As far as plants are concerned, some of the smallest and youngest, bonsai material can be used in saikei. Distinctive, and with some unique properties of their own, these plants can be the small, imperfect, material frequently rejected for traditional bonsai. They can be so small that ones reserved for mame bonsai can be used. Even seedlings, which are far from aged and branched, are appropriate.
Another distinct difference between Saikei and the more familiar forms of bonsai is that the use of a variety of plants in one setting is more the norm than the exception. Since saikei is an attempt to translate a brad natural scene into miniature terms, the realistic use of different varieties of plants is necessary. However, saikei is not confined to the use of multiple plants, and there are justifiably famous examples which use a single, well grown plant in the finished landscape.
The bonsai is planted in a tree stump, chosen, as in a rock planting, for its aesthetic qualities and to complement the other plants. Providing enough water is the biggest problem, but it can be partly solved by placing the planting in a pond in the garden.
It is important with saikei to use plants that require the same conditions. Without cultural similarities, the job of maintaining the health of the landscape can be an overwhelming, if not impossible, chore.
Involved in saikei too are the rocks, sand, shrubs, and accompanying plants common to both woodland and shore; in fact all the natural phenomena, streams, rivers, fallen trees, beaches, craggy outercroppings or ledges, waterfalls, ponds, marshes, and glades, can be captured in saikei.
Your task is to combine all these elements with the trees, shrubs mosses, and lichens into a harmonious whole, using material that will live together in one container.
The language used in saikei is the same as in traditional bonsai: the formal and informal, windswept and cascade styles are used; the scale and proportion of plants to each other and to the rock or rocks (it is not essential to use any rocks in a saikei composition and there well known examples in the bonsai world that do not; most, however, do feature one or more) is vital; and a harmonious overall effect is the goal.
In choosing rocks suitable for planting, look not only for distinctive, craggy rocks but also for those that have a meandering thread of white or beige coursing down their faces, to resemble a waterfall or stream. Keep a sharp eye out for a stone that loos like a hillside undulating downward in terrace after terrace, or a craggy rock with a generous plateau that could represent the meadow below a precipice in your final picture. Use whatever the rock can offer you as a head start toward realism.
Remember to turn your bonsai periodically so that the plant can grow evenly and have enough sunlight from every side.
Rocks for saikei plantings should be prepared in the same ways as for root over rock bonsai. Muck and wire, moss and awl are the tools and materials you need, and trays of clay or interesting stones, cement or wood are also desirable. Wash the soil from the roots, but take care to keep the rootball whole. Separate the roots into quadrants to ascertain where they will naturally fall, if you are using a variety of plants, select leaves, trunks, and branch positions that are in scale and color harmony with one another. When planting ground cover and accompanying plants, be sure that soil and rock will still be visible.
If the stone has been cast in the role of a mountain, the plants should be proportionally smaller. If no, the plants can dominate the scene, with the rock or rocks partially hidden beneath the soil, more nearly approximating the way rocks are found in nature.
Saikei offers an opportunity to use tiny horticultural gems. Mosses, lichens, and tiny violets kept even smaller by judicious pinching, grasses, miniature veronicas, and thymes are all possibilities, depending on the scene you are painting and the appropriateness of the plants to that scene. Some of these can be found growing wild in cities and in the countryside, and have the advantages of being native to the area, hardy to the climate, impervious to pollution and drought, and available at the lowest possible cost.
As with other rock plantings, watering is essential. Keep saikei in dappled shade and water two or three times a day. Since drainage is quick and water retention capabilities are at a minimum, this is imperative.
Thanks Susan Bachenheimer
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