What started as a vague interest over <counts fingers> 30 years ago, sparked by some bonsai for sale in the local nursery and boosted by repeated viewings of the Karate Kid, has become a bit of an obsession that has slowly taken over my time and space in the backyard. Joining the excellent South Australian Bonsai Society showed me what I had been doing wrong and provided inspiration from the knowledgeable and helpful members. What does bonsai bring to me? It provides a counter to the way we live today. Fast tempo, high adrenaline and instant gratification is replaced by quiet contemplation, future planning and patience. By caring for your bonsai you get into a seasonal rhythm, getting to know the ebbs and flows of the trees, and acceptance of the occasional disaster. Bonsai are never finished, they never stop changing and will one day die, hopefully after I’ve shuffled off myself. Contemplating a bonsai leads to acceptance of the ever-changing, and the beauty of impermanence. Crikey, that got deep quickly.

Anyway I’m pretty keen to introduce the art of bonsai to as many people as possible, especially in my hometown of Adelaide, so contact me and together we can enjoy this strange hobby of little trees in pots.