Bonsai Accent / Companion Plants Linda'S View

BONSAI
ACCENT /
COMPANION PLANTS
LINDA’S VIEW

Linda Nishikawa
April 2017
for the O9awa Bonsai Society

Free electronic images, unless otherwise indicated

Kusamono Accent Plants, Bonsai Penging & More – WordPress.com
h4ps://bonsaipenjing.wordpress.com/category/kusamono-‐accent-‐plants/
OUTLINE
PART ONE:
A. APPROACH & DISCLAIMER
B. INTRODUCTION
C. SUGGESTED ACCENT PLANTS
§  To show with Coniferous Bonsai trees
§  To show with Deciduous Bonsai trees
§  Dwarf grasses & rushes
§  Ferns
§  Lichen, Mosses, Herbs
D. GENERAL CARE OF ACCENT PLANTS

E. RESOURCES

PART TWO:
A. AESTHETIC / PRACTICAL DESIGN GUIDELINES
§  Natural Habit
§  Season
§  Size & DirecSon
§  Complement/Placement & Balance
B. STYLES
§  Moss Ball
§  Slab
§  Container
April 2017 2
A. APPROACH & DISCLAIMER
LINDA’S VIEW
•  PresentaSon is based on my knowledge of alpine and naSve plants.
•  InformaSon of bonsai accent plants is based on research.
•  These are only suggesSons -‐ not a professional view.
•  Aim: Focus on main aestheSc guideline: Natural habitat to
complement bonsai.
HISTORY
•  Originally small plants brought in with collected trees and then were
grown in separate pots
•  Depicted the area from where the tree was collected
•  Were usually in the form of wild flowers or grasses.
•  Today, companion plants are an accepted way of depicSng a feeling,
season or locaGon.
•  Has become an art of its own by collectors who grow and show only
accent plants.
April 2017 3
B. INTRODUCTION
SOME JAPANESE TERMS
•  Shitakusa = planSngs that accompany bonsai displays
(“shita” = below or under, and “kusa” = grass)
•  Kusamono = mixed planSng displayed in unique pots
or trays as the center of a9enSon
(“kusa”= grass and “mono”= thing)
•  Nearai = exposed roots
(“Ne” = root and “aria” = washed)
•  Kokedama = moss balls made of keto + moss + plant
and sat on a shallow dish.
(“koke” = moss and “dama” = ball)
April 2017 4
C. SUGGESTED ACCENT PLANTS
C.1 TO SHOW WITH CONIFEROUS BONSAI TREES
•  Habitat: mountain/Smberline habitat, sunny, dry.
•  Bonsai Trees such as: conifers and pines: juniper,
spruce, pine, larch, yew, cedar, esp. root over rock.
•  A lot of these plants can be found in the wild.
Lodgepole pine with Sedum accent plant

By Sco9 Elser, Pacific Rim Bonsai CollecSon,
www.brendenstudio.wordpress.com
April 2017 5
Succulents - with coniferous bonsai
Sedum spurium,
“Dragon’s Blood”
*Sedum hylotelephlum,
Sedum sieboldii
“Stonecrop”
April 2017 6
Succulents con’t. - with coniferous bonsai
Sedum spurium,
“Tricolor Sedum”
Sedum,
“Red Carpet”
Sedum brevifolium,
(smallest Sedum)
April 2017 7
Sempervivum arachnoideum,
“Cobweb houseleek”
April 2017 8
Jovibarba, “Beard of Jupiter”
Photo by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa
April 2017 9
- with coniferous bonsai
Alpine plants
Saxifrage opposi;folia,
“Purple Saxifrage”
(official flower of Nunavut)
*Saxifrage paniculata,
“Encrusted Saxifrage”
April 2017 10
Alpine plants con’t. - with coniferous bonsai
Draba aizoides,
“Lapland Whitlow Grass”
*Erinus alpinus,
“Alpine Balsam”
*Arenaria montana,
April 2017 “Mountain Sandwort” 11
*Androsace villosa,
“Rock Jasmine”
*Dianthus armeria,
“Grass Pink”
April 2017 12
*Gypsophila ceras;oides,
“Alpine Baby’s Breath”
*Silene acaulis,
“Moss Campion”
April 2017 13
*Poten;lla reptans,
“Creeping Cinquefoil”
*Lewisia cotyledon, “Cliff Maids”
Photos by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa

April 2017 14
Armeria mari;ma,
“Sea thrim”
Campanula,
“Dwarf hybrid Bellflower”
Photo by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa
April 2017 15
B. SUGGESTED ACCENT PLANTS
B.1 TO SHOW WITH DECIDUOUS BONSAI TREES
•  Habitat: woodland, meadow, shade, part shade, moist.
•  Bonsai Trees such as: maple, elm, hornbeam, beech.
•  A lot of these plants can be found in the wild.
Chinese Elm bonsai with an Oxalis accent plant

