Small and beautiful

With a saw in one hand, Italian bonsai master Salvatore Liporace tilts the miniature tree to one side and sets his attentive gaze over its branches.

After analysing the tiny olive tree for a few minutes, he saws off a chunk of branches and leaves as a crowd of bonsai enthusiasts look on in awe.

Mr Liporace, a professional bonsai artist, was invited to Malta to give a series of workshops to members of the Bonsai Culture Group and judge this year's annual exhibition held at St Publius Hall, Floriana.

Contrary to what many people think, the art of bonsai - which originated in China - is not limited to Asian trees.

"Any tree can be a bonsai tree so long as it has reasonably sized leaves," the group's president Paul Debono said.

In fact, the exhibition, held last weekend, showcased several trees that are indigenous to Malta in their bonsai version. These included olive trees and pines.

A series of techniques, that include re-potting into small containers and pruning, keep the tree small and can even lead to the reduction of their leaf size.

Branches can also be bound with wire to straighten them out and chemicals may be used to change the colour and texture of the miniature bark.

Of course, then there are the seasoned tricks of the art that include tips such as putting coffee into the soil to encourage the growth of young bonsai trees.

The oldest bonsai tree is believed to be over 1,000 years old, and some fetch millions.

The group has been around for about 19 years and has almost 100 members who attend regular courses on how to grow and prune the trees.

Members come from all walks of life, are of all ages, both male and female, and need not have particularly green fingers.

They dispel misconceptions that bonsai is cruel and hold that the trees are healthy and well looked after. In fact, bonsai trees are also found in the wild - if a seed falls into a limited space it is destined to grow small.

For more information visit bonsaimalta.net.