The mighty in miniature

In contrast to a fast-paced, ever-rushing world, in many of Karnataka’s gardens, a patient art thrives. It is one that relies on quiet, consistent tending and generational knowledge. This ancient art of bonsai — pruning trees to grow in small pots and containers continues to capture the interest of nature lovers in Karnataka.

. In Gopinath Mallya’s garden in Mangaluru, such trees are housed in pots as small as 1.5 inches. Many of them are over three or four decades old. “My hobby first started in 1975, passed down to me from my father. He was a passionate gardener, and a friend from abroad had given him a book on bonsai,” says Mallya.

. He has grown 1,000 bonsai trees in the past 50 years, and his garden features a variety of ficuses, bougainvillea, beechwood (Gmelina arborea), casuarina trees and Barbados cherry trees, to name a few. Contrary to popular assumption, many trees do, in fact, produce fruit. “I have several fruiting mango trees. Many other trees flower as well,” says Mallya.

. For others, the hobby has turned passion and then profession. Anupama Vedachala, who first encountered the art at an exhibition in 1998, now travels across India organising workshops and training on bonsai. “Bonsai involves a mix of art, horticulture and science. Once you start learning, you do not feel like stopping, you are always seeking to learn more,” says Anupama. Today, the professional bonsai artist has grown close to 5,000 trees, from scratch.

. Community learning

. Anupama’s start, much like many others, came from community learning. Through the exhibition, she connected with the Vriksha Bonsai Circle. The Bengaluru-based community was started in 1990, and has around 50 members at present, including retirees, engineers, doctors, a baker, a golfer and many others. “We used to see mostly homemakers earlier, but now we have a mix of professionals and retirees. Over the past year, quite a few young people have found us online and expressed interest too,” says Anupama.

. “We meet once a month and organise an exhibition biannually. We have also visited bonsai conventions in Indonesia and Japan,” says Uma S, president of Vriksha.

. For the former electronics engineer who used to work with DRDO, the appeal of bonsai is two-fold. “It is a very good stressbuster with an interesting background.” While she has always been interested in gardening, bonsai is special in how it allows you to utilise small spaces, she says. “I live in an apartment, and have a small, tiled space near the parking area. So even though I cannot plant anything in the ground, I am able to keep my 50 bonsai trees here. I have even set up a three-step gallery to display them in such a small area,” says Uma.

. Beyond home gardens, the shared love for bonsai has been reaching a wider audience at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden’s bonsai and rock garden. Set up in 2003, the bonsai exhibit was reopened earlier this year, after a large-scale renovation led by Anupama. “I wanted to take my love for bonsai and knowledge and give something back to the city, and the horticulture department agreed to collaborate,” she says.

. With the new design and an updated variety of trees, the expert hopes the new setup will draw bigger crowds and invoke interest in bonsai. Phase two of the renovation is currently in motion, so visitors can anticipate new additions and design updates.

. The Lalbagh display was a source of inspiration for Ajay H, back in 2011. “I became interested after my visit to Lalbagh, and began reading up. I bought a few bonsai plants on platforms like OLX and Quikr,” he says. In 2014, he started Bonsai Mane, a nursery in Bengaluru with the goal of bringing a tree to every home in the city.

. Ajay explains that 10 years ago, there was very little knowledge about the art. “It was very difficult to obtain the raw material. We had to grow our own material and travel across India to get plants,” he says. Back then, the term itself was new. “I used to make and distribute pamphlets in the neighbourhood to raise awareness,” he adds.

. Over the years, bonsai knowledge seems to have grown, with even small local nurseries in cities featuring several bonsai options. Even at Lalbagh, bonsai trees have made their way to customers. Miniature orange trees currently dot the lines of plants up for sale at the nursery.

. A staff member at a Bengaluru North garden, which also stocks bonsai trees, says, “We import all our bonsai plants from Japan and other countries in Southeast Asia. So the collection we have starts at Rs 5,000 and goes up to Rs 20,000.”

. However, the lack of knowledge about pricing is a danger, warns Ajay. “People can really take advantage of buyers. Commercially speaking, a smaller bonsai tree should ideally be priced at Rs 1,000 to Rs 5,000. Semi-mature trees range from Rs 5,000 to Rs 15,000. For mature trees, it really depends on many more factors, and prices cannot really be fixed,” he explains.

. Origins

. Artists also point out that the general perception of bonsai being a ‘foreign art’ is a challenge. It is theorised that the practice also has roots in India. “It was picked up by Buddhist monks when they travelled back to their homes from learning in India, and wished to transport medicinal herbs through their treks across the Himalayas,” says Anupama.

. The perception of bonsai being an ‘exotic’ or ‘foreign’ art also influences the varieties preferred by buyers. “People prefer to buy Chinese-origin species, which have smaller leaves or varieties that look more ‘fancy’. But we need to prioritise local varieties like the peepal and banyan,” Ajay says.

. Ultimately, practising the art of bonsai is an exercise in patience and perseverance. “A single tree takes years of careful care and attention,” says Mallya.

. But the rewards are manifold, the hobbyists and artists emphasise. “Bonsai allows you to connect with nature. It helps set a routine, and is a very meditative, calming hobby,” says Anupama.

. Ajay adds, “We are children of nature, and bonsai affords an opportunity to do something different, with a purpose, and to leave a legacy.”

The mighty in miniature

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