The irony is that all these unnatural interventions are intended to produce living works of art that will become celebrations of naturalness. He should know, for he's a bonsai addict who juggles both career and care of an extensive collection while organising the New Zealand Bonsai Convention in Hamilton this month. Shaping is carried out often in late winter and is intended as more than just making a tree look old and small. A Japanese teacher summed it up perfectly: "Bonsai is the art of creating a tree in a landscape without the landscape". The New Zealand Bonsai Association has a full list of clubs and groups, or visit the New Zealand Bonsai Convention, on October 12 and 13, 2019 at Hamilton Gardens, where there will be the largest ever display of bonsai in New Zealand as well as equipment stalls, advice and demonstrations.

Source: Stuff September 29, 2019 11:26 UTC