Bonsai garden will refer to a display area of your trees. As an artist you will need a proper space to contemplate your achievements. As a Japanese art form, bonsai enter in the whole reality of Japanese culture. Far from a specialist of Japanese traditions and culture some basics element will compose a great display area and will be listed here. For some, the design will go beyond the display of your beloved tree and will need to englobe the whole concept of a Japanese backyard.
Bonsai Garden Requirements
The design of a bonsai garden must respect the horticultural needs of your tree. Ideally, everyone would keep their bonsai indoor, but as we know, these trees will lack basic elements such as humidity and light. Same things apply for a bonsai display area. You want to shelter your tree from the natural elements such as direct sunlight and dry winds, but you must also try to provide the maximum of light and humidity your bonsai tree will need.
Another important factor in your design is to keep your trees accessible for basic
bonsai care and watering.
Trees against a wall will need special care. The lack of light from this side of the tree will result in a weaker growth on that side of your bonsai tree. The solution is to avoid having shelves too close to a wall. If you cannot avoid it, we suggest rotating your bonsai tree every week to provide a 360 degrees exposure to light. Another problem arising from having a bonsai tree to close to a wall is the heat. Lack of air and build up of heat, especially on pale colored wall will dry your tree leaves too quickly.
Bonsai Display Examples
When you have a few bonsai trees, displaying them is easy. Some may use a patio ramp or build a single shelve. But as your passion for bonsai grows, the number of trees also grows in a proportional way. A single shelve will not provide enough display surface to view all of your trees at once while giving each of them the space they deserve.
A simple setup would be to have a bleacher type display with a three tiers shelve. This will effectively display all of your bonsai trees at once while keeping the needed area to a minimum. This can be achieve with two 2 by 6 wooden planks on each shelves and some concrete blocks. The need for two 2 by 6 arise from the need for the water to drain freely. The crack in the middle on the shelves in between the two wooden planks will allow excess water to drain properly.
Japanese Garden Elements
As stated before, the display area design can often go beyond the need to display your tree. Bonsai adepts will often endeavour in a complete Japanese design. An area could be covered with raked sand and pebbles much like a zen garden. Other popular elements of a Japanese design would include a pond, some koi fishes, a bridge, a lantern and a basin. Many other elements can be used and a properly researched design will turn out to be respectful of the Japanese culture and the
bonsai art.
