How did you get started? I’ve always been a fan of the Japanese aesthetic and I had admired bonsai from afar for many years, but with zero knowledge of plants it was always something that other people did. Then two things happened – first, I married an avid gardener who demystified plants for me and made me realise I could actually own a plant without killing it. Second, about 6 years ago my then 8-year-old son expressed an interest in bonsai as a summer holiday project. So we bought a few starter trees, pots, tools and some books and did it together - inevitably he lost interest but I became completely hooked. How did you learn about Bonsai? Initially Harry Harrington’s website, and then his books, which I devoured. I like the level of detail that he provides as well as images, which help you understand how to do things in practice. I also watched the ‘Aussie Bonsai Bloke’ videos on YouTube (I’m Australian so his bonsai setup working in his shed in a pair of shorts and flip-flops, with a beer in hand, appeals to me), and some Nigel Saunders videos as well. The Evergreen Gardenworks website has some great articles by Brent Walston. And then I joined Twickenham Bonsai Club a couple of years ago, where I have learned a lot from other members as well as visiting speakers like Peter Warren, Corin Tomlinson and Mark Moreland.
What is the most important thing you have learned? Right at the start of my bonsai journey I realised that my plant biology knowledge was actually pathetic. I found that this was getting in the way of understanding why trees behave the way they do. So I decided to do something about it. Initially I studied the GCSE biology syllabus with the goal of sitting the GCSE, but there was way too much animal content and not enough plants! So I bought lots of university textbooks on plant biology, books about cells, plants, life and trees, and started reading these cover to cover, with bonsai in mind. Eventually I realised I would never remember all this information without some way of organising it and writing it down, and it occurred to me that maybe there were other bonsai people out there who might be interested. So I decided to create a website dedicated to the science that underpins bonsai – which mainly focuses on plant biology and the particular biology that relates to trees. I worked out all the different topics that I would need to write about, spent 7 months researching and writing all the articles, and the website https://bonsai-science.com launched in January 2023. Since then I’ve had over 8,000 visitors and according to my website statistics the most popular article is “Bonsai Tool Materials – carbon or stainless steel?” followed by “Conifer scale leaves”. However my favourite article to write was “Mysterious mixaploids – Satsuki azaleas and their mixed-up flowers” as this was all about genetics which I find utterly fascinating. So a very long-winded answer to this question is – all of the science that I learned in creating the website. As soon as you understand how plants work it makes it a lot easier to approach bonsai tree creation and care. It also helps you cast a critical eye over some of the claims that are out there.
Do you belong to a Bonsai club? Yes I belong to the fabulous Twickenham Bonsai Club, which was founded during lockdown. I joined in 2022 and it has been the best thing I ever did, not just to improve my bonsai practice but also to meet other people with a similar weird obsession to me! Having a WhatsApp group with almost daily tree images being posted is my idea of social media at its best. Your thoughts on Bonsai or dreams? I really want to create a bonsai pinetum. A pinetum is a living collection of conifers – an arboretum but specifically for gymnosperms (or, non-flowering plants) and my dream would be to have a tree from each of the 68 genera in the conifer family (plus ginkgo - not a conifer but still a gymnosperm). Some are very rare and not realistically procurable so it is probably going to be a pinetum with 50 or so specimens. So far I have 20 different species in my collection* and a couple of others in my garden awaiting propagation. Most are still babies so it will be a long-term project – but isn’t everything in bonsai? (* My collection currently includes: Cedrus atlantica, Abies koreana, Juniperus chinensis, Pinus sylvestris, Athrotaxis selaginoides, Sequoiadendron giganteum, Sequoia sempervirens, Torreya nucifera, Calocedrus decurrens, Cephalotaxus harringtonia, Lagorastrobus franklinii, Taxus baccata, Pseudolarix amabilis, Taxodium distichum, Fitzroya cupressoides, Araucaria Araucana, Chamaecyparis obtusa, Cryptomeria japonica, Picea glauca & Microcachrys tetragona.)
Do you consider Bonsai an art form? I’m not sure about this one. I see art as a way of expressing ideas, challenging the status quo and changing peoples’ points of view, and I’m not sure that bonsai does this. I would say it is a highly skilled artisanal practice that relies on a sense of design and creativity.
Why do you practice Bonsai? I find it both relaxing and challenging – it is completely absorbing and takes you out of the daily grind and into a happy mental state. However it also challenges you to think, learn and improve. This is why I think the hobby is so compelling and long-lasting - you’re never finished, there is always more to do, more to learn and another tree to work on. Do you have a favourite tree species or size? I’m leaning more towards shohin these days as they are more manageable and I think quite exquisite when you can squeeze a good structure out of such a small tree. Also I can fit more trees in my garden, which being in southwest London doesn’t have infinite capacity. In terms of species, I do love a true cedar. The George Omi cedar videos on YouTube are incredible. I have about thirty cedar saplings at my allotment waiting for the George Omi treatment but they are so incredibly slow growing I’m not sure they will ever make it. Satsuki azaleas also blow my mind. I think they are amazing plants and outstanding bonsai.
Do you have a favourite Bonsai? No, different ones catch my eye at different times, I’m always reorganising my bonsai benches to show off different trees as the seasons change. Do you have a favourite potter? My most beautiful pots are Erin pots which I bought second-hand but I also like lots of texture such as the pots made by Paul Rogers.
What mistakes have you made? What mistakes have I not made might be a shorter answer! How about when the hosepipe attachment for my watering system popped off the tap in the middle of the baking hot summer holidays and water flowed onto the ground for 4 days instead of onto my trees? That killed quite a few. I have been known to be too enthusiastic to prune/repot/style all within a short period and the tree just hasn’t coped. I think Harry Harrington’s advice is good – stick to no more than one ‘vegetative insult’ per year. This advice is quite hard to stick to however!
Can you recommend one or two books? I can do better than that – on my website is a page of references which includes non-fiction books, articles, websites and fiction about trees & bonsai. But if pushed I would suggest The Life of a Leaf by Vogel, Trees: Their Natural History by Peter Thomas, all of Harry Harrington’s books, and Dorothy Koreshoff’s Bonsai: Its Art, Science, History and Philosophy (which is available 2nd hand). What is your best achievement? Aside from my website, I’d say my air-layering – I separated 22 layers from a crabapple tree at my allotment (over 3 years), plus a big fat cypress air layer from a tree which we were having removed, and a dainty Japanese maple from one in our garden which eventually died so this is the last I have of that tree.
Over the years what has been your favourite show? Our own Twickenham Bonsai Club show, because it’s fun working with everyone getting the show planned and running it on the day.
Do you have any other interest or hobbies? Being a Mum to two teens and staying gainfully employed are what I spend my time on outside of bonsai, but I’ll also admit to being a member of the Australasian Plant Society, whose members try against the odds to grow antipodean plants in the UK. I’m also a member of Kew Gardens and can quite happily stroll the arboretum for hours – and my guilty pleasure every Friday night is watching Gardening Australia online despite the fact that barely anything they show will grow in my garden. So as you can see I’m a total plant geek and all my interests revolve around plants! Haidi Jenkin