In the past, we have discussed 'root-over-rock' styles in which the plant is perched on a rock and the roots are growing over the rock and down into soil. This time, a new technique is used, in which the plant is growing in the soil, tucked into a crevice of a rock or driftwood, as a tree would naturally grow when survival depended on any extra protection it could get.

A member of our local bonsai society brought a very large, old myrtle (Murtus communis 'Compacta') to a meeting for a demonstration of pruning but also to give us some valuable cuttings as we pruned. Myrtle is a bushy shrub with stems which become woody on quite young plants. In California, Arizona and similar climates, it is used as a landscape shrub or hedge. It tolerates drought, and can be easily pruned to reveal interesting branches. It can do well in sun or shade, and any soil as long as drainage is good. The 'Compacta' cultivar is smaller than the common variety. It has tiny, pointed leaves which are dark green and shiny, is slow growing and the leaves are closely set. This sounds like the ideal bonsai plant! It is, but unfortunately, it won't survive outdoors where frost is a part of winter. It does adapt to indoor care, however, still tolerating a variety of growing conditions with little complaint. Unlike many plants, such as azalea and gardenia, brought indoors for winter in colder climates, it is not dependent on a cool temperature and high humidity over winter - something very difficult to achieve in centrally-heated homes. It does fine indoors in temperatures we enjoy, and asks only for regular watering to avoid drought.

The meeting turned into a 'community pruning' session, which went better than expected, with the end result a potential bonsai with thick, mature stems and gnarled wood. It will be planted in a large, fairly deep bonsai pot after root pruning and a chance to recover from a great deal of stress! There was also the chance for every member to try propagating the little cuttings . Most of us took several tip cuttings, about 3-4 " long (8-10 cm.), and removed the lower leaves. We all used damp vermiculite as a rooting medium, and dipped the cut end in a rooting hormone before inserting it in a hole made with a pencil in the rooting medium. Our air is very dry here, particularly in the cold winter months, so we found covering the container, usually containing several cuttings, with a ventilated plastic bag, improved our chances. Overall, the success rate was about fifty percent - quite acceptable. They took several weeks to grow fine little roots capable of supporting the cuttings.

The cuttings were planted into four inch (ten cm.) plastic training pots for a summer of growth in a bright sunny window. They were tip pinched occasionally to promote bushiness and watered well (they need good drainage but cannot be allowed to become dry). Then the time had come to decide how to create little bonsais from the new plants.

It was fascinating to see how each person visualized the potential bonsai in these little cuttings. One member used a cascade pot that was about two inches (five cm.) on each side and about four inches (ten cm.) deep. The stems were quite flexible at this point, although they become hard and woody very quickly, so it was easy to gently wire the stem to create a cascade down over the edge of the pot. As it matures, the stem will thicken and will trail down in graceful curves . The pot used was a dark brick red, which accented the bright green leaves well.

Another tried a 'root over rock' style, with the fine roots spaced well over a fissured rock sitting in potting mix in a shallow pot with a cream glaze. A mixture of houseplant potting mix and peat moss was dampened and used to cover the exposed roots, and this was covered loosely with plastic to stop the potting mix from drying out too quickly. It is sprayed with water daily, as the fine roots cannot tolerate becoming dry at all. As the roots grow, they will eventually reach the potting mix at the base of the rock. It can hold moisture, so the roots will not have to be watered quite so often. This plant follows the curve of the rock, as if it were surviving only because it does not rise above the rock enough to be subject to cold wind.

A third person chose an informal upright style, using a small, glazed pot and wiring the branches in graceful, downward curves. Myrtle branches and leaves are opposite, which is not normally used in bonsai styling. As the plants become more mature, and need more pruning, alternate branches may be removed to eliminate the even pattern of branches and create a more flexible style.

The fourth one was tucked into a crevice in a piece of driftwood that was placed on potting mix in a shallow, oval saucer. The roots were planted in the potting mix so that they and the trunk are well protected by the driftwood surrounding them. Using fine bonsai wire, the branches were made to curve over the wood, leaving the impression that they are clinging to the wood to avoid exposure to cold winds. At this point, it still looked like a little plant in a crevice of root about four by six inches (ten by twenty-four cm.) The simple addition of a tiny figure of a man, an inch (two cm.) high, changed the perspective dramatically. Suddenly, a full-grown man was standing in front of a twelve foot (3.5 m) rock and the plant became a tree. The addition of appropriately-sized people, rocks, lanterns or buildings can create an image of size that makes our bonsai what we intend them to be - images of large, old trees in miniature.

As we worked on these plants, it became apparent that everyone has a vision of what each plant can eventually become. Each person sees something different from the same beginning. No idea is right or wrong, only different, and that is what makes bonsai so exciting - the variety of possibilities from a beginning that appeared to offer little chance for experimentation. We learned, in a limited way, to be open to different ideas and to appreciate what others create. This, of course, becomes much more apparent when working with older plants that already have some character. Feel free to try something other than the expected, allow a vision to materialize, take a chance, and you may be surprised at the result.