Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Project by Travel Man# 3 - Bonsai: How to make one as added attraction for your garden

The Japanese people is known for innovating nature's natural beauty.One of it is making miniature trees or the popularly known art of bonsai.

When I was at the Koyo Dockyard of Mihara city, way back the last weekend of March 2011 as may maiden experience on being a seafarer, I was enthralled by miniature pine trees planted along the alleys of the nearby garden. As if I was in a place called Lilliputians (courtesy of Gulliver's travel) where everything are small or in miniature shapes.

Bon means tree and sai means tray. The period of making bonsai tree is as easy as having a science experiment. It's healthy for our minds. You can imitate it, but you can never copy the originality of a bonsai maker. If you're going to make a career out of it, you must be ready of the accolades that will be fired on you by your potential admirers. Are you ready? Hop in for a Bonsai-Making ride.

First you must buy a clay tray that is suited for the plant that you'll plant on it. If not or the market is far but you want to make one in a jiffy, you can choose a rectangular Tupperware. Mine is a red rectangular one and it's stashed in the corner of the dirty kitchen. Well, it's time to prove that it's still reusable. Recycling idle items can be both awesome and environment-friendly.

If you still remember the inner layer of the earth, you can imitate the layer by putting it on the tray. You can place coal, clay, stone, sand and soil.

• coal - will be at the base of the receptacle or container.
• clay - or you can select clay-loam soil. It will hold the amount of water you'll sprinkle
• stone - select small stones and put it next
• sand - little amount to fill
• soil - loam is appropriate

My elder sister made a bonsai out of lemon tree. She cut half the primary root and trimmed all other smaller roots She also cut half of each leaf, then place it on the surface (soil) and stone. She covered the surface with green moss. This will make the surface moist, even with little amount of water.

Observe that the plant will sprout little leaves on its branches. You can also control the amount of sunlight by placing it on your windowsill. Place it in the shade most of the time with sufficient amount of light. This will prevent the moss from withering.

If takes months for the plant to have little sturdy branches. Bonsai experts added wiring to shape the plant in unique design.

1. He put holes on the base of the rectangular Tupperware he salvaged from the dirty kitchen.
2. He then put layers of coal, clayey loam soil, sand, and topsoil (loam).
3. He literally plucked the young plant of orange. Trimmed down roots, cut the leaves, (literally making it barren) then immediately plant it at the red rectangular bonsai container.
4. For top off (toppings), he scraped the moss (green thing) from the wall of his house.
5. He placed it on the shade.

Other Bonsai makers used perennial plants and deciduous trees. Juniper, acacia or narra trees are popularly used.

Wiring is being used as part of making unique shapes on bonsai.

The following photos at Public Domain sites are used as reference to give you more choices on how you can improve you bonsai and even market it to the local or international enthusiasts.

See how they do it and plan on how to make a bonsai (plant on a tray) if you wish to experience the enjoyment of accomplishing it.

There are terms that you must remember in caring your bonsai. Pruning of the leaves, grafting branches, soil layering, the proper watering and the long-lasting maintenance.

Disclaimer:This hubber is a fan of bonsai. Making it is an actual manifestation that this man is trying to improve his knowledge about gardening. Expect more of his 'green thumb' in his future hubs.