Category: gardening

Last month, I attended a Tropical Bonsai Workshop at Chicago Botanic Garden. A month had passed since the Beginning Fundamentals class ended, and my job since then had been to keep the ficus outdoors and make sure it was well-watered and fertilized. Over the weeks, I trimmed the larger leaves to encourage back-budding (the growth Read More …

We’re getting a short break from a heat wave here in NE Illinois. Temps have been in the high 80s/low 90s, with gusty winds and threat of thunderstorms. Today, low 70s–at least close to the lake–and while the sun is warm, it’s cool in the shade. A good day for healing bonsai. If you don’t know what Read More …

(Note: this post was originally published two weeks ago at the BookView Café blog. I’ll be adding a follow-up post soon, and wanted to have the original over here, too. So, without further ado…) Bonsai originated in China around 700AD, and was introduced in Japan about 400 years later. The Chinese term for the art, “Penjing,” Read More …