The popularity of bonsai has grown tremendously over the past few years.
Taking into account our current lifestyle and interests, garden centers, hardware stores, and even modern furnishing emporiums now sell bonsai, and bonsai clubs are attracting a growing number of young people eager to learn how to grow miniature trees.
Growing bonsai trees is easy; they can be grown in windows that are not too bright or too hot, or even in bathrooms. Furthermore, depending on whether you live in a cold or temperate climate, bonsai can thrive both inside and outside.
See Types of bonsai trees for all the bonsai trees you can grow.
Benefits of bonsai
Bonsai provide diverse forms of pleasure to their owners. Several reasons can be cited for growing bonsai, including:
1. Freedom of self-expression
Bonsai is a form of art and you are the artist. It provides the same enjoyment as painting a picture or designing a flower garden. There are also certain guidelines rules of bonsai, however, you have the option of following them or experimenting with something different.
2. Increasing the quality of life
When you ask gardeners why they enjoy gardening, you are likely to hear about the satisfaction of growing healthy plants and watching them grow and change over time. The act of nurturing a living object may satisfy your desire to contribute to something outside of yourself.
3. The sense of serenity
You can experience the same sense of inner peace that you experience on a long outdoor hike without leaving your home, because bonsai is nature’s theater in miniature. Contemplating nature by observing your bonsai, that represents self-contained and refined natural world , provides a sense of peace and awe.
4. Improved social life
There are thousands of bonsai enthusiasts around the world who share your interest. A wide variety of clubs abound in North America, on the Internet, and overseas, bringing diverse people together. In addition to sharing their passion for the art of bonsai, these bonsai enthusiasts also provide their peers with information about how to grow and maintain their bonsai plants.
5. Health benefits
Bonsai can also provide several health benefits:
- Stress Reduction: Caring for a bonsai tree can be a calming and meditative activity. It can help reduce stress levels and improve overall well-being.
- Air Purification: Bonsai trees can help purify the air by absorbing pollutants and producing oxygen. This can improve the air quality in your home or office.
- Improved Focus: Taking care of a bonsai requires attention to detail and patience, which can help improve focus and concentration.
- Mindfulness: Bonsai cultivation is a slow and intentional process that requires mindfulness and being in the present moment.
6. Making a connection with history
Since 2,000 years ago, people have been making bonsai. Over the years, pruning and shaping bonsai techniques have evolved, as well as guidelines for naturalistic or exaggerated styling. By combining these styles and techniques with your own ideas and methods, you become a part of bonsai history and connect with other bonsai artists, enthusiasts, and growers of the past.
7. Gift of long life from generation to generation
You can expect your bonsai to thrive as long as you take good care of it. Nature has some trees that live for hundreds of years. It is possible for bonsai trees to live much longer than that; some specimens are more than 1,000 years old. A bonsai tree can last more than a lifetime. It is often passed down from generation to generation within a family and represents the combined creative essence of those who care for it.
8. Decor for your house
With its sculptural traits, bonsai is an excellent addition to any living space. Its striking lines, harmonious balance, and portrayal of nature make it a focal point in indoor or outdoor settings. It is true that not all bonsai species can survive indoors, but some can thrive in a house or apartment with dim lighting and a dry atmosphere. See the details in: Indoor bonsai trees
9. Bringing nature inside your home
In nature, trees such as ficus can reach a height of 60 feet. The art of bonsai gives you the opportunity to grow it indoors and display a tree in a limited space. Imagine growing a miniature forest inside your home!
10. Multi-seasonal interests and special effects
Similar to the trees outside your home experiencing the changing seasons, your bonsai also reflects the changing mood of different seasons. There are some bonsai that change their look with the onset of a new season. For example, the Asian Jasmine bonsai will change the color of its foliage with each season.
The effect of flowering and fruiting on a bonsai tree certainly elevates the bonsai to the next level. For instance, crab apple bonsai produces fruits, Serissa foetida (tree of thousand stars) producing cluster of flowers, or fall color of Japanese maple bonsai.
