The Japanese art of bonsai is lush with possibilities. At its most essential, a bonsai is a tree made miniature; grown in a container and skillfully cultivated to mimic a full-size specimen. “Any tree can be a bonsai,” says Joe Thorstensen, the president of Milwaukee Bonsai Society.
But it takes about four years of carefully balancing variables – water, sun, soil, styling and shaping – to declare a success, such as this white pine. “That’s where the education comes in,” Thorstensen says. The society, which has over 260 members, teaches prospective growers how to tailor the craft to Milwaukee’s climate, such as what trees to use (answer: native ones, like tamaracks).
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Still, Thorstensen says everything depends. Out of his “couple hundred trees,” only a dozen or so could be considered true bonsai, factoring in size, style and artistry. His oldest is a ponderosa pine estimated to be about 100 years old.
“Bonsai is really a Japanese art started in China, but Japan kind of took it over, and they have very strict rules as far as where the branches should be, how thick the foliage should be, that sort of thing,” Thorstensen says. “The American bonsai world eases up on that a little bit. We want to get more naturalistic trees. But there’s definitely shaping to be done. … We usually try to keep it to a triangle shape.”
For anyone interested in getting their hands dirty, Thorstensen recommends coming to a Milwaukee Bonsai Society meeting. “You don’t have to be a member to show up,” he says. “You talk to people.”
Otherwise, the public can see the group’s best at regular exhibits across the city. The Wisconsin State Fair holds the group’s biggest showing. “Membership spikes up right after,” Thorstensen says.
The next showcases will display 15-to-20 trees each at Boerner Botanical Gardens and Lynden Sculpture Garden on May 9, World Bonsai Day.
“World Bonsai Day is special because it’s kind of early in the season, so stuff is just coming out of dormancy,” Thorstensen says. “But we try to put forward our best foot because if this is people’s first introduction to bonsai, we want people to see it and be amazed.”
