Flower Fiesta - II

Snapshots from the Rose n Gladioli Flower Show,

Jan 2009, NBRI , Lko

From EverGreen Tree

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose....

What say You?

The World On your Palm

Art is a visual tangible depiction of an artist’s unique perception of the world. Thoughts, feelings, emotions and an individualistic persona come alive through this singular creation which has a conspicuous life and an expression of its own.

Unlike most art forms like painting, sculpting, photography etc wherein an artist’s creation remains eternally static after its final completion, framing & display, Bonsai is a Dynamic Art Form - Living, Growing, Ever-evolving.

The master creation i.e. the Miniature Plant, demands perpetual nurturing, trimming, root pruning and care, to maintain its harmony and balance, season after season, possibly changing hands from one generation down to the next. Hence, Bonsai is a continuous ‘Work-in-Progress’ Art Form integrated with basic horticulture techniques.

These miniature plants i.e. Bonsai come in various different sizes and styles. They can be classified as Finger/Bean Bonsai; Mame/Shohin Bonsai; Medium Bonsai, Large Bonsai etc based on their Sizes. Formal Upright, Informal Upright, Cascading, Semi-Cascading, Literati, etc based on their Design/Style.

A conventional Bonsai has an elegant, tapering trunk, culminating at the apex forming a triangular or umbrella shaped canopy. In case of triangular silhouette, the tree shows an alternate branching pattern with substantial inter branch spacing, with the lowest branches being the longest and most well developed. However, in case of an umbrella silhouette, all branches appear to arise from a single nodal point, spreading out to form a semi-circular apex. The foliage is usually flush, healthy and green. A prominent, exposed & well spread out anchoring footage adds considerably to the overall aesthetic beauty of these miniaturized trees.

Now, simply visualize shrinking a mammoth Fig Tree and depicting the same as ‘A Miniature world on your Palm’ (As can be seen in the above picture). It’s an allegorical prerogative exclusive to a MAME BONSAI.

These Mame’s emphasize on all the attributes of a full fledged, mature tree, commonly found outdoors in nature and represents the same in a diminutive package of less than 15 cm or 6 inches in size.

Small leaved, hardy plants with compact foliage which can withstand regular pruning employing ‘Clip & Grow’ method are ideally suited to be trained as Mame Bonsai. Eg: most Ficus variants, Jade, Wax malphigia, Duranta, Chinese Elm, Glabra malphigia etc.

Since these Mame’s have to thrive within a small confined bonsai pot, it’s pertinent, to mist the foliage at regular intervals & keep the soil compost well watered at all times. Moreover, it would be beneficial for the roots, if the soil used has a prolonged, adequate moisture retaining property. In addition to this, an additional protective moss layer or gravel can be applied over the soil surface during the summers to retain its water content.

An assorted mix of differently styled Mame’s can be displayed together on designer, multi-shelved wooden stands or angular wrought iron stands or well coordinated unevenly spaced cement slabs, adding to the ambience, both indoors and outdoors.

Working with a tiny Mame is slightly more arduous as compared to working with a medium or large sized Bonsai, due to its Lilliputian size, as one need’s to be extra careful while handling and trimming the plants. Moreover, it takes years of patient training to hone an ordinary garden plant into a classic Mame art piece.

Even after this pygmy plant acquires the desired shape and size, it’s an enduring challenge for a bonsai artist to preserve the aesthetic sanctity & balance of every exquisite plant. Nonetheless, the patience and effort is well worth the while, when the bonsai artist gets to hold & exhibit his magnificent creation as ‘the Miniature World on his Palm’


** Copy of my article published in Nichin Bonsai 02/2008

Flower Fiesta

Snapshots from the Coleus & Chrysanthemum

Flower Show @ NBRI, Dec 2k8

Floral Arrangement at its Best!

Twinkling Twins -'Ball' Mum

Fire N Ice - Spider Mum

Coleus - Firework of Myriad Foliage

Coleus again in Myraid Pink Patterns

Chrysanthemums in a Riot of Colours

To Ma'm With Love....

Lucknow’s got a special Bonsai Artist in Mrs Arora - the Founder President of our Bonsai Association. A warm welcome awaits all guests visiting the Arora House. There balcony garden houses some of the most exotic varieties of Bonsai alongside an immensely captivating wall mural.

Her brush with Bonsai dates back to as early as the 1970s when she started working with India’s best, Jyoti and Nikunj Parekh, Mumbai, who are the pioneers of this art form in India.

She is trained under world renowned Masters like John Naka, Chase Rosade of USA, Peter Chan of UK and others. She has visited Rome in Italy to attend a workshop by Mr. Sandro Signeri, who runs a famous Bonsai School in Italy, while she herself delivered a talk on Indian Bonsai to them. She also attended the World Bonsai Convention in Washington DC last year, along with her husband.

She has also featured in the very popular women magazine FEMINA, with a caption “Grow oranges on the window sill.”

In the last couple of years, that I have known her, she comes across as a wonderful human being, a good administrator and a great teacher who loves to share her immense wealth of knowledge with as many students as possible, coming from all walks of life.

She encourages each one of her student, to Create & Nurture their very own self designed “Nature in Miniature” and pursue this endearing hobby… as an elixir of life.

“Aunty” as she is lovingly called by most of her students is “Our Guru” literally, as she adorns many a feather in her GREEN BONSAI cap.

Today, she is a name to be reckoned with in the pristine world of Bonsai, as she has been teaching this extraordinary art form to enthusiastic plant lovers for over 30 years now.

Just watching her conduct a workshop on Bonsai with such energy and dedication inspires me as well as, all her students to learn more about this vast subject.

The following lines............. are dedicated specially for Aunty on “Teachers Day” ................. on behalf of all her students and members of the Association:-

Guru Brahma guru Vishnu, Gurudevo Maheshwara,

Guru sakshat perbrahma, tasme shree gurve namah

Guru is equivalent to the God Brahma, he is God Vishnu and he is also equivalent to God Shankar. Not only that, but Guru is equivalent to one and only the God and knowing this I salute my Guru.


**** This photo of Mrs. Arora, is taken with a 380 years old pine Bonsai, by Grand Master John Naka, at the National Arboretum, Washington DC. USA

** This is a copy of my article published in Hindustan Times..... supplement HT Weekend LIVE for Teachers Day, in Sept 2006.

Let There Be Light

Kaaraj Hum Rachaye ge,
Yashaskarma Ganpati Jee Maharaj Ko Bulaye ge,
Riddhi Sidhi ko Saath Le, Moodhak per Sawar woh aayege,
Ghar, Aangan, Jeevan, Parivar, Bheshumaar Khushiyoon Se Bhar Jaaye ge
Aaj ke Is Shub Awasar per, Bhet swaroop yeh Ashirwaad Woh Hume De Jaaye ge ..

"May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon, and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me. May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."