Honey, I shrunk the tree

Grow your own mini-forest at home, while living inside an urban jungle. Bonsai gardening pioneers Nikunj and Jyoti Parekh, let us in on the secrets of this centuries-old horticultural art

It isn't easy exercising your green thumb in a city short on open spaces. That's why the art of Bonsai seems tailor-made for urban folks. "They don't demand space and attention, and can survive on less water and sunlight. The person who owns the Bonsai develops an instant connect with it, and a mere glance a day indicates whether the plant is fine or something is amiss," says septuagenarian Bonsai instructor Nikunj Parekh.


A Palm Bonsai in full bloom

Along with his 65 year-old wife Jyoti, he has spread awareness about Bonsai planting over four decades. Even today, the couple start their day as early as 5 am and work till 9 pm on their plants. They have turned their sprawling Babulnath apartment terrace into a lush garden, home to 1,000 varieties of Bonsai. "You don't just grow a Bonsai tree, you grow an ecosystem," says Nikunj.

An Indian art?
Bonsai is the Japanese art of growing miniature trees in containers by employing methods like pruning (removing portions of trunk and branches for design uniformity) and wiring (wrapping aluminum or copper wires around branches for shaping). Called the Penjing art, Bonsai might owe its roots to China, but it was developed in Japan where these plants are kept in shrines. A stream of history also believes that it could have been an Indian art that was taken to China by Chinese travellers. There are references of Indian vaidyas (doctors) taking Bonsai-like medicinal plants with them on visits to treat patients.

Any plant can grow into a Bonsai tree as long as they have small leaves and a long life span. Hence, plants including chickoo, lemon, banyan and bougainvillaea are perfect choices. They grow to a maximum height of 1 metre. "Once planted, Bonsai trees can survive for thousands of years. The Tokyo Imperial Palace has a 17th century Bonsai tree, which is regarded as a national treasure," adds Nikunj.

How the Parekhs got started
Back in 1972, it was Jyoti who learned the art as a hobby from a city practitioner, and since both husband and wife had been Botany students, the interest was immediate. "I worked for a plastic manufacturing company that went on strike. I took it as a sign and that's how we started teaching full-time," adds Nikunj. They started with a few college-going youngsters and housewives. Today, their roll call includes doctors, "especially dentists as they are professionals in cutting, shaping and have a steady hand," along with corporates and architects.

They have 2,000 students in 18 branches spread across India. In Mumbai, they have around 300 members. The couple has won several awards for their contribution to Bonsai culture, published books and also run a monthly magazine called Nichin Bonsai, since 1985.

A manly hobby
"Interestingly, it is only in India that women dominate in the learning of Bonsai cultivation. Traditionally, it has always been the men who practiced it," remarks Jyoti.

But doesn't the clipping hurt the plants? "A Swami had once posed the same question. I explained to him that pruning is similar to clipping your nails and trimming your hair so that it doesn't go haywire. It is equally painless for the plant," says Nikunj.

The Parekhs add that this hobby makes for a great stress buster and teaches you patience, hones observation skills and instills a respect for all things small. "It gives you peace and provides a healthy break from the monotony of life. Perhaps, that's why professionals from as far as Mulund and Panvel rise early on Saturdays, and travel all the way to South Mumbai for our classes," concludes Jyoti.

Types of Bonsai
Chokkan: Trees with a straight trunk and tapering branches.
Kengai (cascade-style): Trees that resemble plants growing over water or on the sides of mountains as the tree droops beneath the pot.
Netsuranari: Raft-style Bonsai plants that resemble toppled trees.
Bunjin-gi: Trees with a bare trunk line and minimum branches. They are named after Chinese minimalist paintings.
Yose Ue (forest-style): Several trees of the same species planted in a single pot.
Ishizuke (growing in a rock): The roots of the tree grow in soil contained withinu00a0the cracks and holes of a rock.

At Preyas, 20, Dadyseth Road, Babulnath.
Call 982010689
email nikunjyo@gmail.com
log on to www.wonderworldofparekhs.com
Cost Annual fees are Rs 1,200 per year for 10 workshops, 6 seminars, DVD and magazine.