Baltimore Bonsai

14 Photos

Photos and text by Kenneth K. Lam

Baltimore Bonsai time lapse from Baltimore Sun's The Darkroom on Vimeo.

Bonsai is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese words pun-tsai, which literally translated means “planted in a container.” It involves combining horticultural and artistic techniques to create a miniaturized natural scene in the form of a living tree.

A skilled Bonsai enthusiast can turn a common nursery shrub into a beginning Bonsai tree in about an hour but spend decades to train it into a prized specimen.

The Baltimore Bonsai Club, founded in 1972, provides education, workshops and activities for participants to develop their skills and visions in the art of Bonsai.