Bonsai Penjing & More
https://bonsaipenjing.wordpress.com/category/kusamono-accent-plants/
April 2017 16
- with deciduous bonsai
Oxalis,
“Purple Shamrock
Erodium reichardii,
“Alpine Geranium”
April 2017 17
Aquilegia canadensis,
“Wild Dwarf Columbine”
Arenaria balearica,
“Corsican Sandwort”
April 2017 18
As;lbe spec.,
“Dwarf False Spirea”
Aruncus aethusifolius,
“Dwarf Goat’s Beard”
April 2017 19
Spring Ephemerals - with deciduous bonsai
Viola pedata,
“Bird’s Foot Violet”
Photos by Linda Nishikawa, Colorado
April 2017 20
Spring Ephemerals con’t. - with deciduous bonsai
Hepa;ca nobilis,
“Liverleaf”/
“Liverwort”
Photos by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa

April 2017 21
Dicentra canadensis,
“Dutchman’s Breeches”
Erythronium americanum,
“Dog tooth Violet”/ “Trout Lily”/
“Adder’s Tongue”
April 2017 22
Claytonia virginica,
“Spring Beauty”
April 2017 23
Galanthus nivalis,
“Snowdrops”
Allium tricoccum,
“Wild Leek”/ “Ramp”
April 2017 24
B3. DWARF GRASSES & RUSHES
Sisyrinchium,
“Blue-‐eyed Grass”
Photo by Linda Nishikawa, Colorado
Juncus mertensia,
“Subalpine Rush”
Photo by Linda Nishikawa, Colorado
April 2017 25
B3. Dwarf grasses & Rushes (con’t.)
Festuca glauca,
“Dwarf Sweet Rush”
Ophiopogon planiscapus,
“Black Mondo Grass”
April 2017 26
B4. Dwarf Ferns
Asplenium trichomanes,
“Spleenwort fern”
with Mosses
Photo by Linda Nishikawa, Michigan

April 2017 27
B5. LICHENS, MOSSES & HERBS
Sign at the Be4y Ford Alpine House, Vail, Colorado

April 2017 28
B5. Lichens, Mosses & Herbs (con’t.)
Origanum x majoricum,
“Italian Oregano”
Thymus citriodorus,
“Golden Lemon Thyme”
photo on Pintrest
April 2017 29
E. GENERAL CARE OF ACCENT PLANTS
•  Peaty soil (peat and akadama) used as planSng medium.
•  Good drainage in the pots is important.
•  Water regularly, spray occasionally and very li9le or no ferSlizer.
•  Spring repot with root cupng and then remove dead parts.
•  Repopng is crucial for Hostas; cupng back amer flowering will
push a second flush of leaves which will restore their fresh
appearance.
Suggested Compost components:
•  3 parts akadama
•  3 parts pumice, kyodama or cat li9er
•  3 parts propagaSng bark, this does not need to be sieved
•  2 parts grit.
•  Trace slow release ferSlizer (osmacote)
April 2017 30
F. RESOURCES
•  O]awa Rare & Unusual Plant Sale, Neatby Bldg, 960 Carling Avenue, O9awa
May 14, 2017, 9:00am –1:00pm

•  Great Gardening Weekend:

May 26-‐28, 2017, Montreal Botanical Gardens,
http://espacepourlavie.ca/en/programming/great-gardening-weekend

•  Rock Wall Gardens, 995 Code Road, Perth

www.rockwallgardens.com/

•  Fuller NaGve & Rare Plants, 175 Airport Pkwy E., Belleville, ON
http://www.fullerplants.com

•  Majella Larochelle, 36 rue Renaud, GaSneau, Que. Call to visit: (819) 568-‐2949
http://mlarochelle.net/
•  O]awa Valley Rock Garden & HorGcultural Society

http://www.ovrghs.ca

•  Andy’s Northern Ontario Wildflowers
http://www.ontariowildflower.com
•  Beyond the House Garden Centre, 144 Craig Street, Russell

(found mini Campanula, dwarf daffodil, and other dwarf spring plants at the O9awa
Home & Garden Show, March 26, 2017).
April 2017 31
Break

April 2017 32
PART TWO
A. AestheGc / PracGcal Design Guidelines

A.1 Natural Habitat
•  Should be something that might grow under the tree.
•  Should reflect they both come from similar natural
habitat; accent plants must like the same condiSons as
the bonsai,
i.e. Kusamono (mixed planSng) should have only water loving
or only arid loving plants together.
•  Coniferous: Timberline/Mountain:
e.g. alpine plants are appropriate with a juniper or pine
•  Deciduous: Wetland, woodland, meadow: presented
with flowering and fruiSng accent plants
e.g. lowland bog plants are appropriate with winterberries or larch
April 2017 33
A. AestheVc / PracVcal Design Guidelines (con’t.)
A.2 Season
•  Must be healthy & reflect the season in which it is displayed.
•  Must give an idea of the season as well as harmony and balance.
-‐ accent plants represent the different seasons with conspicuous leaf colors,
flowers, fruits, seeds, fall colors etc.
•  Spring planGng: Spring is good for spring flowers but not with
flowering bonsai trees, accents should portray fresh green foliage, and
plants like Lily of the Valley, Iris or Strawberry.
•  Summer is more muted greens and a more subtle tone with the use
of grasses in flower or even water plants.
-‐ dry grasses are not appropriate in the middle of summer even if it is a very
dry summer.
•  Autumn is great for plants with strong autumn colours; dry grass or
mushrooms is appropriate.
•  Winter is a good Sme for seasonal flowers like snow drops, dead
grasses, ferns and mosses.
-‐ lush green planSngs from a greenhouse are not appropriate in the middle
of winter.
April 2017 34

