Getting crafty: The ancient art of kokedama

The latest gardening trend to come out of Japan, dubbed the ‘‘poor man’s bonsai’’, is bouncing its way to Marlborough.

The ancient art of kokedama, Japanese for ‘‘moss ball’’, will be taught to weekend gardeners at Nelmac Garden Marlborough next month.

Kokedama is a centuries-old Japanese garden form, which involves freeing a plant’s root system from its pot or container and surrounding it in a peat mud cake, then wrapping it in moss bound together with string.

The art and craft is similar to bonsai, and the method is used to as a way to create unique indoor plant presentations.

The workshops will be run by kokedama-making experts Phil Smart and Allan Patterson, owner of Magic Moss in Christchurch.

Patterson says the ‘‘poor man’s bonsai’’ art was a calling for him.

‘‘Kokedama is really a natural progression, since I own a moss company,’’ Patterson says.

It took Patterson nearly six months to learn kokedama, which he has been perfecting for the past two years.

‘‘I am self-taught, but found that once I started doing it I found a community of people interested in kokedama.

‘‘We just bounced ideas off of each other.’’

Since then, Patterson has taught people all over New Zealand the fine art of making the moss balls.

And once people learn kokedama is done, they can get as creative as they want.

‘‘This year, because it’s coming up to Christmas, we will be teaching how to make red poinsettia kokedama, bound in red string. The effect is very striking,’’ Patterson says.

‘‘Think outside your ball, is what I tell people when I teach them.’’

DAVID JAMES/STUFF A kokedama ball freed from the shackles of pots.