My parents in law got me an evergreen bonsai for Christmas, a Ficus Retusa.
It’s not until recently that I’ve got interested in the idea of growing a plant. I find fascinating that you can mold a living being to your liking, within certain constraints. Every branch contains a possibility, and you’ve got to decide which ones to develop. The fact that it’s a slow process that takes years to fully see the results speaks of the patience and constant caring you need to put into it. I don’t want to think too much about that because the thought of committing myself to something for so long is scary! At the same time, I’ve found a sense of calm and bonding in things like cleaning every individual leaf of the tree once a month – I can understand much better now to Paul Richardson, the exo-botanist of Mars.
Being the first plant I own, I’m still learning a lot about everything: its watering needs, what’s a good pruning balance, how to identify and treat pests and diseases, etc. So far, it’s been enjoyable.