Windsor Academy

Because I choose to grow indoor bonsai, I have the luxury of a huge variety plants to choose from and I’ll always want more. There are sub-tropical shrubs and tropical trees. The foliage colors can be anything from the pale hues typical of sun lovers through to the bluish greens from the rain forests. Choose trees with leaves in different shapes, from stubby to elegantly long Many have beautiful flowers with a scent. Plus, since they’re no longer growing in the rain forest, climbing 80 feet up, but instead firmly planted inside a bonsai pot that’s even smaller than a toaster, you get to display these giants in your house. And one that will make a simply splendid gift, because it is so rarely seen is the Jaboticaba bonsai from Brazil.

If you’ve ever grown vegetables you’ll recognize the very odd way that the flowers of the Jaboticaba winds around the trunk and the fruit grows the same way. Remember that like all indoor bonsai trees its important to water your tree very carefully – not too much and never too little. That brings me to the issue of light requirements, and the best choice is an abundance of bright sunshine. (not direct) When the strength of daylight changes in the spring, you should increase your fertilizing. If you decide to put your tree outside in the back garden during the summer, don’t neglect to acclimatize it to the sunshine and always shelter (almost) any bonsai tree from the burning afternoon light.