many factors determine how often your plants should be watered--age, type, size, how recently they were repotted, size of root system, and the usual climatic conditions such as temperature and humidity. About the only concrete thing I can say is that your plants will resent neglect, and will show it. Newly potted plants should be kept moist constantly until they begin to make new growth or show other signs that they have recovered from pruning and transplanting. For plants that are established, the ideal is limited moisture in the soil. Don't keep it so wet that rank growth is encouraged. And please beware of rot. That is one of the most evil of evils when you are too generous with the watering can. At the other extreme, the soil shouldn't be so dry that the plant wilts beyond recovery. You, as a grower, will have to determine this for yourself. I do it by feeling the soil in the container. If it feels moist to the fingers, no water is needed. Let it feel dry and it probably needs a drink. When you do water, be thorough. Make sure the soil is so completely moistened that the excess water runs out the drainage hole in the bottom of the container.

There is a definite, delicate balance between too much and too little fertilizer for a bonsai plant. Too much food and it grows too large and is loaded with large foliage, flowers, and fruit. If you feed it too sparingly, it will suffer from malnutrition. I most certainly wish I could give you an exact rule to use. I fear no one can. Requirements differ for different plants. All I can offer is a few basic principles. The rest is up to you.

For the first few months after you have repotted a plant in fresh soil, withhold all fertilizer. Don't fertilize a plant that is weak or sick or approaching dormancy, and don't fertilize when the soil in the pot is dry. Be alert to fading leaf color, reluctant growth, and all similar signs that a plant is suffering for want of nutrients. These signs may be most apparent during the spring season of most active growth.

Organic fertilizers such as bone meal, liquid manure, or fish emulsion are usually recommended, and should be used sparingly in weak solutions. The purpose of this feeding is to keep the plant healthy but still small, and not to encourage larger growth.

My bonsai plants are much too precious to take chances with any sort of infection or insect infestation. As a preventative, I use an all-purpose aerosol bomb regularly, according to directions on the label. Constantly I keep a sharp eye for any signs of trouble. Thank goodness, up to now I have had no serious threats, but should they come along, there is a remedy I have used on other plants. I would dip them, container and all, in an appropriate solution, thus making sure it would penetrate every crevice and cover every surface. For outdoor bonsai and the problems most likely to beset plants while in their summer quarters, I have elsewhere discussed insects and diseases of trees and shrubs. Those general principles also apply to bonsai.

In areas where freezing temperatures are the rule or, as here in Connecticut, where temperatures are much lower, dwarfed potted trees and shrubs should spend the winter where the soil in the small containers will not freeze. We have a tight cold frame where we plunge the pots into the soil, then cover everything with straw and salt hay. Those who happen to have an unheated porch, one that is glassed in, but where the temperature does not go below freezing, have a good winter quarters. But, be careful, don't let the soil in the containers dry out completely. Keep a watchful eye.

After that warning, may I offer another. Please don't coddle plants by keeping them warm in the house or greenhouse. A cool period of complete rest is often very beneficial, or even a touch of frost.

MINIATURE GARDENS IN THE LANDSCAPE

A picturesque surprise on a gently sloping, sunny bank could be a wind-blown mugho pine beside an outcropping rock that's lightly draped by a sprawling cotoneaster, with colorful sempervivums clustered at the base. Or in the light shade at the base of a clump of white-barked birches, there could be a group of dwarf rhododendrons displayed against dark, humus-rich soil or a pine-needle mulch. On a patio or terrace, it could be a contemporary grouping of low, fluffy juniper, perennial lavender, and water-polished rocks.

These are miniature gardens--not complete landscaping plans for small properties, but appealing plantings that often pop up in unexpected places and bring beauty into otherwise unusable or undecorated areas. They're gardens because, by definition, they are groups of plants that achieve an effect a single plant could not create alone. They're miniature gardens because they occupy small space, and because most of their plants are of miniature proportions. Properly designed and executed, they're equally effective in large grounds or small, with contemporary suburban homes, in informal settings, and even on estates with traditionally formal landscapes.

