Easton Courier
Easton Garden Club talk highlights the artistry of bonsai
Feb 23, 2008

by Laura Modlin
Correspondent





The term “high maintenance” may have entered the American vernacular in the late 80s, but it could have easily been used by anyone tending bonsai trees during the past 2,000 or more years.

The Easton Garden Club learned just how extensive a routine tending to these trees can be when Dr. Bernard Gastrich, former president and current teacher at the Yama Ki Bonsai Society at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, spoke at its February meeting last Wednesday.

Much about the history of bonsai is indecisive. Its origins are believed to be in China thousands of years ago but the exact timing is undetermined. The Chinese word for the art form is “penjing.” The Japanese named it bonsai.

One thing is certain, though. If a bonsai plant is nurtured correctly it can last many years. Dr. Gastrich, who lives in Pound Ridge, N.Y., has approximately 100 trees in his collection with one estimated at 250 years of age.

Dr. Gastrich equates bonsai with poetry. He said bonsai is not meant to duplicate nature, but to create illusions. He believes bonsai is particularly popular in Japan because of how it helps people manage their lives in the midst of so much activity.

“It’s such a crowded, busy country,” Dr. Gastrich said. “[Bonsai creates] a little island of calm in an intense society.”

Bonsai trees are not miniature trees by nature. They are cuttings from a variety of tree species that are crafted into detailed forms through highly specific practices handed down for generations. Stones or moss may also be added to bonsai designs for aesthetics.

One of the most important aspects of bonsai is keeping the roots in good working order, according to Dr. Gastrich.

“This is the plant’s intake system and a percentage needs to be replaced every several years,” he said.

This practice also helps keep the plant small.

There are a variety of watering techniques for these plants, all of which require artful precision. The roots are kept short to accommodate the small pots, creating specific watering requirements. The pots themselves present a challenge to bonsai growers because smaller pots tend not to drain as well as larger ones.

Exposure to the sun and wind can quickly dry a bonsai tree to the point of drought, so vigilant attention to a tree’s hydration is imperative, Dr. Gastrich noted.

Nevertheless, he believes all the effort required is worthwhile. At the age of 76, Dr. Gastrich’s relationship with bonsai for the past 36 years has been of great value.

“This has fulfilled the part of me that never played a musical instrument or painted,” he said.

It has been his form of creative expression, he added.

Cynthia Carlson, who organized the event for the garden club, said bonsai is a very “artistic aspect of horticulture.”

“It’s always interested me,” she said. “I went to the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford and they recommended him [Dr. Gastrich]. Some members’ personal gardens might include bonsai.”

Sabine Weiland, co-president of the garden club, felt the presentation illustrated the beauty nature can bring to people’s lives.

“We appreciate bonsai as part of the diversity of horticulture,” she said. “It’s a melding of poetry and horticulture.”

Hove Herrmann, co-president of the garden club, was inspired by Dr. Gastrich’s presentation.

“It was so impressive to listen to someone who clearly demonstrates a true passion for what must be his lifestyle as opposed to his hobby,” she said. “We all enjoyed learning about the techniques of creating bonsai as well as how to maintain an established plant.”

© Copyright 2008 by Hersam Acorn Newspapers