A Detailed Guide to the Techniques and Methods of Making Water-and-Land Penjing

Flowers & Gardening Jan 1, 1970 0 views

I. Overview Penjing is one of China's traditional arts. Using plants, rocks, soil, water and other materials, through artistic creation and horticultural cultivation, it shapes the beautiful scenery of nature in a pot, like a three-dimensional landscape painting. Chinese penjing...

I. Overview

Penjing is one of China's traditional arts. Using plants, rocks, soil, water and other materials, through artistic creation and horticultural cultivation, it shapes the beautiful scenery of nature in a pot, like a three-dimensional landscape painting.

The reason Chinese penjing is called penjing is that it takes the meaning of "scenery in a pot." Since it is "scenery in a pot," it can express all kinds of natural landscapes. Therefore, among Chinese penjing, there are tree penjing (Tree penjing) that express tree landscapes, rock penjing (Rock penjing) that express mountain-and-water landscapes, and water-and-land penjing (Water-and-Land penjing) that combines both trees and mountain-and-water landscapes.

Those that use woody plants as the main material and, through shaping treatments such as wiring, pruning and carving plus horticultural cultivation, express the tree landscapes of nature in a pot are called tree penjing.

Those that use natural stones as the main material and, through shaping treatments such as selection, cutting, carving and joining, with a few small figures and ornaments added, are arranged in a water basin to express the mountain-and-water landscapes of nature are called rock penjing.

Water-and-land penjing, then, is the combination of tree penjing and mountain-and-water penjing. Its materials include both plants and soil, and also stones and water, and sometimes a few small ornaments are placed as well. What it expresses is the "complete" landscape of nature in which trees, rocks, land and water are all present.

Water-and-land penjing As a form, water-and-land penjing had already appeared in the Song and Yuan dynasties; by the Ming dynasty there were already pots made specially for water-and-land penjing, and by the Qing dynasty it had become fairly common.

Modern water-and-land penjing has developed rapidly and spread widely. It has inherited the techniques of traditional water-and-land penjing, retained the literati characteristics of Chinese penjing art, tended even more toward naturalness in shaping, and made innovations in technique, becoming a penjing form that is both ancient and novel. In recent years, as international penjing exchanges have become increasingly frequent, water-and-land penjing has also won the affection of more and more penjing enthusiasts abroad, and has appeared many times in demonstration performances at international penjing conferences.

II. Selection of Materials

Water-and-land penjing is formed by combining tree penjing and rock penjing. The basic requirements for its materials are roughly the same as those for these two types of penjing, but it also has some special features.

The materials for water-and-land penjing mainly include the pot, plants, stones, ornaments and soil.

1. Plants

Woody plants are the main scenery in water-and-land penjing, and their selection is crucial. The tree species generally must have the characteristics of small leaves, tolerance of pruning, ease of shaping and high ornamental value. The following tree species are commonly used.

(1) Pines and cypresses:

Five-needle pine Pinus parviflora

Japanese juniper Juniperus procumbens

Taiwan juniper Juniperus formosana

Shimpaku Juniperus chinensis 'Shimpaku'

Threadbranch cypress Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Filifera'

Dragon spruce Picea asperata

Dawn redwood Metasequoia glyptostroboides

Bald cypress Taxodium distichum

Golden larch Pseudolarix kaempferi

Small-leaf Buddhist pine Podocarpus macrophyllus 'maki'

Japanese yew Taxus cuspidata

(2) Deciduous and miscellaneous trees:

Orange jasmine Mrraya paniculata

Fujian tea Carmona microphylla

Chinese elm Ulmus parvifolia

Schneider zelkova Zelkova schneideriana

Small-leaf privet Ligustrum guihoui

Chinese boxwood Buxus sinica

Chinese sweet plum Sageretia theezans

Chinese hackberry Celtis sinensis

Chinese banyan Ficus microcarpa

(3) Foliage trees:

Trident maple Acer buergerianum

Red Japanese maple Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'

Japanese maple Acer palmatum

Ginkgo Ginkgo biloba

Chinese tamarisk Tamarix chinensis

Fernleaf hedge bamboo Bambusa multiplex 'Nana'

(4) Flowering trees:

Snow rose Serissa foetida

Chinese quince Chaenomeles speciosa

Satsuki azalea Rhododendron simsii

Crape myrtle Lagerstroemia indica

Japanese apricot Prunus mume

(5) Fruit trees:

Chinese persimmon Diospyros rthombifolia

Pomegranate Punica granatum

Chinese persimmon Diospyros armata

Firethorn Pyracantha fortuneana

The tree materials used in water-and-land penjing are mostly cultivated from a young age, but may also be collected from the mountains and wilds; in either case they must go through a certain period of cultivation and processing so that the trunk and main branches have initially taken shape and meet the following requirements.

(1) Conform to nature: the natural scene of trees must be taken entirely as the basis, and then necessary selections and rejections made. In the technique of shaping, pruning is generally the main method and wiring the auxiliary one. Any obvious artificial flavor, or excessive distortion, is unsuitable.

(2) Have the form of a large tree: the tree shape should not be too bizarre; it is usually the formal upright, slanting and waterside styles. Tree shapes such as cascade and sharply curved trunk (referring to trunks with a large degree of bending) are unsuitable.

(3) Mature root system: it is best to use trees that have been cultivated in a shallow pot for a certain period, so that they have both a mature root system and no thick downward-growing roots. The roots of the main tree exposed above the soil should spread out on all sides, and the other trees had best also have roots exposed above the soil.

(4) Harmony and variation: the trees in water-and-land penjing are mostly made into the forest style. In the same pot, usually one tree species is used, though sometimes two or more species may be used. When different species are planted together, one of them must be the main species and the others supplementary; they must not be treated equally, and at the same time care should be taken as much as possible to keep the style unified.

The trees in the same pot must differ in primary and secondary status, height and thickness, and among them there must be one main tree that is both the tallest and the thickest.

In choosing trees for the forest style, attention must be paid to harmony of style; the individuality of each tree should not be too obvious, and the trees in one work must be mainly of the same tree shape, yet harmony also requires variation. For example, if trees of the formal upright style are the main ones in a forest-style planting, one or two slanting-trunk trees or trees with slightly curved trunks may be mixed in, which can add natural charm.

(5) Work in tacit harmony with the other scenery: when selecting materials, it is not required that every part of the tree be complete; rather, what is required is that it can be organically combined with the other scenery to achieve the ideal effect.

The plants in water-and-land penjing are mainly trees, and also include some small herbaceous plants and bryophytes. For moss, it is best to choose different kinds, which can increase variation in color and form.

2. Stones

To choose stones is to select materials whose form, texture and color all accord with the creative concept, to make the best possible use of each material, and to preserve the natural characteristics of the stone.

The stone materials used in water-and-land penjing are generally mostly hard stones, and it is best if they have an ideal natural form and texture lines, while also having soft color and a strong stone feel. The following are commonly used.

(1) Turtle-vein stone

Turtle-vein stone is a hard stone, mostly in lumpy shapes that are neither round nor square, with natural patterns on the surface resembling turtle shells. Its colors include grayish yellow, grayish black, light red and white, among others. It absorbs water slightly, can grow moss in places, and can also be carved and polished on a small scale.

Turtle-vein stone is rustic and natural in form and color, has a strong stone feel, and is rich in painterly quality; it is a commonly used stone type for making water-and-land penjing.

Turtle-vein stone is mainly produced in many regions of China such as Sichuan, Anhui and Shandong. Turtle-vein stone from different regions also differs somewhat in texture and color.

(2) Yingde stone

Yingde stone is relatively hard in texture; most pieces are rugged in form, with rich and varied texture lines; a few are relatively round and smooth in form, with plainer texture lines. The color is mostly grayish black or light gray, occasionally with white stone veins interspersed. It basically does not absorb water and is not suitable for carving.

Yingde stone has a very strong stone feel; it is one of China's traditional viewing stones, and is also a commonly used stone type for making water-and-land penjing.

Yingde stone is mainly produced in Guangdong, China.

(3) Cobblestone

Its texture is extremely hard; most are egg-shaped, though some are irregular in shape, but all are round, smooth and polished, with few and plain texture lines. Its colors include black, white, gray, green and light brown, among others. It does not absorb water and cannot be carved.

Cobblestone has an especially strong stone feel and is firm and durable. In water-and-land penjing, the materials chosen are mostly those with varied form and relatively rich texture lines; by cutting and truncating suitable parts, very natural-looking sloping banks can be assembled.

Cobblestone is produced in many places, generally in mountain stream mouths, on waterside banks, or in sand pits.

(4) Bamboo-shoot stone

Bamboo-shoot stone is relatively hard in texture, generally in strip-like bamboo-shoot shapes, with grayish white [stone] embedded in the stone, about the size of a ginkgo nut; its colors include blue-gray, purple and several others. It does not absorb water and can be worked by tapping. Generally its "shoot head" is cut crosswise and joined to make the sloping banks of water-and-land penjing, which is relatively natural.

Blue-gray bamboo-shoot stone is extremely suitable for expressing spring scenery.

Bamboo-shoot stone is mainly produced in Zhejiang, China.

Besides the several stone types introduced above, many, many other stone types can also be used in water-and-land penjing. Such as axe-cut stone, thousand-layer stone, fantastic stone, snow-melt stone, sandstone flake stone, stalactite and other hard stone materials.

As for soft stone materials such as sand-accumulated stone and reed-pipe stone, because their stone feel is not strong and they easily let water through, they are generally used less in water-and-land penjing. But these stone materials are easy to process and shape and readily grow moss, and are suitable for expressing earthen slopes, so they are sometimes used as well.

The selection of stone materials for water-and-land penjing mainly has the following basic requirements.

(1) Have "stone form"

In water-and-land penjing, stone materials are mainly used for sloping banks and dotting arrangements, and rarely express a complete mountain scene, so when selecting stones, attention should be paid to having "stone form," that is, the form of a stone, rather than the form of a mountain. Mountains and stones are different. A mountain has peaks, ridges, hills and ravines, while a stone is merely a constituent of the mountain, generally in a round, smooth lump form.

Hard stone materials are generally inconvenient to process, so more is required of their natural shape and texture lines. Soft stone materials can be carved, so their original shape need not be required of too much; it is enough that the texture is uniform.

(2) Emphasize "stone feel"

Stone feel means the texture quality of the stone. The contrast of hardness and softness in water-and-land penjing mainly relies on stones to express hardness, so the hard

quality feel of the stone is very important. Generally speaking, hard stones have a strong stone feel, while soft stones lack stone feel. But some hard stones do not look hard on the surface, that is, their stone feel is not strong.

(3) Harmony and unity

In the same water-and-land penjing, generally one kind of stone material is used, and every effort is made to achieve harmony and unity in form, texture, texture lines and color. But harmony and unity do not mean being completely identical; there should also be a certain amount of variation, such as lump surfaces that may be large or small, texture lines that should be sparse or dense, and shapes that should be round or square, and so on.

3. Pot

Water-and-land penjing mostly uses shallow-mouthed water basins (generally landscape penjing basins, with one or two drainage holes drilled in the position where the dry land is to be), in order to set off the scenery in the pot, especially to express the beauty of the slope foot, making the work richer in painterly quality.

The commonly used shapes of water basins include rectangular, oval and irregular natural shapes. The material of the basin is best marble, white jade and the like; glazed ceramic basins and purple clay basins are also acceptable. The color of the basin is mostly white or other light colors.

Water basins made by slightly processing natural stone slabs, irregular in shape and rich in variation, are also very good for use as water-and-land penjing. Although such a basin has no rim and cannot hold water, it can produce a "sense of water in a dry basin."

4. Ornaments

Ornaments refer to the decorative items placed in the penjing, such as buildings, figures, animals, boats and oars. Although they are very small in size, they often play an important role.

The materials of ornaments include pottery, porcelain, stone, metal and several others, with pottery being the best, that is, made by firing clay; it is not afraid of water or sun, will not change color, and its texture is easy to harmonize with the basin and the rocks. Pottery ornaments usually mostly use products from Shiwan, Guangdong.

The commonly used pottery accessories in water-and-land penjing include the following categories.

Architecture category: mainly thatched pavilions, thatched cottages, tiled houses, waterside pavilions, stone slab bridges, wooden plank bridges, bamboo bridges and so on.

Figure category: mainly standing alone, sitting alone, playing chess, conversing, drinking together, reading, playing the qin, playing the flute, fishing, riding an ox, farmers, woodcutters, fishermen and so on.

5. Soil

In water-and-land penjing, soil not only stores and supplies water and nutrients and maintains plant growth, it is also a material for shaping the scenery. The rises and falls of the terrain in the pot are mainly shaped through the soil.

The soil used in water-and-land penjing has roughly the same requirements as the soil used in ordinary tree penjing; it must be prepared according to the habits of different tree species. But it must both satisfy the needs of plant growth and be convenient for shaping the terrain, while keeping the terrain relatively stable. Therefore, in addition to having good aeration, drainage and water-retention properties, it is best if it is slightly sticky. When making water-and-land penjing in different regions, local materials can be used and the soil mixed on site.

III. Production Procedure

The production procedure of water-and-land penjing mainly includes overall conception, processing tree materials, processing stone materials, overall layout, gluing stones, planting trees, treating the terrain, placing ornaments, and laying moss, and so on.

1. Overall Conception

Before starting to make a water-and-land penjing, one should first have an overall conception of the theme and subject matter the work will express, as well as how to lay it out and the methods of expression, and so on; this is what Chinese painting theory calls "establishing the idea."

The conception takes natural landscapes as its basis and Chinese landscape painting as its reference.

The conception runs through the entire process of material selection, processing and layout, and often undergoes a certain degree of revision during this process.

When conceiving, it is best to first place the initially selected materials, including trees, stones, pot and ornaments, together, then calm the mind, examine them carefully, and search for a feeling. Only after there is a preliminary plan should the processing of materials begin.

2. Processing Tree Materials

Trees are the main body of water-and-land penjing, so when processing materials, the tree materials are generally processed first. The tree materials used in water-and-land penjing must all have been cultivated and shaped in a growing pot for a certain period and reached preliminary form before they can be used. When making water-and-land penjing, the materials must also be further processed according to the overall conception.

First, examine their overall shape as well as the structure of each part, such as the roots, trunk and branches. They must be examined from different directions and different angles, and the structure and direction of the roots must also be seen clearly. After repeated examination, if the essence and defects of the tree have been found, one can then consider how to promote the strengths and avoid the weaknesses, highlight the essence and make up for the defects.

Determining the front of the tree is very important. Generally speaking, viewed from the front, the trunk should not thrust forward, and the exposed roots and main branches should all extend longer to the two sides and shorter to the front and back. Directly in front of the trunk there should be neither long branches extending out nor complete bareness. The main branches should avoid being opposite each other and parallel, and should preferably extend from the protruding places of the trunk rather than from the inner side of a bend. These most basic requirements must be noted.

The planting angle of the tree is also very important. After the front of the tree has been determined, if the angle is not ideal enough, it must be adjusted again. The trunk can be changed in angle forward, backward, left and right until the ideal effect is achieved. Angle is very important; sometimes with a slight change in angle, the whole tree's spirit will be greatly improved, and it may even bring unexpectedly good results.

After the front and angle of the tree have been determined, one can further consider issues such as the length and shortness of the main branches, sparse and dense, gathered and scattered, hidden and exposed, hard and soft, momentum and balance, and then adjust the internal structure and the overall shape.

For shaping, a combination of wiring and pruning should be used. The shaping methods are basically the same as those for tree bonsai. A brief introduction is given here.

(1) Wiring: refers to the technique of using metal wire to shape the branches and trunk of a tree. Its advantage lies in being able to adjust the direction and curvature of branches and trunk relatively freely. It is mostly used for pine and cypress species.

Wiring generally uses aluminum wire or copper wire. Select metal wire of appropriate thickness according to the thickness and hardness of the branch or trunk being wired.

Copper wire should be burned until red-hot before use, then slowly cooled. This way it becomes soft to use, is less likely to damage the bark, and after bending it hardens again, which helps hold the branch in place. However, wiring requires skilled technique and should not be changed too much. Aluminum wire is generally softer and does not change in hardness, making it easier for beginners to use.

The order of wiring is generally main branches first, then secondary ones; lower ones first, then upper ones. When winding, keep the metal wire at about 45 degrees to the branch. Note to twist while using your thumb to help create the bend. Do not use too much force when bending, to prevent breaking the branch or damaging the bark. The outer side of the bend must have metal wire passing over it so it does not break easily.

Metal wire wound from the base onto the trunk must be inserted into the potting soil to secure it. The first coil must be firmly fixed to the trunk before winding upward, and the last coil must also be secured. The tail end of the wire should angle slightly downward in the reverse direction.

The metal wire can be wound clockwise or counterclockwise, depending on the direction of twisting. The metal wire should not be too tight or too loose against the branch.

When winding multiple branches on the same trunk, winding should be done alternately between branches, such as the first branch connecting to the third branch, the second branch connecting to the fourth branch, and so on. The metal wire must be wound at least one full turn around the trunk; otherwise the branches will pull against each other and be difficult to shape.

When two or more metal wires are needed on the same branch, they must be parallel and neatly arranged, avoiding overlap.

Before wiring, it is best to withhold water from the potting soil appropriately, making the tree branches soft and easy to bend.

The timing for removing the wire varies depending on the tree species and growth conditions. During the growing season, observe frequently; when the metal wire is about to cut into the bark, remove it promptly to avoid wire bite, which affects appearance. Remove the wire carefully to prevent damaging the bark; it is best to cut it off with wire pliers.

(2) Pruning: refers to a shaping method of removing excess parts by pruning the branches and trunk of a tree to achieve a beautiful tree form. The advantage of pruning is that it can make the tree branches and trunk vigorous and natural, with a more reasonable structure. It is mostly used for deciduous broadleaf species.

When pruning, first deal with parallel branches, crossing branches, overlapping branches, opposite branches, whorled branches and other branches that affect appearance; some are cut off, some are shortened, and some are reshaped through wiring.

For long branches that need to be shortened, only when they have grown to a suitable thickness should strong cutback be carried out, so that side branches, namely second-section branches, are produced; generally two are retained and then cultivated. When the second-section branches have grown to a suitable thickness, they are cut again, and the third and fourth sections are treated the same way. Each section mostly retains two branches, forming a "Y" shape, one long and one short. Sometimes only one is retained, to adjust density or avoid crossing.

When multiple trees are planted together, it is often necessary to prune the lower branches of the trees to conform to nature. To avoid crossing and overlap and achieve overall coordination, it is sometimes also necessary to prune some large branches of certain trees. At this time, the overall situation should take priority, and branches should be cut when they should be cut. Even for a solitary tree, sometimes certain large branches must be pruned according to the needs of the overall layout.

The pot of a water-and-land bonsai is very shallow, and the area where trees are planted is often very small and irregular in shape, so before planting the trees, their roots must also be sorted out somewhat. Generally, first remove part of the old soil, then shorten the thick roots growing straight downward and any excessively long coiled roots. The amount of soil removed and roots pruned is best determined according to the form and size of the dry-land portion in the pot. Before the tree positions are determined, you may remove and prune less first, and after they are determined, prune further into place.

3. Processing stone materials

The stone materials used in water-and-land bonsai must undergo certain processing before layout can be carried out. The main processing methods for stone materials include cutting, carving, grinding, and joining, chosen according to different stone types and designs.

Cutting method: refers to cutting away the excess parts of the stone material and retaining the needed parts, used as sloping banks and accent stones in the water, so that they combine flatly and naturally with the pot surface. Sometimes a large stone is divided into several pieces. Accent stones used for dry land generally do not necessarily need cutting, but if the volume is too large, unnecessary parts can also be cut away.

3. Processing stone materials

For hard stone materials, before cutting, examine carefully and repeatedly to decide on the best cutting plan; for soft stone materials, generally carve first, then cut.

Carving method: refers to processing stone materials with less ideal shapes into more ideal shapes through manual carving. This method is mainly used for soft stone materials, and sometimes also for certain hard stone materials, such as axe-cut stone and stalagmite stone. Carving uses a specially made pointed hammer or steel chisel as tools, and the method is basically the same as for landscape bonsai.

Although the carving method is artificial, it requires careful observation of natural scenery and reference to the stone forms and texture strokes in Chinese landscape painting, striving to conform to nature. The stones in the same work should both vary and remain consistent in style.

Grinding method: refers to grinding the surface of stone materials with diamond grinding wheels or wet sandpaper, etc., to reduce artificial traces, remove sharp corners, or address surface defects of certain stones. The grinding method is only a remedial method and should not be overused. For hard stone materials with good natural forms, try not to use grinding, in order to preserve their natural charm.

When grinding, coarse grinding can be done first, followed by fine grinding. For coarse grinding, use a grinding wheel with coarser abrasive grains; for fine grinding, it is best to use wet sandpaper with water.

Joining method: refers to combining and joining two or more stones into a whole, often used in water-and-land bonsai. Sloping banks are generally formed by combining and joining multiple stone materials, and sometimes accent stones also use the joining method, in order to obtain an ideal form or suitable volume.

The most important thing in combining and joining stones is to have a sense of wholeness. First, carefully select stone materials of the same color and similar texture; then carefully determine the joining parts, not only making the joints fit together, but also making the momentum continuous; finally, carefully glue them together with cement.

Stones combined and joined together must have coordinated color and texture, and also variation in volume and shape, achieving unity in diversity.

Common styles of water-and-land bonsai include waterside style, island style, stream-and-ravine style, river-and-lake style, and comprehensive style.

4. Trial layout

After processing is completed, all materials, including trees, stones, ornaments and the pot, can be placed together and examined repeatedly; then the materials are trial-placed into the pot to see the positions and proportional relationships of each part. Sometimes a sketch can also be drawn. This is the trial layout.

When making a trial layout, place the main tree first, then the companion trees, then the stones, ornaments, and so on. The layout must be done very carefully and often requires repeated adjustment; some materials may need to be processed or even replaced before the ideal effect can be achieved.

1. Layout of trees

According to the overall conception, first determine the positions of the trees in the pot. When arranging the trees, the positions of the rocks and water surface must also be considered. When the tree positions are roughly determined, some soil can be put in first, then the stones placed; the placement of trees and stones can also be done alternately.

Diversity and unity are the basic principles of layout.

The layout of one or two trees is relatively simple; generally they can be placed on one side of the pot. Two trees are mostly placed close together, one main and one secondary, one tall and one short, one straight and one slanting. Both unified and varied.

The layout of multiple trees is much more complex. But no matter how many trees there are, you can start from three. These three trees are the main tree, the secondary tree, and the supporting tree. The main tree must be the tallest and thickest; the secondary tree is shorter and thinner relative to the main tree; the supporting tree is the shortest and also the thinnest.

Viewed from the front of the pot, the position of the main tree should not be in the center of the pot, nor at the edge, but preferably about 1/3 from the left or right side of the pot; viewed from the side of the pot, it should preferably be in the middle of the pot, slightly toward the front or slightly toward the back. The secondary tree is usually positioned about 1/3 on the other side of the pot, while the supporting tree should be close to the main tree, but must not stand side by side with it. This is the most basic layout, but it is not absolute; changes within a certain range can also be made on this basis, but the planting points of the three trees, when connected, must form a scalene triangle, and the overall crown should also form a scalene triangle.

As for planting more trees together, three trees can be used as the basis and increased gradually. For example, with five planted together, one can be added near each of the main tree and the secondary tree; with seven planted together, on the basis of five, one can be added near each of the main tree and the supporting tree. The rest can be deduced in the same way.

The above approach is in fact turning the original three trees into three groups of trees, while the basic principles remain unchanged, namely: the lines connecting the planting points should form one or more scalene triangles as much as possible; more than three trees should not be planted in a straight line, especially not parallel to the pot edge (referring to a square pot); the distances between planting points should not be equal, but should have appropriate density, showing a kind of rhythm and cadence; the overall crown is best formed as one or more scalene triangles, but the outline should not be too flat and straight, and should have wavelike undulations.

In traditional Chinese painting, there are many classic works on the grouping of trees, all of which can serve as references for forest-style bonsai.

2. Layout of stones

When arranging stones, first make the sloping banks to separate the water surface from the dry land, then make the dry-land accent stones, and finally make the water-surface accent stones.

The treatment of the water bank line is very important; it must be winding and varied, and should not be too long when seen from the front.

The layout of stones must pay attention to perspective treatment. Overall, the near ones are generally higher and the far ones lower, but there must also be rises and falls as well as a combination of large and small planes to show naturalness and vividness.

Dry-land accent stones play an important role in shaping the terrain, and can sometimes also make up for defects in the roots of certain trees. They should echo the sloping banks, set off the trees, and combine naturally with the soil surface; water-surface accent stones can add variation to the water surface, and attention should be paid to alternating large and small ones and to proper gathering and scattering.

During the trial layout, it is best to preliminarily determine the positions and directions of the ornaments to be placed; inappropriate ones can be replaced or removed. When placing ornaments, attention should be paid to the reasonableness of their positions, their proportions with other scenery, and the perspective principle that near objects appear large and far objects appear small.

5. Gluing stones

After the layout is determined, the stones can then be glued, that is, using cement to fix the stones forming the sloping banks and the accent stones in the water onto the pot.

Before gluing, first use a pencil to mark the positions of the stones on the pot surface. Be careful to draw the position of the water bank line on the pot surface as accurately as possible. Some stones can also be numbered to avoid mistakes when gluing the stones.

The cement should preferably be a type that sets relatively quickly and should preferably be mixed and used immediately. When a larger amount is needed, it may be mixed in several batches. To increase bonding strength, an admixture that increases strength may be added to the cement as appropriate.

To make the cement harmonize with the stones, water-soluble pigment can be added to the cement to mix the cement color to be close to the stones.

Before gluing the stones, the stones used for the sloping banks can be given a final fine processing, including leveling the bottom, polishing damaged surfaces, and making the joints fit better; then wash them clean and wipe them dry. After doing the above work, spread cement fully over the bottom of each stone and glue it in the position previously determined in the pot.

The stones must be glued tightly; not only must the stones be well bonded to the pot surface, but the stones must also be well bonded to one another, so that there is no water leakage and no excess cement exposed. A brush or small brush dipped in water can be used to clean off cement stuck on the outside of the stones.

To prevent water leakage between the water surface and the dry land, after all the stones forming the sloping banks have been glued, check carefully once more. If any leaks are found, patch them immediately, so that water does not leak into the dry land, affecting plant growth and also affecting the ornamental effect of the water surface.