There's a special enchantment in these miniature gardens. The eye is attracted by their modesty and restraint, and by the utterly natural way they seem to suit the scene. Each plant is seen intimately, in close-up; its character is revealed in each small detail. And in these gardens the creator can express his individuality so easily; seldom does a design even resemble the one next door.

Part of the appeal, of course, lies in the charm of miniature plants--tiny annuals and perennials, small or slow-growing evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, available in amazingly wide variety if you take the trouble to find them. There are also frequent opportunities to use inert objects with special effect. Small gardens can be designed as settings for works of art or products of the hand-craftsman--ceramic bowls and urns, authentic wrought-iron grilles, wood carvings, statuary, sundials, pools, even fountains and waterfalls. Or a garden may be designed with a background of well-placed rock, a tree stump, or a piece of driftwood. A bench, arch, gate, antique hitching post, or well-house may inspire a miniature planting. Inanimate ground covers such as gravel are often a definite part of the design.

In some ways miniature gardens are easier to design than, for example, standard items such as flower beds and foundation plantings. It's easier to achieve originality. Mistakes are usually small and easily corrected. On the other hand, really good design is more critical than in large plantings where space can swallow errors and provide lucky effects. In miniature, even a minor defect shows up immediately, and may be a major calamity.

DESIGNING MINIATURE GARDENS

The first and basic requisite is an idea the garden is to express, a theme for the picture it is to create. The objective may be to embellish some neglected nook, disguise an unattractive corner, feature an unusual plant or art object, soften the lines of a small pool and blend it with its surroundings. Once the goal is set, it is pursued without deviation. For example, a featured plant is kept dominant--not necessarily in size, but always in visual importance--and everything else is subordinate. A pool planting does not become so elaborate that the beauty of mirrored reflections or rippling water is lost.

In both conception and execution the design for a miniature garden should be in harmony with its surroundings. Nearby buildings may call for certain harmonious lines and proportions. Land contours, and constructions such as walls and steps, may dictate size and shape. The architecture of a house and its landscape has a style that should not be violated.

Our Connecticut landscape demands informal or naturalistic design in no uncertain terms. Straight lines and formal geometric shapes would be not only out of place, but practically impossible to achieve. The land's slopes and rises call for beds with flowering curves. Points of interest such as massive lichen-trimmed boulders, gnarled old trees, or a winding stream are sublimely situated by nature's unerring instinct for what looks right. We've merely cleaned them up and made the most of them.

For not-too-modern houses built on regularly shaped, level lots, some sort of formal design is easier to achieve and much more suitable. In the traditional style, elements of equal size and weight balance each other. There is strict adherence to a predetermined pattern. Identical beds may make a formal dooryard garden, for example; matching groups of plants may ornament opposite sides of a gateway.

For houses of contemporary architectural style there are gardens of contemporary design, often featuring paved areas and patterns with distinct angles and curves. Plantings are based on the tone, texture, and form of the plants themselves. The object of interest is off-center, balanced by a larger area of subdued importance.

Miniature gardens should be not only in harmony with the style of the surroundings, but also in proper proportion. A birdbath with miniature roses planted underneath can look lost in the center of a spacious lawn, but could be in correct scale for a niche or arch in a brick wall.

Simplicity is extremely important. The smaller the space, the faster it will take on a spotty, cluttered look when crammed with too many different plants. The smaller the space and the plants, the more care and thought should be given to combining various types, forms, textures, and colors for best effect.

In addition to aesthetic principles, there are practical aspects to designing miniature gardens. Any site should be checked for cultural and environmental conditions that favor healthy plant growth. Is a wall so high it throws too much shade for sun-loving plants? Is an area too exposed in winter for questionably hardy plants? Is the spot so low that water collects and stands in the soil, making it suitable only for bog plants?

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