Garden Stories
Garden.True.North is about gardening in Zone 4,
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
sharing thoughts, ideas and tips for all northern gardeners.
A few weeks ago, I received a gift from a neighbor of a bonsai plant that she passed along from her brother's collection. I looked over the seven she had, and picked one that I found out later is a Ficus benjamina. Good choice because it is considered one of the best for a novice. It was like taking home a puppy – love the cute little guy -- but don’t know the first thing about how to take care of it. Above: Ficus benjaminia that is now mine! I have this perception that bonsai plants are finicky, intimidating plants that can only be taken care of by bonsai masters that have studied for decades under the watchful eye of a teacher. That can be true; there is much to learn about bonsai. But it is possible to keep it simple and natural. The Ficus, I’m calling him Ben, is the perfect plant to start with. Although I must admit I’m little skittish since having initial success with bringing a Rosemary plant into the house this fall and I have to report that it died last week. Over the years I have had a limited number of houseplants. All I have left are the remnants of a multi-plant container that I bought for my desk 40 years ago. The Boston Fern, Snake Plant and Ivy are now full-grown and can withstand the lack of care that I have given them over the years. But still, I have had bonsai envy for a long time. They are so small and intriguing and can be very long-lived with specimens over hundreds of years old (mostly cared for by the aforementioned bonsai masters.) I took these pictures when visiting Longwood Gardens, Pennsylvania. Clockwise from the upper right:
While I was trying to find out how to take care of Ben, several Bonsai offerings caught my eye. And I started to feel like a plant addict. I could actually have that Japanese Maple as a bonsai plant. For those that are not familiar, Japanese Maples are solidly in Zone 5-6 definitely not suitable for my Zone 3 climate. But then I caught myself because I really don’t want to stick around the house watering and training these plants for the rest of my days.
What have I learned about bonsai?
I have enjoyed knowing a little bit more about this ancient art form and might just try to create my own bonsai with cuttings from my yard. My New Year’s resolution is to not kill Ben like I did Rosemary and not let bonsai become my next plant addiction.
3 Comments
Mike Marks
1/1/2020 03:10:14 pm
All the plants I gave Barb were beginner level, tolerant of infrequent and too frequent watering. Without enough sun, especially in the summer, they will not survive 3 years. I seem to lose about 3 of the 200 plants (50 varieties, including over a dozen different ficus) every year. I have not managed to keep a rosemary plant alive for longer than 2 years. MMM
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Sue Reinardy
1/2/2020 09:14:28 am
I've had the same experience with Rosemary, finicky she is. Thank you for the plant and the instructions. It has satisfied my bonsai envy, I am quite happy with the Ficus and can appreciate the other specimens from afar.
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1/20/2025 10:11:57 pm
The tips on selecting the right bonsai species for beginners are incredibly helpful. This will definitely assist newcomers in making informed choices.
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