Ardent bonsai aficionado shares his passion
February 25, 2012, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
STEPPING into Xiao Tongyuan's apartment, visitors may be forgiven for thinking they have wandered into a botanic garden of a specialized sort.
Xiao, 63, has nearly 100 pots of bonsai spanning 40 varieties of plants.
In Minhang's Jiangchuan area, his hobby has made him somewhat of a revered character.
Xiao's green thumb began with growing flowers and vegetables, but he soon branched out into bonsai, a millennia-old Japanese art form he taught himself.
It involves growing dwarfed, ornamentally shaped trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays.
"Doing bonsai is not particularly difficult, but it is time-consuming," he said.
First, you have to form a picture of the basic shape of the bonsai and know what source materials to use, Xiao said. Then you visit markets to collect the plants you need. A bonsai shape is determined by the features of the plant you are using.
Above all, patience is needed. It takes time for a source specimen to be shaped and to meet the aesthetic standards of a bonsai without hurting the plant, Xiao said.
He has a bonsai of the Fraxinus hupehensis, a plant common in China.
"The source specimen had no shape at first, but after years, it was shaped into a 'pagoda,' layer by layer," Xiao said proudly.
Xiao's apartment includes a courtyard that is indispensable to his hobby. Pots of bonsai fill every corner, from an elm tree that took more than 10 years to shape into its current dwarfed form, to a pomegranate tree that bears the auspicious symbolism of wealth, safety and fruitful progeny.
His small but beautiful garden attracts many residents. Xiao is always happy to welcome them and share his experience in doing bonsai. He has even cultivated a core of "disciples" eager to learn the art.
"Cultivating bonsai not only contributes to the environment, but also enhances the friendship of neighbors," Xiao said.
Last autumn, when Xiao's persimmon tree was full of fruit, he picked more than 400 and presented them to neighbors. At least one neighbor reciprocated his kindness by offering to house one of Xiao's bonsai because his own apartment is full to overflowing.
Xiao hosted an exhibition of bonsai at the Jinbang Shijia residential community where he has lived since 2004.
In addition to showcasing his own beloved creations, he also invited other residents to display their plants. He's happy to dispense advice about horticulture.
"I hope to elevate the art and cultural taste of the community and introduce more greenery into homes," he said.
Xiao, 63, has nearly 100 pots of bonsai spanning 40 varieties of plants.
In Minhang's Jiangchuan area, his hobby has made him somewhat of a revered character.
Xiao's green thumb began with growing flowers and vegetables, but he soon branched out into bonsai, a millennia-old Japanese art form he taught himself.
It involves growing dwarfed, ornamentally shaped trees or shrubs in small shallow pots or trays.
"Doing bonsai is not particularly difficult, but it is time-consuming," he said.
First, you have to form a picture of the basic shape of the bonsai and know what source materials to use, Xiao said. Then you visit markets to collect the plants you need. A bonsai shape is determined by the features of the plant you are using.
Above all, patience is needed. It takes time for a source specimen to be shaped and to meet the aesthetic standards of a bonsai without hurting the plant, Xiao said.
He has a bonsai of the Fraxinus hupehensis, a plant common in China.
"The source specimen had no shape at first, but after years, it was shaped into a 'pagoda,' layer by layer," Xiao said proudly.
Xiao's apartment includes a courtyard that is indispensable to his hobby. Pots of bonsai fill every corner, from an elm tree that took more than 10 years to shape into its current dwarfed form, to a pomegranate tree that bears the auspicious symbolism of wealth, safety and fruitful progeny.
His small but beautiful garden attracts many residents. Xiao is always happy to welcome them and share his experience in doing bonsai. He has even cultivated a core of "disciples" eager to learn the art.
"Cultivating bonsai not only contributes to the environment, but also enhances the friendship of neighbors," Xiao said.
Last autumn, when Xiao's persimmon tree was full of fruit, he picked more than 400 and presented them to neighbors. At least one neighbor reciprocated his kindness by offering to house one of Xiao's bonsai because his own apartment is full to overflowing.
Xiao hosted an exhibition of bonsai at the Jinbang Shijia residential community where he has lived since 2004.
In addition to showcasing his own beloved creations, he also invited other residents to display their plants. He's happy to dispense advice about horticulture.
"I hope to elevate the art and cultural taste of the community and introduce more greenery into homes," he said.
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