The Tennessee Valley Bonsai Society will exhibit trees at River Gallery, 400 E. Second St., in the Bluff View Art District, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tom Scott, a skilled bonsai artist, will demonstrate from 2 to 3:30 p.m. both days. The event is free.
Bonsai (pronounced “bone-sigh”) literally means, in both Chinese and Japanese, “tree in a pot.” It doesn’t have to be a tree. It can be a vine or a shrub. These are not dwarf plants or special plants designed for bonsai. They are common plants found at garden nursery stores.
The plant stays small through regular root and top pruning. The trees are not impaired in the process. In fact, a well-maintained bonsai can frequently live longer than its full-size counterpart. The appearance of age is much prized, and bonsai may live hundreds of years.
Removing about a third of the roots each year keeps the plant small. New soil can be introduced to the pot. More room allows new roots to grow. Even standard fruit trees can be trained to grow miniature. The trees produce edible fruit, just smaller than normal. Some of the more common choices include lemon, tangerine, apple, fig, peach, lime and cherry.
Starter trees