Bonsai’s

For the past few years that we have gone to the Melbourne Flower and Garden Show, my family and I always come back with a bonsai, because we find them such an incredible little plant.  At the moment we have got four.  We did have others, but through trial and error of learning how to look after them, some made it through and others did not.  However, the bonsai’s that we do have are: two Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm, one Ficus microcarpa retusa or Grafted Banyan Fig and one Juniperus squamata prostata ‘Pingii’ or Juniper.

Ficus microcarpa retusa or Grafted Banyan Fig 

Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm

Juniperus squamata prostata ‘Pingii’ or Juniper

Ulmus parvifolia or The Chinese Elm

The Chinese Elm is a deciduous bonsai that has yellow, orange and brown leaves in Autumn, which can be really pretty.  My favourite bonsai is the Grafted Banyan Fig because, I like the shape of the trunk and its little rounded, dark green leaves.  At one point a few of the leaves went yellow and weren’t looking too good, so I just carefully pinched them off.  After a while the plant was looking good again and went back to normal.  You can also cut off branches of the bonsai with little pruner-like things to shape the bonsai how you want it, but I haven’t done this to any of the bonsai’s.  

I think bonsai’s are a great idea for an inside plant because, they’re not a high maintenance plant, they’re not messy and it brings a little bit of the outside, inside.