ZEN AND THE ART OF BONSAI MAINTENANCE
Gardeners are pretty good at the mindfulness thing. Much of gardening is by its very nature mindful – it requires the observant, patient care of living things, with regular rituals of watering, feeding and nurture. And nowhere is this more true than with the ancient art of bonsai.
The term ‘bonsai’ is Japanese, and means ‘planted in a shallow container’, but the practice of small-tree care and cultivation actually originated in China. It was adopted by the Japanese, Zen Buddhists in particular, more than 1,000 years ago.
Bonsai trees are ordinary species of tree grown as dwarf versions, generally with the intention of preserving the natural appearance of a fully-grown tree as it is found in nature.
