A tree's a tree, no matter how small
July 28, 2017 6:10 AM Subscribe
Those are so elegant. I know I don't have the patience to grow one, but I've wanted to try since I learned about bonsai from Jody, Buffy and Mr Osaki on Family Affair.
posted by pangolin party at 6:55 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by pangolin party at 6:55 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
How far away are we from being able to genetically breed teeny, tiny squirrels to scamper around on the branches of these trees?
posted by Thorzdad at 7:05 AM on July 28, 2017 [7 favorites]
posted by Thorzdad at 7:05 AM on July 28, 2017 [7 favorites]
Or could we find a tiny Totoro waiting for us in one of them instead??
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:25 AM on July 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
posted by Hermione Granger at 7:25 AM on July 28, 2017 [3 favorites]
There already exists a pygmy squirrel about the size of a small mouse. It might not be completely to scale, but I bet one of them chillin' in a bonzai would be sufficiently adorable for your purposes.
posted by mrjohnmuller at 7:36 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by mrjohnmuller at 7:36 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
Or could we find a tiny Totoro waiting for us in one of them instead??
The FPP the other day showed that's as good as done.
I'm sure we might be able to find some who've adopted a more squirrelly look if need be too.
posted by gusottertrout at 7:38 AM on July 28, 2017
The FPP the other day showed that's as good as done.
I'm sure we might be able to find some who've adopted a more squirrelly look if need be too.
posted by gusottertrout at 7:38 AM on July 28, 2017
Those are cool.
The newspaper photos of Hiryu, though, have thrown off all sense of scale. Because when I saw photos of it in its pot, I thought it was only a tad larger than other bonsai. But then I saw photos with people in them and was like 'it's bigger than the people!' So now I feel like I don't know how big anything is in these photos.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:46 AM on July 28, 2017
The newspaper photos of Hiryu, though, have thrown off all sense of scale. Because when I saw photos of it in its pot, I thought it was only a tad larger than other bonsai. But then I saw photos with people in them and was like 'it's bigger than the people!' So now I feel like I don't know how big anything is in these photos.
posted by jacquilynne at 7:46 AM on July 28, 2017
The bonsai collection in the DC arboretum is pretty awesome if you are ever in the area. I was only mildly interested in bonsai but am really glad I went there recently. I also was under the impression that all bonsais are like a foot high or so, but there were some that are like 3-4 feet high, and, like, 300 years old!
posted by bread-eater at 8:34 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by bread-eater at 8:34 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
> How far away are we from being able to genetically breed teeny, tiny squirrels to scamper around on the branches of these trees?
There should be a couple of mini dogs and deer as well, to help explain all the crashes.
posted by davelog at 8:37 AM on July 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
There should be a couple of mini dogs and deer as well, to help explain all the crashes.
posted by davelog at 8:37 AM on July 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
Gusottertrout that is NOT a Totoro hdu
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:41 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by Hermione Granger at 8:41 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
...that's a Cronenberg'd Totoro
posted by leotrotsky at 9:07 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
posted by leotrotsky at 9:07 AM on July 28, 2017 [1 favorite]
I see your pygmy squirrel, and raise you a bumblebee bat. (A bonsai forest near a mini limestone cave for a habitat.)
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:20 AM on July 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Iris Gambol at 9:20 AM on July 28, 2017 [2 favorites]
There should be a couple of mini dogs and deer as well, to help explain all the crashes.
That wins today's intarwebs.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:28 AM on July 28, 2017
That wins today's intarwebs.
posted by Thorzdad at 10:28 AM on July 28, 2017
The Huntington Library also has a nifty collection of bonsai in its Japanese gardens.
posted by thomas j wise at 11:21 AM on July 28, 2017
posted by thomas j wise at 11:21 AM on July 28, 2017
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There's something magical about having a real living tree in miniature. It's like you're hosting a little bit of the forest in your home for a time.
posted by leotrotsky at 6:24 AM on July 28, 2017 [3 favorites]