In the recent past, I have written short articles. Hopefully they have been of interest to the Memphis Bonsai Society. They were entitled MUSINGS.  Today, I couldn’t decide whether to continue to call it Musings or Serendipity/Eureka.

How does Webster define those terms? Serendipity is “the facility of making happy and unexpected discoveries by accident”. I had always had a personal non-Webster definition of “finding something of value when you are not looking for it and recognizing it as such. That is pretty close to the Webster definition.  Eureka “(I have found it) is a cry expressing joy at a discovery”. That was a definition I had always remembered.

What does that have to do with Bonsai?  Last month, I wrote an article on Chinese Elms.  In that article I wrote that I had unintentionaly stumbled across a Chinese Elm Seiju and an Hollondica, Jacqeline Hillier.  Both  trees were not salable because of dead material (had a short, live stump) or was so misshapen.  Not anybody would plant either one in their yard. But when I saw them, I said “Eureka”.  I found something of value that I was not looking for but recognized them as possibly being valuable to a Bonsai hobbyist (serendipity). The same feeling came across me when I saw the small Hollondica that was labeled “elagantissimo” at a nursery and later found out that it was a name once used for that tree.  It was there I spotted it and said “Eureka”, what a find.

That didn’t end my Serendipity/Eureka moments.  While walking through the plant areas of a big box store recently, I noticed some Crepe Myrtles that had recently come in.  They were a variety that would not grow very tall, had small leaves and great red color.  I picked one up to look at the trunk and “Eureka, Serendipity”.  I wasn’t looking for another tree (heaven knows I have too many) but how could one pass up this opportunity.  The trunk had beautiful lines to begin with and my resistance caved in to desire. I will prune come spring.

Another day, I noticed a rather large multi-trunk shrub to be discarded on a trailer.  It was a variegated juniper with a fair amount of protective soil on a small root ball.  I took it because one of the trunks really impressed me as a good candidate for a bonsai cascade and the trunk I wanted to save had great girth and movement. “Eureka”, I had found something of value for which I was not looking (Serendipity). The root ball was protected, the plant brought home, excessive trunks removed, the cascade trunk saved, and what was left of the plant root system was placed in a deep but narrow black plastic pot with a top soil planting medium.  Hopefully it would survive and it did.  Have put wire on it to help bring some movement to the cascading trunk and to further develop the cascade style.  The new growth has nice yellow variegated tips.  This could be someone’s joy.

 

So what was it?  Was it a Eureka or a Serendipity moment?  Guess it was both because there is some commonality to the terms.  Whatever it is, a discovery was made which wasn’t sought, the value of that discovery was recognized and it was a joyous moment. Have you had such moments? Be attentive when going to Brussel’s Bonsai Nursery and other nurseries.  You may come across some tree or shrub that you just can’t live without even though you were not looking for it.

After reflecting on the above, perhaps the title should have been MUSINGS.

ENJOY YOUR BONSAI