The beauty of bonsai

20th Annual Northeast Pennsylvania Bonsai Society Open House, Sat., Sept. 11, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Midway Garden Center (1865 Route 315, Pittston). Info: 570.654.6194

With gnarled roots that twist and turn beneath a weathered trunk and cascading foliage, a single tree stands proud in majestic beauty. This tree, however, isn’t 12 feet tall. In fact, its total height is closer to 12 inches. That’s because this tree is a bonsai.

Bonsai is the ancient Asian art of growing miniaturized versions of life-sized bushes and trees, and this Saturday as many as 85 varieties will be on display when the Northeast Pennsylvania Bonsai Society holds its 20th Annual Open House at the Midway Garden Center in Pittston.

“In addition to the exhibit, people can also expect demonstrations on plant care, a tree contest amongst the Bonsai Society members, and Shakuhachi flute music by Jamie Orfanella,” says Connie Orchard, open house co-chairwoman. “Anyone with an interest for the art is welcome.”

Because bonsai is a fairly new hobby for Orchard, she admits that she often needs advice and helpful hints from fellow Bonsai Society members.

“Keeping my bonsai plants alive is a constant process of building the right knowledge and tools,” she says, “but everyone in the society is always willing to offer support.”

Many of the group’s 25 members will be at the open house this weekend to answer any questions people like Orchard might have.

Anyone curious about bonsai can also get their questions answered by dropping in on one of the NEPA Bonsai Society’s meetings, held the last Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m. inside the Midway Garden Center. Carl Achhammer, open house chairman and long-time society member, says that the meetings are open to people of all ages and experience levels.

“We have members who have worked with bonsai for 20 years, but we also get people who have never owned a plant before,” Achhammer says. “Our main goal is that we teach people the correct and most effective way to practice the art.”

According to Achhammer, the society’s monthly meetings are filled with plant maintenance workshops, group discussions and guest bonsai artists. He says the group has had experts come in to speak from Harrisburg and New York and hopes to eventually get visitors from as far away as Germany.

One thing that Orchard, Achhammer and Sue Lauer, owner of the Midway Garden Center, all have in common is the way their appreciation of bonsai began. Each one of them received their first plants and eventually fell in love with their natural beauty and elegance, only to have them die after a few months from lack of proper care. Their losses sparked a desire to learn more about the right way to create and maintain bonsai.

“The most important lesson,” Lauer says, “is to check your plant every day, maybe even twice a day.” According to Lauer, after a while you’ll become close to your bonsai and will be able to anticipate what it requires. “Listen carefully to the tree,” she says. “It will tell you what it needs.”

Achhammer agrees that continuing maintenance is a big part of keeping bonsai alive. “It’s a discipline, just like learning anything else,” he says. “You do have to fully commit yourself to it, but if you do, then you are fully able to enjoy it.”

For those who might be interested in dedicating themselves to a new hobby like bonsai, the Midway Garden Center offers a number of different ways to get started. Lauer will have several plants for sale on Saturday. According to her, for about $24, customers can purchase a small juniper bonsai, perfect for a novice. Or, for a little more, they can get a pot, soil and a larger plant that they can eventually shape into their own design. If the desire for knowledge about bonsai is there, the NEPA Bonsai Society’s Open House will provide an opportunity for any beginner to learn.

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