Bonsai in the Algarve

It could simply be a coincidence – but there’s a kind of “common factor”: almost all those who cultivate an interest in bonsai, at whatever point in their lives, do so after receiving a little tree as a gift. Almost always a present too valuable and fragile to let die.

It was like this that Cecília Reis Peres (or “Tita” as she’s known in the virtual bonsai world), founding partner of the Clube Bonsai do Algarve – and perhaps the most experienced member of the group - got started 19 years ago.

At the time, her son gave her “a book and a little bonsai – I think it was a Serissa – but at the time, I didn’t know anything about it, and the result… it died”, she tells with a sigh. Since then, the cultivation of bonsai has become a passion and part of her daily life, much more than just a mere hobby. Today, she has dozens of trees in her back yard.

We hear a similar story from Carlos Madeira, 45, the assistant sales technician and current president of the club. And, intriguingly, Rui Ferreira – now considered a bonsai mentor, and one of the present day masters on the subject – also began this way.

Every third Sunday of each month, members of the club – 47 in total – convene at the Win Garden & Home nursery, near Lagoa. “None of us knew each other to begin with, but now we’re a group of friends”, Carlos Madeira explains. The motivation for the founding of the club began over the Internet in various “bonsai discussion forums”. After initial contacts were made, general enthusiasm led to the setting up of an association, with its base in Olhão.

Another interesting point is that, despite its relatively young age, the club has already organised a number of activities – from workshops, taking place in events like the «Feira Nacional de Parques Naturais e Ambiente» (National Fair for Natural Parks and the Environment) in August 2009, to seminars in Portugal and abroad.

The next event will take place in March at the “Sociedade Recreativa Olhanense” in Olhão. It’ll be an exhibition to introduce the public in general to bonsai, and what’s going on in the Algarve. For the time being, Carlos Madeira considers that the club is still too “green” to take part in national or European exhibitions, although this is an objective for the not-too-distant future.

At first glance, this is the least homogenous group you could imagine – men and women of all ages (even children), come together from various points of the region to share their ideas and theoretical and practical knowledge.

During the last meeting, Nuno Encarnação, 26, a psychologist, presented a detailed lecture on the cultivation and shaping of bonsai pines. It may sound like a simple enough concept. But there are various factors that turn bonsai into a constant challenge. For example, watering can lead to the excessive growth of pine needles and “ruin the balance of the plant”.

Quizzed over what one needs to begin, Carlos Madeira explains there are really no special conditions. “My trees, for example, grow outside in the open on the veranda of my apartment”. But one very much shared opinion is that looking after these tiny trees is a wonderful way of dealing with day-to-day stress.

Indeed, the word “bonsai” is composed of two elements: “bon” (in this case meaning the recipient, or tray) and “sai” (tree). Intriguingly, bonsai has its origins in “Penjing”, the ancient Chinese art of recreating a landscape on a tray. It’s believed to have “hopped” over to Japan in 1200, and now there are various forms of bonsai – interior and exterior – and almost every species of tree can be thus miniaturised. The most traditional species are the pine, maple, elm, juniper and rhododendron, among others.

And in the Algarve? “Here, the most chosen species, and our favourite, is the olive tree. It’s very resistant, ideal for learning. It’s very well adapted to the Mediterranean climate – and elsewhere, in exhibitions, olive trees tend to take centre stage” Madeira continues, showing a tiny olive that he’d managed to save from a plot of land that was being bulldozed for the construction of a new apartment block.

To be exact, the beginning of bonsai cultivation can be done using “yamadori” (the collection of plants from Nature that are subsequently subjected to a “process of reduction of their original size”).

The special attention for the olive can also be explained by its abstract aspect: it doesn’t have a defined style, and is easy to tend. Describing herself as self-taught, Cecília tells how – without any special technique or knowledge – she harvested and created an olive that today, 19 years on, still lives.

Indeed, the “bonsai invasion” that has flooded hypermarket shelves, and even found its way into run-of-the-mill florists, is another reason for the new interest in this ancient hobby. Nonetheless, Carlos Madeira doesn’t recommend that people buy trees from these kinds of outlets. They don’t come with adequate instructions, nor do they have the right type of substratum (soil make-up). Most of the time, it’s impossible to cultivate, or even save them – and they end up in the garbage.

Springtime is seen by many “bonsaiists” as the ideal time to purchase a bonsai and begin learning how to take care of it. To help with the whole process, the club has translated various articles as guides and advice - all freely available on the club website. There is also a gallery of images, as well as a dictionary of technical terms (in Japanese).

And, as to costs, these are accessible to all sizes of pocket. “It depends on what we can and want to spend,” says the club president. Some tools are essential, like a good pair of clippers for cutting the trunks and roots, a little watering can and a spray for keeping the tree humid. Vitamins, fertilizers and a good soil mix can also increase costs. Ah, and then there’s the wire you’ll need to help give the shape that you want for your bonsai…

For more information, access the web page of Clube Bonsai do Algarve on http://clubebonsaidoalgarve.wordpress.com, email: clubebonsaidodoalgarve@gmail.com. There are also contact numbers for Carlos Madeira: 962 580 555, Luís Mascarenhas – 914 760 222 and Cecília Reis Peres – 918 101 438