Bonsai

Happiness held is the seed; Happiness shared is the flower.
-Anonymous

Welcome to our small bonsai garden. It may seem that we stay in a big lot to house these collections. As a bonsai is dwarfed and aged, it is possible to place a number of them in such a modest place.

Most of them are Philippine Wild Bonsai, indigenous to the Philippines sourced mainly from Tanay Rizal and Mabacalat Pampanga. An avid Bantigue collector in Villasis Pangasinan sold to me a possession at just the price of the pot. He simply wanted me to have a piece of the unique tree, which he hunted still from the remote island of Fuga. To the professionals, these are just "materials. " To me, they are treasures.

Why the fascination for the tropical wild bonsai? Aside from the aesthetics resulting from the quality of the seed, the aging and the caring, it stands for something. “It is not replaced, it is preserved, maintained, refreshed to give rebirth by grafting and seedling.” Are we talking of just plants here?

Happiness held is the seed, happiness shared is the (bonsai) plant. Welcome, tuloy po kayo.

My references:
http://www.geocities.com/fredmagdalena/tips.html
http://www.inq7.net/globalnation/sec_prf/2004/aug/11-03.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Palace/7574/philippine.html

John Naka-san's Philosophy on the Art of Bonsai Raising:
"Bonsai is not the result: that comes after. Your enjoyment is what is important."
"It must have philosophy, botany, artistry, human quality behind it to be a bonsai."
"The bonsai is not you working on the tree; you have to have the tree work on."

Main Entry: bon·sai
Pronunciation: (")bOn-'sI, 'bOn-", 'bän-" also 'bän-"zI
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural bonsai
Etymology: Japanese, literally, tray planting
: a potted plant (as a tree) dwarfed and trained to an artistic shape by special methods of culture; also : the art of growing such a plant

tochs@excite.com