The winter was good to the seeds.  Red pine and tridents are starting to sprout!  Now to wait on Black & White pine and Zelkova.  Winter is a time of rest for nature – and, if we treat ourselves well, a time for us to rest as well.  Once the trees ar snuggled into their winter home, I tend to turn off.  Except for answering email questions and shipping out container, tool, and book orders, I don’t touch anything bonsai from late December until mid-February.

This isn’t a new revelation, nor is it a sign of slacking.  I find bonsai to be emotionally draining.  I treasure these silent creatures and care for them deeply.  Before working on a tree, I study it intensely.  All of this leads to emotional and mental stress.  Bonsai isn’t about stress – it’s about the opposite of stress.  By giving myself a break when the trees get one, I’m in a much better shape when mid-March comes around.  I can focus better.  I can design better.  I can see more clearly.  Once the next crop of seedlings starts to appear in the seed trays, I find myself emotionally and mentally waking at the pace of their growth.  As more seedlings appear in the trays, my intensity rises more quickly.

I hope you enjoyed your rest time over winter as much as I did and I hope you’re looking forward to the coming growing season as much as I am!

Advertisement