A Detailed Guide to Making Miniature Narcissus Bonsai

  Narcissus is one of China's top ten famous flowers and a cherished offering in Chinese folk tradition. Every New Year, people love to display narcissus in clean water as a decorative New Year flower. This is because narcissus can be grown in clean water alone without the need for soil. The roots of the narcissus are like silver threads, spotless and pure; the leaves are vivid and lush green; the flowers resemble golden cups on silver platforms, elegant and refined beyond the commonplace, graceful and delicate, comely and beautiful, white and lovely, with a rich, delicate fragrance and a long blooming period. This precious flower has long since spread across the length and breadth of the land, crossed the oceans, and enjoyed a lasting reputation acclaimed throughout the world. It has carried away China's spring, the goodwill and beautiful wishes of the Chinese people, and has earned the fine title of "For narcissus under heaven, Zhangzhou ranks first."

  1. Conception The conception is the design, and the design is the thinking activity an artist engages in during the process of nurturing a work. It includes selecting the subject matter, determining the theme, and exploring the best form of expression. If the conception is vulgar, one naturally cannot create a miniature narcissus bonsai with a novel shape and the spirit of painting and poetry.

  2. Material selection Based on the conception, first choose a curio display stand of suitable size and style. Second, according to the size of the compartments in the curio stand, select suitable small pots, the most commonly used being small purple clay pots. Third, select several daughter bulbs with flower buds that have been separated from 10-bulb or 20-bulb main bulbs.

  3. Carving Based on the conception and the differing sizes and heights of the compartments in the curio stand, carve the leaves and flower stems with varying degrees of intensity. The carving method is the same as for ordinary narcissus bonsai, mostly heavy or relatively heavy carving.

  4. Care The care method is basically the same as for ordinary narcissus bonsai. The difference is that the temperature of the care location should be somewhat lower. The average daytime temperature should be around 10°C, and the lowest nighttime temperature around 4°C. In the Beijing area, about 45 days of water cultivation will bring it into bloom.

  5. Shaping During the care process, preliminary shaping has already been carried out. When some flower buds open, based on the conception, give the leaves, flowers, and roots a tidy-up: cut away leaves that are too dense or growing poorly, and make appropriate adjustments to the positions of the flowers. Remove the absorbent cotton covering the roots to reveal the snow-white root system.