The Stunted Tree
The beautifully shaped pine trees were only about 2 1/2 to 3 feet high. Still they were fully grown. In fact, the gardener told us, they were about 150 years old. These were "bonsai" (bone-sah-ee)--the stunted trees. And this was a bonsai garden: a well-groomed, attractive shop on the guided bus tour.
Bonsai are peculiar to the Orient. Growing them may be a hobby or a business. But no matter that, it's an art requiring skilled hands, much care and lots of patience. Not only is it a continual task to keep the plant alive, but at the same time the plant's growth must be guided and it's branches shaped to conform to set patterns.
The process of making a bonsai begins when the chosen plant is a baby. It is then planted into a small pot, which in time actually cramps the roots. It is given only enough water and fertilizer to keep it alive. At times strings and wires are used to tie branches, holding them down while guiding them into the desired shape. These are then taken off when the growing process is finished. Expert cutting and pruning are required. Effort is made to respect the natural tendency of growth while also guiding the plant's shape.
Some bonsai plants are loaded with blossoms, while others bear fruit that can be eaten. But pine trees are the most common. Heights vary from a mere 6 inches to 3 feet tall.
Dwarfed potted plants date back over 800 years. Many books are available to the interested person, and beautiful specimens can be seen in many yards as you go for and afternoon stroll through Tokyo. One gardener was offered $10,000 for a 150-year-old pine bonsai.
Though recognizing the beauty of a bonsai, and not being insensitive to the skill required to grow one (mine died!), I still feel a little sad about this miniature specimen./ Each one could have been a tall, handsome tree towing high in the breeze in somebody's yard. But it was purposely stunted, mainly from lack of nourishment.
It's like us humans sometimes. We may be full-grown, many years old, but actually shriveled up inside. We may think nobody knows. But what's on the inside is bound to show up in daily life. It's the inner person who guides the outer. A miserable personality full of self-pity and selfishness and grumpiness needs to have the strings cut and is set free. Jesus can do that. And as we read His Word, the Bible, we get the nourishment we need for the stunted inner man to grow into a beautiful whole person.
Bonsai are peculiar to the Orient. Growing them may be a hobby or a business. But no matter that, it's an art requiring skilled hands, much care and lots of patience. Not only is it a continual task to keep the plant alive, but at the same time the plant's growth must be guided and it's branches shaped to conform to set patterns.
The process of making a bonsai begins when the chosen plant is a baby. It is then planted into a small pot, which in time actually cramps the roots. It is given only enough water and fertilizer to keep it alive. At times strings and wires are used to tie branches, holding them down while guiding them into the desired shape. These are then taken off when the growing process is finished. Expert cutting and pruning are required. Effort is made to respect the natural tendency of growth while also guiding the plant's shape.
Some bonsai plants are loaded with blossoms, while others bear fruit that can be eaten. But pine trees are the most common. Heights vary from a mere 6 inches to 3 feet tall.
Dwarfed potted plants date back over 800 years. Many books are available to the interested person, and beautiful specimens can be seen in many yards as you go for and afternoon stroll through Tokyo. One gardener was offered $10,000 for a 150-year-old pine bonsai.
Though recognizing the beauty of a bonsai, and not being insensitive to the skill required to grow one (mine died!), I still feel a little sad about this miniature specimen./ Each one could have been a tall, handsome tree towing high in the breeze in somebody's yard. But it was purposely stunted, mainly from lack of nourishment.
It's like us humans sometimes. We may be full-grown, many years old, but actually shriveled up inside. We may think nobody knows. But what's on the inside is bound to show up in daily life. It's the inner person who guides the outer. A miserable personality full of self-pity and selfishness and grumpiness needs to have the strings cut and is set free. Jesus can do that. And as we read His Word, the Bible, we get the nourishment we need for the stunted inner man to grow into a beautiful whole person.
posted by Lila @ 12:31 PM
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