Love your art Love your BONSAI......

I have been involved in this art field for the past 4 years and have been learning quite a few things about Bonsai. But, I believe, that there yet a lot to learn since true experience comes with years and years of hard work and patience. Whenever I see anybody’s fully grown beautiful bonsai, I try to find out how I can improve upon my bonsais. I have been experiencing this ever since I am just a kid. And this article focuses on kids like me who have an interest in this field and wish to develop themselves better.
LOVE YOUR BONSAI

One of the most crucial aspects of bonsai making is that you need to love your (pre)bonsai. Let us take an example, when our children do not fare well in class, we lovingly advise them and push them to do better next time. Similarly, we should not neglect our plants in any case, especially if they are not looking good at present !!. Always feel that “mera bhi number aayega” and to make sure to succeed, go an extra mile and stay committed to your vision because any bonsai master pieces plant can never be created without any master’s hardwork.
However, the idea is not to work daily on the same bonsai, but only when customized treatment is required. Keep in mind that you should not tamper your bonsai very often. Let them grow properly, and wait for the right season for the right work. When you go to any bonsai session, workshop etc. and watch masters working on plants without fear, it is definitely inspiring. However, when it comes to your bonsai, do not apply the same treatment at a time. But, think twice, thrice, if necessary and then go for it; else wait for the correct season to administer the correct treatment like trimming, pinching, repotting and mainly chopping your plant.

YOUR BONSAI YOUR CREATION
Very first step towards making a good bonsai is the selecting the Pre Bonsai Material. On one hand, a bonsai artist can make a very good bonsai within just 1 or 2 years or say give better results than others. On the other hand, having a very straight and thin trunk plant takes more than 10 years to develop as bonsai. So, first step of learning in bonsai is SELECTING PRE BONSAI PLANT.

Some times in our ignorance, we buy plants to make beautiful collection of any species. But just because somebody has an imli(Tamarindus Indica) plant, it is not necessary that you should have imli plant. Keep in mind that you are selecting a pre bonsai plant with some future planning, not to make collection. You should always strive to have something different and unique.


So, whenever you go to buy a plant, or collect from nature, see the future potential and make up your mind as to how long it will take to make the perfect bonsai shape and then collect it. Do not make a large collection like any other, but create a good quality bonsai. Keep in mind that your bonsai is your creation ,not your collection.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF.
Whenever we meet any famous bonsai artist or any master, they suggest “Keep patience”. That is 100% necessary. Further, I feel that together with patience, the main thing is to believe in our own self. Most masters have started from scratch and their bonsais are their own identity and their own creation. So, you develop your own identity and your bonsais will look better when the time comes.
Do something special, apart from the prescription and make your identity.
· You must love your creation.
· Give full respect to your plants.
· Please admire other’s work but do not compare your creation with others.
· You must simple love your creation and yourself too for having created it.

HEALTH IS REAL WEALTH
You should make your bonsai plant very healthy, so that they can survive in any adverse circumstances. “jo andar hey vohi bahar dikhega!” . To this end, make sure that the manure is healthy and as per the requirements of the plant (species).
Ask your leaders, masters, and teachers about the type of manure required for your plant in your resident climate. This is the only which is long time action in the entire bonsai building activity. So, whenever you do repotting, make sure that your manure is 100% appropriate for your plant as per the resident climate. In this context, it becomes very important that you wait for the correct repotting season.

Further, NPK, urea, additional fertilizers and other boosters works like COMPLAN, HORLICS AND BOURNVITA. One simple question for you…if you drink only milk with complan or horlics or bournvita, does that mean that you do not require any other food? Your daily lunch and dinner is your manure and if you want your plants to be healthy, make the manure the perfect and than use additional fertilizers. Your manure should be like heaven for your plant where your plant is always smiling.


THINK LIKE A BEGINNER BUT WORK LIKE A MASTER
While starting work on any plant like styling, cutting, wiring, pinching, pruning, chopping, shaping etc., even a seasoned Bonsai master thinks very often like a beginner. It means that you should think a lot about the future shape and size of your bonsai and should let your creativity go wild. You must never bring in your past experience in this arena. In addition, it is pertinent to create the complete project in your mind before the actual execution. As someone once said, “Well Planned is Half Done”.
Once planned, you have to bring in all the skills you have in your bag and let yourself enjoy the process of creation. Even if you a beginner, believe your instincts and give bonsai any desired shape. Do not be afraid of losing. Just believe in yourself and bring out the Bonsai Master in you.

DO NOT WORK WHEN YOU ARE MENTALY UPSET
Please do not work on your bonsai when you are mentally upset. You must work with a fresh and relaxed mind and take your own time before applying any treatment like pruning, pinching, repotting, wiring, shaping, and most importantly chopping your plant.
Your heart should hum happily “Kya se kya ho gayaaaaaaaaa” when finishing the bonsai work.

DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
Bonsai styles mentioned on the internet and in books just act as guidelines. But your plant is very special child, so give it a different look. Study all the styles and formats of bonsai. Just keep your bonsai in a triangular shape and give it a natural look and a beautiful apex. Most parents think that my child will be a good doctor, engineer, sports man, and famous musician etc. but do they wish their child be a good farmer? Just think, your child can be a famous farmer! Can’t a farmer be as famous as any other dancer???
Make your bonsai different from all, so that your master says with pride
“kya baat , kya baat , kya baat”!!

SEE THE NATURE ACROSS YOU.
Take inspiration from the nature. Observe the trees available around you. How they grow, how they survive and the shape they get into when it becomes a full grown tree. In our tropical country, most of the trees are full of foliage and grown with a wide look. So, make your bonsai like that and treat your bonsai like that. I assure you if you will follow the nature , your bonsai will live a long life. When you travel on your two wheeler/four wheeler, observe the trees around you, but take care of yourself from roadside accidents. It happens to me! And so, I advise you to take care. Best way is to watch trees from the train window!

LEARN FROM ALL.
Bonsai is a life long art and so we must learn each and every time and in throughout our life. So, learn from all your masters, from books, from internet, from your leaders, and from the fresh artists also. But when your plant matters, use your all skills, your relations, your experience and then go for it.

Normally I learn bonsai from the internet and from the nature, mainly from the trees around me. In this century of instant communication, internet is our best friend. So, write up the blogs, join face book and send emails that saves time and paper. You also get good knowledge with photographs from all around the world. It may be so that you may not be able to attend workshops of any world famous bonsai master, but you can see their creation or can learn from them through your desktop.

GROW MORE TREES.
If you make one bonsai, than plant a tree on the earth. Take this resolution for ever, so, we can make our earth much more beautiful.
This can be the truth in the year 2020
Well, this article is not related to global warming, but I will suggest that we grow more trees for our new generation. Subscribers of nichin bonsai are habituated to seeing very beautiful bonsais in the magazine.

To conclude, this is my first article on bonsai. Throughout the journey in bonsai art, I wish to go very far in this art form. I have lots of ideas and opinions in my mind, but all cannot be furnished at the same time. The thoughts explained in this article are solely mine and it is upto you, my dear readers to adopt whatever you wish.

YOUR BONSAI FRIEND FOREVER Parag Mehta (Ahmedabad)