SERIES 28 | Episode 29
Jane visits a bonsai collection that focuses on highlighting Australian native plants
Some of Australia's iconic trees are simply too big to fit into the average backyard, but it is possible to fit a whole forest of natives into a small suburban garden - if it's a bonsai forest!
Marcela Ferreira is the founding member of the Victorian Native Bonsai Club and she has filled her small inner-city garden in Melbourne with her exquisite creations.
To create native bonsai, Marcela is finding the varieties that are responding well are:
- Callistemon
- Melaleuca
- Kunzea
- Leptospermum
Eucalypts (some)
Featured Plants
OYSTER BAY PINE Callitris rhomboidea A native pine. The small leaves help with the scale of this plant as a bonsai specimen. SNOW IN SUMMER Melaleuca linariifolia Attractive papery bark.
Featured Plants | ||
|---|---|---|
| OYSTER BAY PINE | Callitris rhomboidea | A native pine. The small leaves help with the scale of this plant as a bonsai specimen. |
| SNOW IN SUMMER | Melaleuca linariifolia | Attractive papery bark. |
Styles of Bonsai
Cascade style - represents a tree growing out of a cliff or growing over a pond or river.
Informal Upright - represents a tree that's growing in an open field where it is able to grow uninhibited.
Grouped/Forest Planting - Representing trees seen out in nature with a cluster of planting.
Windswept Style - representing a tree that's growing in a harsh environment.
It's often said that native plants don't like to be re-potted, but Marcela finds the opposite is true and that the more they are re-potted and root-pruned, the better off they are.
Bonsai Potting Mix
Marcela makes her own native bonsai potting mix. It contains:
- 2 scoops diatomite (diatomaceous earth)
- 1 scoop pine small-sized nuggets
- ¾ scoop cocopeat
- ½ scoop perlite
Mix together in a tub and use for bonsai potting mix
Want to know more?
If you'd like to try creating your own native bonsai, see the Starting Out factsheet for more information.
And don't miss the video extras: