bonsai banzai

My brother-in-law is a bonsai artist. He drives himself to a suburban hill of Taipei and spends the day taking care of his botanic yards, from dawn to dusk, Monday through Sunday, rain or shine, for the past 37 years. 

Other than that I don't really know how he works his plants, or the artistic philosophy behind it.

He recently published a book of his works and the moment I flipped through it I was caught not only by those pictures of fine looking miniatures, but also the way he describes how they were made, using the most mundane or throw-away materials, with a most respectful, naturalist touch to the plants, to come up with these creative delights that are quite a step away from traditional bonsai making.

Here are some pictures with accompanying notes I made out of his book:

The plate is a pebble I picked up at some river bank or ocean side. The plant is 20 years old, was never metal-wired or bound up, but through fine manicuring of its branches and buds was it groomed. To put a wild child plant like this on a delicate porcelain plate would be like having me pulling grass in tuxedo, exceedingly uncomfortable. 

One might think the easy way of making this formation is to put the seed in the center hole of the rock and it will grow itself to shape. If you do so the budding root, fiercely digging its way down but cannot find a way out, will hoist itself up and crash and die.

This colorful foundation was a brick relic I picked up at a river bed, shaped by the thrashing water and the turbulent sand. Just tap a 3 centimeter hole on top of the brick and put the bamboo in. The brick is a perfect water conducing material, no need to drill any holes for drainage. 

This elegant looking piece of wood has some shallow notch on top, ideal for the red Azaleas. To make it a rowdy bunch, I added the white Prunella, then the little Coleus down below.

The home base of this plant consists of two shells, the scallop on top and the clam below. Drill a tiny hole on each and tighten them up with a screw, and a most unusual vase is formed.

Slender Araucaria swaying on a flat plate conveys a tropical laid-back meme. To prevent the Araucaria from falling on the shallow plate, grow it first on a coral piece for its root to take hold, then move them to the plate.

Cuckoo flowers are of many varieties, this one is a gift from an elderly friend. To prevent it from drying up, I often put it under shade, which in turn causes some long stem to wilt and fall for lack of sunshine. Not to worry, just cut the leaves and bring it under sunshine and it will come back standing firm and tall in no time.

Lay a hard coil mesh and some soil in the open end of a worn-out valve and put on a fat stem plant, you have a tattered seasoned-looking piece here. Reflecting on this old faithful gadget making its last contribution to the plant it helped watered all its life, and my own ragged, wrinkle-faced self, I can't help but feel at a sentimental loss for a while...

* For those interested, the book is "小自然：林國承的無盆小品植栽"

http://www.books.com.tw/products/0010638256