Inspiration for displaying your trees.
Crafting a captivating Bonsai garden elevates the allure of your trees like nothing else. However, the art of designing such a garden is undeniably challenging, particularly due to the intricate balance of showcasing your trees at eye-level while considering the unique needs of each individual specimen.
Certain trees thrive under the gentle embrace of partial shade during scorching days, while others flourish when bathed in abundant sunlight. To cater to these diverse preferences, seasoned Bonsai enthusiasts often employ shade-cloth systems in their gardens, allowing for adjustable levels of shadow during the summer months. As you embark on this artistic journey, this article aims to provide inspiration and a handful of helpful guidelines to set you on the right path. May fortune favor your endeavors!
Displaying your Bonsai on vertical poles in the garden
Professional Bonsai gardens, particularly Japanese Bonsai gardens, often showcase their most significant trees in the center of the garden, elevated on poles. Placing the trees at eye level enhances their prominence and allows visitors to admire them while strolling through the garden.
The process of placing the poles is relatively straightforward, with the main challenge lying in selecting suitable materials. Wooden pillars, such as old railroad ties or tree trunks, stone slabs, and concrete pillars are commonly used options. To gather inspiration, let's explore some gardens where Bonsai trees are elegantly displayed on poles.
This photo was taken at the famous Bonsai garden in Tokyo; Shunkaen. The garden is quite spacious and this is the center patio; around it the masterpiece trees are displayed on poles made of wood. Most of these trees are pines.
Another shot taken at Shunka-en, more trees on display, around a pond filled with Japanese Koi fish. The poles are made of concrete, shaped like trees. The benefit of using concrete is that the pillars can be quite thin.
This Bonsai backyard successfully creates depth in a rather limited space, by placing the pillars in the front a bit lower than those at the back. The simple color of the fence makes the trees stand out. I found this picture at StreamLink, but I'm not sure whose garden this is.
This Chinese Penjing garden puts all emphasis on the trees by using simple materials; a plain background and clean concrete pillars. Chinese Penjing landscapes are often bigger than the Japanese counterparts. Photo by Paul Thompson.
One of the most beautiful Bonsai tree gardens in Japan, Shinji Suzuki's Bonsai garden is located in Obuse. The trees in the photo catch the eye, as the background and ground are plain. The owner of the garden, mr. Suzuki, is known for his great skill at displaying Bonsai, so this is one garden to look at for inspiration. The trees are fixed to the poles they stand on, mostly to protect the trees from storms and heavy snowfall.
Using benches in your Bonsai garden
Constructing a durable bench to showcase your trees is a more challenging endeavor than meets the eye, particularly if you desire its longevity to extend beyond a mere 1-2 years. In the following image, the fourth photo presents a DIY bench that you can create yourself. But before we delve into the creation process, let's explore a few inspiring examples.
This photo was taken at the Koukaen garden located near Osaka. The Bonsai garden has several rows of wide benches, on which smaller trees are placed at the outsides and larger trees in the middle (sometimes on crates or tables to create some depth in the displays).
This is the Singapore Botanical Garden, in which a bench is made out of concrete in a circle. Difficult to create for beginners, but absolutely stunning! The display area is open, but a glass roof protects the trees from the elements.
This is the Weyerhaeuser Bonsai garden. The bench photographed here is absolutely wonderful.
Bonsai bench created by Jeremy Norbury. He explains how to create one yourself here: creating a Bonsai bench for your garden.
Vertical Bonsai garden
We finish the article looking at a great way to display Bonsai plants; in vertical gardens.
This vertical Bonsai backyard is created by a plain and natural wall to which several platforms are attached.
This beautiful display is found at the Education Garden in Washington Dc