INTRICATE displays of delicate bonsai trees delighted visitors at Port Stephens Community Arts Centre’s recent annual bonsai exhibition.
Dozens of the tiny trees in all shapes and colours were on show – some standing alone, others in small forests.
The art of growing and shaping miniature trees in containers, bonsai evolved over centuries in Japan.
Far from being a passive experience, exhibition patrons were able to attend a free demonstration by bonsai expert Melanie Delaney to learn the secrets to creating and caring for a bonsai.
She says the most difficult part is stopping.
“It’s an addiction,” Delaney said.
“I take cuttings all the time. You end up with hundreds of bonsai.”
Formerly an IT specialist, Delaney pursued a Diploma of Horticulture and joined the Port Stephens Community Arts Centre.
Her passion for bonsai was sparked by a client commission to design a Japanese-style courtyard garden.
Delaney particularly enjoys working with Australian native trees.
“It’s a lot more rewarding growing things that you can actually see full size,” she said.
“You can understand how they grow in the environment, and the climate they need.”
Her demonstration was conducted with non-native maple trees grown from the cuttings of a bigger bonsai and carefully arranged to form a forest.
While growing bonsai requires the correct care and irrigation, the visual aspect is just as important.
There are a lot of tricks to making a composition look natural, such as selecting a variety of trees and placing the biggest to the front.
“You need an odd number of trees,” Delaney said.
“In nature, nothing is an even number.
“If you look around and you start counting things in groups, they are always in odd numbers.”
While it may seem daunting, Delaney explained that anyone can grow bonsai, especially with the support of a group that can look after each other’s plants if the need arises.
The community arts centre encourages residents to join its bonsai group. Starting is easy: just follow their cheat sheet.
By Nico LOMBARDO
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