A hobby that grows on you: Bonsai Bar comes to Salem

Salem ― Bonsai Bar, a Scituate, R.I.-based business specializing in Bonsai classes for beginners, taught a class at Burnett’s Country Garden on Sunday.

There, Joshua Allen and Freddy Weaver, two teachers from the company, taught 20 people who signed up for the class how to pot, prune and care for their new trees.

According to website Bonsai Empire, which offers courses in bonsai planting and pruning, bonsai is a traditional Japanese art form which refers to the planting of small trees inside containers. The art form dates back millennia, to ancient China, the website says.

Bonsai allows people to prune and reshape their tiny trees into their own works of art.

The students had each started off by choosing a ceramic pot and tree. Then they took a chopstick and scraped the roots of excess dirt. Then, they put the tree into the pot, surrounded it with soil mixture and Allen and Weaver came around to zip tie it in place.

After that, the two went through pruning and aftercare techniques. Allen and Weaver demonstrated to their students how to do so, with shears, and with pieces of aluminum wire wrapped around the trunk of the tree and then around the limbs. During this time, tables were littered with snipped leaves and pieces of aluminum wire.

“These are your trees. Play around with it. Have fun. Make a cute little tree that you’re happy with,” Allen said.

David Ascenza, of Middletown, was amazed with his tree’s transformation.

“It definitely looks a lot different now,” he said. “It was really neat how you can like, move it.”

People who came to the bonsai seminar at Burnett’s Sunday reported differing reasons for why they wanted to learn it. But most centered around relaxation or reducing stress.

“We live in a pretty stressful time,” said Monica Oquendo, a technology teacher at Manchester High School.

“There’s something to be said about working on your own plants, being able to watch them grow and shape them into something you enjoy,” she added. “And I do teach, which is a very stressful thing. Being able to just find something to calm me down ― calm your mind.”

Ascenza agreed.

“I’m really into meditation,” he said. “So, the art of bonsai is just taking a moment throughout your day, and just taking a look and making sure that everything’s OK.”

Ailleen Degaetano coordinated the event for Burnett’s weekly “Sunday Funday” events, which in the past have featured such events like making driftwood birdhouses and Japanese moss balls. But Degaetano, who already has some bonsai trees, said this activity is particularly relaxing.

“Especially when you start taking care of it, and cutting it, and talking to it. And making it grow,” she said.

Ryan Koncki, of Colchester, said the class was a great way for him to learn a skill he’d always wanted to, but do it under the guidance of others.

“Because I even tried to watching some videos,” he said. “I was like, ‘Uh, thanks. I need to have someone show me this.’ You get to ask questions and be like, ‘Does this look correct? ‘ ”

Allen said the more people Bonsai Bar can get into the art form, the better it is for everyone. He and Weaver, despite teaching a class, say they try hard to encourage students’ creativity.

Allen said in nine months these new bonsai owners would get an email saying it’s time to repot their trees, which by that point will been pruned and shaped to their liking.

“See you all in nine months,” Koncki laughed.

d.drainville@theday.com