Root and branch transformation into a living art
Yorkshire’s premier supplier of bonsai reflects on his years of dedication to mastering this oriental craft
WIELDING THE scissors with an expert eye, Richard Reah’s scythe seems to fall with a ruthless abandon.
Yet there is meticulous method to every cut, in a skill wrought over decades of training and honed in dedication to the finest degree.
This is the art of the bonsai, in shaping in miniature the growth of a tree.
The wondrous result, a perfect mimicry of tiny grandeur, is deliciously satisfying to see.
“All we are doing is copying nature,” said Mr Reah, Yorkshire’s own ‘‘ Mr Bonsai’’ who has now served in some form as the North’s premier supplier and exhibitor of the impressive creations for over a quarter of a century.
“They bring a bit of happiness. It is a form of art, just not with a paintbrush and paper.”
There has been mounting interest in bonsai tree growing over recent years, as the art has become better known, with Mr Reah now launching one- to- one workshops and holiday cover as rising numbers of people seek support following a surge in gardening sales.
The name bonsai literally means ‘‘ tree in a pot’’, which has to be in proportion. The artform, widely considered to be Japanese, originated in China’s Forbidden City over a millennia ago.
The idea is in shaping a tree, with wires and twine and shears and moss.
There is ‘‘ rafting’’ to grow upwards, ‘‘ air layering’’ to score and cut, and ‘‘ windswept’’ or ‘‘ broomstick’’ slants.
Mr Reah, owner of North of England Bonsai, is one of the country’s best- known experts, having pruned hundreds if not thousands of trees, and he is a familiar face on the circuit at horticultural events.
The 47- year- old was first introduced to the art as a “petulant” young man, he said, when his parents dragged him to the Harrogate Flower Show on the promise of a free lunch.
“The first thing I saw was a bonsai – I knew then that’s what I wanted to do,” he said.
“It was something a little bit different.”
It wasn’t to be an easy journey for the then 22- year- old, who had sought the services of the original ‘‘ Mr Bonsai’’, renowned expert Louis Hawksby, after his third tree in a row had inexplicably withered and died under his care.
After marching him from the marquee to point out that “trees grow outside”, Mr Hawksby would go on to teach him, over two decades, everything he knew about the craft.
“I was a typical teenager, not interested in bonsai, or any gardening at all really,” said Mr Reah. “I’ve changed. He learned when there weren’t any books on it, when there wasn’t the internet. He was self- taught, and he taught me everything I needed to know.
“With bonsai, we are shaping it, to see through the tree.
“It’s a different form of art, for relaxation. It helps with mental health, to forget all the stresses and strains.
“When I’m working, I certainly don’t think about anything else.
“And it’s satisfying to see the transformation they can make.
“The reputation of bonsai is that they are hard – easy to kill and hard to keep,” he added.
People say I’m ruthless but you have to treat them like a shrub Richard Reah, of North of England Bonsai.
“They are not. I have no trade secrets, I always tell people ‘ they are trees, they live outside’.
“That is the reason bonsai trees grow.”
While still considered exotic, with bonsai often living for hundreds of years, collections
can now be found worldwide, with readymade tutorials to be found online.
Mr Reah has no time for such endeavours and prefers to host his workshops in Easingwold, where he shares his expertise and fixes others’ pruning
mistakes amid a recent surge in interest.
“The internet has changed things, with YouTube channels showing you how to grow bonsai,” he said. “You can find collections anywhere in the world now.
“I’m too quick for YouTube,” he added.
“People say I’m ruthless, but you have to treat them like a shrub.
“The more you chop, the more they grow. It’s all about keeping the balance right.”