If soft stone materials are used for the sloping banks, a thick layer of cement can be spread on the side facing the soil to prevent water seepage.

6. Planting trees

During layout, the trees are temporarily placed in the pot and generally do not yet meet the planting requirements. After the stones have been glued and the cement has dried, the trees must be carefully planted in the pot.

When planting the trees, first sort out the roots of the trees carefully once more so that they fit the planting positions, and make the distance between each tree conform to the layout requirements.

To plant trees on the pot surface, first spread a layer of soil (a mesh screen must be placed over the drainage hole), then place the trees. Be careful to maintain the previously determined positions and heights. If the height is insufficient, add more soil under the roots; if too high, shorten the downward roots further.

Once the positions are accurately set, fill soil into the gaps. While filling soil, use your hand or a bamboo stick to press the soil firmly against the roots until the roots are buried in the soil. Be careful not to let the soil exceed the range of the dry land; it is best to make it slightly smaller, to facilitate gluing the rocks. After the rocks have been glued, more soil can still be added.

After the trees are planted, use a sprayer to spray water on the soil surface (it does not need to be sprayed through) to fix the surface soil.

7. Treating the terrain

In water-and-land bonsai, terrain treatment plays an important role in the overall design.

After the stones have been glued, soil can continue to be added to the dry-land portion, making the sloping bank stones and the soil surface merge into one, and creating undulating terrain by mounding soil and placing accent stones.

The lower part of an accent stone must not hang above the soil surface; it should be buried in the soil so that it "has roots." To make accent stones in bonsai well, one should usually observe "accent stones" in nature more often.

After the terrain is made, scatter a layer of fine "decorative soil" on the soil surface to facilitate planting moss and small grasses.

8. Placing ornaments

The placement of ornaments should be reasonable. Ornaments such as boats and arched bridges can be fixed directly on the pot surface; ornaments such as stone slab bridges are mostly laid across the sloping banks on both sides; ornaments such as pavilions, terraces, houses, figures, and animals should preferably be fixed on rock slopes or dry-land accent stones; sometimes flat stone pieces are buried in the dry-land portion to fix the ornaments.

To fix ornaments, they can generally be glued to the stones or the pot surface. For ornaments such as boats and bridges, they need not be glued to the pot surface, and can simply be placed on the pot surface when being viewed.

9. Planting moss

Moss is an indispensable part of water-and-land bonsai. It can conserve soil and water, enrich color, connect trees, stones, and soil into one, and can also represent grassland or shrubbery.

There are many kinds of moss. In one work, it is best to use one kind as the main one, supplemented by other kinds, so that there is both unity and variation.

Moss mostly grows in shady and damp places and can be dug up with a small shovel. Before planting, impurities must be removed, carefully removing weeds together with their roots.

When planting moss, first moisten the soil surface with a sprayer, then tear the moss into small pieces and carefully lay them on. It is best to leave a little spacing between each small piece of moss; do not cover everything completely, and certainly do not overlap. The junction between moss and stones should be staggered rather than in a straight line. After all planting is finished, spray water again with a sprayer, and at the same time gently press a few times with a special tool or by hand, so that the moss combines tightly with the soil surface and joins cleanly and neatly with the pot edge.

When planting moss, some small flowers and grasses can also be planted to add a natural feel.

10. Final finishing

After all the above work is completed, the work can be given a final finishing.

First look at the overall effect and check whether there are any omissions; if any are found, make some remedies. Then give the trees a comprehensive and careful pruning and adjustment, handling as well as possible the relationships between tree and tree, and between tree and stone. Finally, wash all the tree branches, stones, and pot clean, and spray a full misting of water. After the cement has completely dried, spray the dry-land portion through with water, and the water surface portion in the pot can be filled with water. Thus a water-and-land bonsai work is preliminarily completed.

After 1-2 years of maintenance and management, the work will become more perfect and natural.

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