Welcome

Nestled in the middle of a tiny town in western PA is a small garden with great potential. My Best Friend's a Worm is about that garden. Hopefully you will find the information useful and the stories entertaining. I am relatively new to the world of gardening, so please feel free to share your garden wisdom and stories in the comments.



Saturday, December 25, 2010

Potted Pines

Shortly before Thanksgiving and after my return from Europe, I visited my local Walmart to browse the garden area turned Christmas department. Initially interested in purchasing one of the many beautiful poinsettias, a small shelving unit with small red pots caught my eye.

The festive pots provided homes to some adorable evergreens. Their small size and overall healthy appearance, coupled with a decent price tag(around $5 each), lead me to bring one home.

Fast forward to the present: My little tree looks to be thriving so far in its spot by the window. Eventually, I know the plant will outgrow its home, leaving me with one of two choices: plant it outside and let it take off, or turn it into my first attempted bonsai specimen.

I'm leaning toward the second option. The art of bonsai is intriguing and I've read that different pines are commonly used for that purpose. After a bit more research and a few answered questions, I will make my decision.

Here are a few of my questions if you would be so kind as to help me out:
1. Is a "Christmas" pine (living, roots attached, etc.) a feasible option for learning bonsai or would the mere act of trying kill the plant?
2. If the "Christmas" pine is not a feasible option, what is a good plant for a beginner like myself?
3. What are you supposed to cut in the pruning process?
4. What can you tell me about the bonsai process in general?

I will post a picture of the little tree once I've had a chance to photograph it. Any information you can provide in the mean time would be very much appreciated.

Thanks and enjoy the holiday weekend!

No comments:

Post a Comment