Early in the week, I have an important Zoom event in less than 15 minutes, but I am in a shop, wearing a face mask, trying urgently to buy a bonsai tree. Why it is so crucial to obtain a miniature plant right now, I have no idea. All I know is that I have become obsessed with the ancient horticultural practice during the long months of lockdown, and now continue to read about trees and shrubs and everything in between.
They are not genetically dwarfed, these fascinating arborescent mysteries. Nor are they a separate species of their own. Any tree can be made into a bonsai, in fact. I have read that the word in Japanese means “planted in a shallow container”. And I find something in this definition that deftly encapsulates what is happening to our shrinking democracies, endangered freedom of speech and restricted public involvement in decision-making. Maybe the bonsai says a lot about the times we are living through.
Content from our partners
