Rewind your memory some ten to fifteen years back and you can easily get a picture of grandmothers and mothers making a sort of garden in front of the house to grow daily-required vegetables. Also they would grow the often-needed flower for worship. Here the 'sort of' word is used, as the concept was not refined to the degree as it is today. Though such a view is quite common in smaller towns even today but in metro cities it have lessened up. It is mainly due to the lack of space and also the appeal is changing in the eyes of the people. Here indoor gardening fills the gap.

Indoor gardening is becoming a popular concept as it acts as a medicine to person addicted to it and also helps in decoration. When the word indoor garden comes to our mind the most common indoor garden type inevitably is bonsai. We have also given a care guide of bonsai. Though bonsai can be grown both outside and also indoor bonsai garden is quite a common one.

Indoor bonsai plant

* Carmona Macrophylle (Fukien Tea Tree)
* Ficus Retusa (Fig Tree)
* Ligustrum Nitida (Chinese Privet)
* Nandina Domestica (Sacred Bamboo)
* Podocarpus Chinese Yew (Buddhist Pine)
* Sageretia Theezans (Chinese Bird Plum)
* Serissa Foetida (Tree of a Thousand Stars)
* Ulmus Parvifolia (Chinese Elm)
* Chinese Pepper Tree.

Care guide of Bonsai

Molding Bonsai
You can give your desirous size and shape to bonsai by growing them in small container. This will control the growth of roots. Also trim them often, as it will keep them healthy because extensive growth is not quite favorable in small root ball. But the trimming of bonsai has a specific method. In deciduous trees you can see a minor bud at the beginning of the leaf. Find out the direction where the bud is facing and you have to trim in that direction because the new shoot will grow from there. In small trees the only thing needed in shaping is trimming but in bigger trees you will have to bend the branches and trunk to give it a shape. There are many ways to do it but the most common form is by tying a wire. Remember to do these shaping and structuring of bonsai in the growing season only.

Nurturing Bonsai
After your bonsai has been brought it is quite normal that till 2 weeks some leaves will turn yellow. It requires some time to adjust to the atmosphere. Don't pluck them, as they will grow repetitively causing harm to new buds.

WATERING
Fill a bowl with tepid water. Dip the tree into so that the water comes up to the brim and the soil is covered with water. Keep for 5 minutes and then place it on a draining board to drain the extra water. Then take it out from water. Don't keep it in water after draining. Bonsai requires a large amount of water but it should be proportionate. During the peak of summer water bonsai at every alternate days. So the best-recommended thing for watering bonsai is a humidity tray. You can also spray mist twice a day.

Placing
Place your bonsai in a bright place but not under the scorching heat. If you don't accurately place the bonsai then it will have no leaves or large leaves on thin shoots. The best place for bonsai is semi-shaded outdoors compared to windowsills, as the temperature is flexible in the sills of window.

Nutrition
Unlike any other indoor or outdoor plant bonsai needs nutrition. You can sprinkle Phostrogen tomato feed or other special fertilizer especially for bonsai. During summer once a week and in winter once a month the fertilizer should be given.

One thing that should always be the foremost for a bonsai-fancier is that excess water and fertilizer can burn the roots and kill the bonsai.