I went to a bonsai workshop on the weekend with my mom at Huntington Library. I think that this bonsai workshop that I went to was a very organized and productive class for kids and teens. Each kid had a volunteer bonsai expert to themselves. The class was held in a peaceful setting in a huge atrium of fiddle leaf figs and vines. I learned many new things in this class that I never knew about bonsai such as the tools you need to use, the dirt to use, different styles of bonsai, and how to water them. It was very interesting to me because of how much time it takes to grow your own bonsai and the process of making them.

My finished product was very pretty. All the volunteers kept on complementing me on how I chose the perfect plant and how I was a natural. I didn’t understand what they were talking about, I could just see some ideas of how I wanted to shape my plant. When I was done, we added some dirt and a little marker to show what was the front of the plant.

Now, a week later, the plant has not grown but is out of shock and is going to start growing soon. It has very large flowers on one end of the plant and it is very artistic. I water it every other day and that seems to be enough. I also added a pagoda and a rock to my plant to add some decorations. Overall, I am very happy with my results.

I also appreciate the art of bonsai because there are so many different ways to do your own bonsai. I purposely chose a plant with a big base and sturdy roots so that it would be hardy during it’s shock. I also chose one with not too many flowers so it wouldn’t take too much out of the plant’s energy. I learned that one of the principles of bonsai is that you can have your tree straight or slanted but there always has to be an apex where the tree is shaped kind of like a cone. There needs to be a top branch and lower longer branches towards the bottom of the plant. I also learned that you can wire your plant’s branches to shape them to how you want them to look. Over time, the branches will mature and the plant will have strong sturdy branches that look natural and artful.

I put some of the different bonsai styles below.