Amazing Sight
Dwarf Trees and Shrubs in Japanese Gardens
- Small Trees and Flowering Shrubs
- Miniature or Dwarfs
- Slow Growing Trees
- Cuttings
- Dwarf Conifers
- Guide to Dwarf Conifers
Small Trees
Pygmy trees are a delight to behold. Their perfection in miniature can never cease to amaze and even one placed in a Japanese mini-garden adds to the beauty and charm. A number of them placed artistically representing a forest glade can transport you into fairyland. Practically all trees can be represented in a mini-garden on a small scale using any one of the four completely different methods:
- Trees of dwarf varieties and those that are naturally small and very slow growing.
- Trees artificially dwarfed or stunted using Japanese techniques.
- Grafting and cutting of slow growing trees.
- Cuttings taken form the normal tress and trimmed to get the dwarf appearance of the parent tree and then “planted.”
Miniature or Dwarf
Though subtle, there is a distinct difference between the dwarf and miniature varieties. Dwarf trees lack proportionate growth and may often have flowers and leaves that are proportionately larger in comparison to the tree. These are from the normal stock but dwarfed due the seed from the parent having accidentally fallen into a self-contained pocket of soil that allowed limited root space and resulted in the tree being dwarfed. Generally, all specimens subsequently raised from this specimen would have the same “dwarf” characteristics, with an isolated one trying to revert back to the shape and size of the normal full-sized tree.
Miniature trees, on the other hand, are beautiful miniature versions of the original trees -- perfect in proportion in all respects. They have been raised using Japanese methods, either naturally or by some human agency.
Slow Growing Trees
Genuine dwarf or miniature trees can be expected to remain at a particular size that is suitable for a Japanese mini-garden for more than twenty years. Other trees only last ten years and still others for five years or even less. The actual dwarf or miniatures are costly varieties but less expensive ones can planted in the Japanese garden and can be replaced once in every few years without any burden on the pocket.