Home: Garden: Bonsais for Beginners

During the winter, your options for getting greenery indoors aren’t limited to Christmas trees and Chia Pets. Bonsais, which bud from the same seed as full-size trees — including our region’s very own juniper and elm — thrive indoors year round.

During the winter, your options for getting greenery indoors aren’t limited to Christmas trees and Chia Pets. Bonsais, which bud from the same seed as full-size trees — including our region’s very own juniper and elm — thrive indoors year round.

Since the dwarfed trees live in shallow pots, they need more attention than their outdoor counterparts. Use coarse potting soil that drains and aerates well, and fertilize biweekly. Keep your bonsai in a warm spot, and water as needed for moist soil mass. Periodically groom and prune.

And, heed the advice of Chase Rosade, owner of Rosade Bonsai Studio (where we found this 60-year-old Fukien tea bonsai for $3,500): “If you’re just starting out, take lessons or read a good introductory book,” he says. “It’s like a dog or cat — you have to learn to take care of them.”

Rosade Bonsai Studio, 6912 Ely Studio, New Hope, 215-862-5925, rosadebonsai.com.