How to Give a Bonsai as a Christmas Gift
The Christmas season is fast approaching and in turn, shoppers are preparing their lists and checking them twice. For the plant lovers in your life, a bonsai for Christmas is just the thing! Bonsais bring harmony and balance to any environment. These specialized trees are not only a green thumb’s dream, they are also highly therapeutic and make for a great activity when one needs to relax. There are a number of options out there, so how do you choose the best bonsai gift for your loved one?
Buying for Different Plant Owners
Bonsai trees are revered in the plant community, but not all plant lovers are ready to take on all types of bonsais. For those without bonsai experience, opting for an easier-to-care-for bonsai will make for a better gift. Ficus bonsais are a popular choice amongst plant lovers. These bonsai trees can tolerate low humidity and are considered a sturdier plant that won’t wither from occasional neglect. Their easygoing temperament makes the ficus a great bonsai for Christmas for the beginner bonsai lovers in your life. Other common bonsais include jade, fukien tea, Hawaiian umbrella, and the Chinese elm. Including the ficus, these are all tropical bonsai plants that can be grown indoors.
Choosing the Perfect Pot
When looking to gift a bonsai for Christmas, the pot you choose to accompany the bonsai is just as important as the bonsai tree itself. An integral part of the art of bonsai is combining the right pot with its ideal match.
Bonsai pots can be made out of ceramic, concrete, plastic, and select metals, but the more common containers are ceramic and porcelain. These materials allow for a strong and stable base for the tree as well as appropriate watering conditions. Bonsai pots are typically quite shallow compared to other planters and they are divided by masculine and feminine. Matching the tree with the appropriate pot by gender will result in a harmonious display. Not sure what gender the bonsai is? Feminine trees are marked by curves, smooth bark, and sparse branches. Masculine trees feature old bark, thick trunks, and dense branches.
Bonsai Accessories
While veteran bonsai enthusiasts may have all the tools handy, beginners will need to stock up on important bonsai accessories. Having the right soil is crucial for growing a healthy bonsai. Pairing your gifted bonsai with a bag of high-quality soil puts your loved one on the right path to cultivating a beautiful bonsai tree. Training wires and cutters are welcome additions when gifting a bonsai for Christmas. These wires are used by bonsai enthusiasts to help mold and shape a growing tree.
Bonsai Shopping Made Easy
Ready for bonsai shopping? For anyone planning to gift a bonsai for Christmas, Leaves & Soul is your one-stop shop for bonsai accessories. We carry glazed ceramic pots that accentuate any bonsai. The sturdiness of our pots allows for easy pruning and shaping and for those interested in using wires to assist with molding, we carry that too! Click here to learn more.