That time my neighbor insisted her 'bonsai' was just a depressed houseplant | Botany Lovers - Freelance Forum - The Community for Independent Professionals
That time my neighbor insisted her 'bonsai' was just a depressed houseplant
My neighbor kept telling me her little tree was just a sad fern she underwatered. I finally went over and saw it was literally a juniper in a tiny pot with wires on the branches. Took me ten minutes to explain that bonsai is a technique, not a plant species. Has anyone else had someone call something obvious by the completely wrong name?
Wait, so you're telling me I was wrong about my whole understanding of bonsai? I used to think it was just those tiny trees you buy at the mall, like a whole different species or something. But then my buddy brought over this little pine he'd been working on for years, all bent with wire wrapped around it, and it clicked. He showed me how it's basically just a normal tree that you train to stay small and look old, not some special breed. Now I feel dumb for arguing with him that you could just buy one at Home Depot.