A.3 Size & DirecGon

•  Keep simple & not dominate.
-‐ grasses can look nice but they are generally of a scale that goes
only with the very largest bonsai.
•  Avoid repeaSng themes.
-‐ height of the main foliage of the accent plant should not
exceed the height of the table or of the wood slice on which the
bonsai is placed as main object.
•  Complement direcSon of both accent plant and bonsai.
-‐ if element is to the accent’s lem, it is be9er to point lem
-‐ very important for more direcSonal accents like ferns.
•  A small table for the accent plant is permissible: only when
the bonsai itself is presented on a higher table.
•  Grass should be put on shallow slice of wood.
April 2017 35
A.4 Complement (Placement) & Balance

•  Bright accents enliven a somber display.
•  Subtle accents temper colorful displays;
•  Full accent to enhance a display’s balance
-‐ spilling outside of pot is okay.
•  Different foliage, flowers, fruits
-‐ the bonsai and accent plant shouldn't be the same.
-‐ fruiSng and flowering bonsai should be put together with a
plain accent plant.
•  Accentuate the bonsai.
-‐ if you look at it from above, a more dominaSng bonsai will be
less accentuated from a plant in the foreground.
-‐ when the accent plant moves to the back, it accentuates the
bonsai more if needed.
April 2017 36
B. STYLES OF PLANTING
B.1 Kokedama (Moss Ball)
•  Clay and peat moss compacted into a ball and covered
with moss.
•  Generally no more than one plant growing out of the ball
and the ball is placed on a small round plate that barely
shows from under the ball.
•  Example #1 soil mix:
70% main soil + 30% Akadama
•  Example #2 soil mix:
50% main soil + 15% sandy soil
+ 25% Akadama.
Kokedama on a Bark Dish

from Etsy
April 2017 37
Kokedama with a Trillium
by Young Choe
April 2017 38
B. STYLES OF PLANTING (con’t.)
B.2 SLAB PLANTING

•  the irregular slab is more visible and contributes to
the overall composiSon.
e.g. mats, plates, Sles, flat stones, roots or pieces of
wood
Kusamono with Sedum

from Pintrest
April 2017 39
B.2 Slab planSng con’t.
Kusamono
with a Fern and Moss on Slate
by bonsaieejit.com
Sedum Shitakusa Rock PlanGng

saved from penjing-‐bonsai.com on Pintrest
April 2017 40
B. STYLES OF PLANTING (con’t.)
B.3 SMALL UNIQUE CONTAINER

•  Color should be in harmony with the bonsai.
•  A bonsai in an unglazed pot is omen combined with an accent
plant in a glazed pot.
•  An accent plant in a dark pot, a natural stone or a piece of
drimwood would go well with a bonsai in a colorful glazed pot.
•  Shallow pots (usually round, oval or irregularly shaped) suggest
open landscapes.
•  Medium deep pots can only be used when the bonsai is
presented on a small table.
ExcepSon: elegant flowers on long stems, a single delicate seed head or a
single blade of grass may reach higher than the main foliage of the accent
plant and exceed this height limit. This should only be a single flower or seed
head, not several.
•  Deep pots are primarily used for cascade designs.
-‐ Such pots omen have a square, hexagonal or octagonal shape.
April 2017 41
Saxifrage paniculata,
“Encrusted Saxifrage”
Shitakusa
by Harry Harrington
bonsai4me.com
Pot by ErinBonsai.com
Primula Shitakusa
on Pintrest
April 2017 42
Kusamono with Ivy & Moss
on Pintrest
Geranium Shitakusa
on Pintrest
Kusamono Rock PlanGng

with Sedum & Moss
by Pintrest
April 2017 43
Pulsa;lla, “Crocus” Shitakusa
on Pintrest
Saxifrage paniculata Shitakusa

on Pintrest
April 2017 44
Sempervivum Shitakusa
on Pintrest
Campanula panctata,
“Nana Alba Bellflower” Shitakusa
on Pintrest
April 2017 45
Iris Shitakusa
Art of Bonsai Project
AsGlbe Shitakusa
on Pintrest
April 2017 46
Kusamono with Grass in Moss
on Pintrest
Kusamono with Grasses & Moss

by Young Choe
April 2017 47
Blue Mouse Ears Shitakusa
Art of Bonsai Project
Kusamono with Lichen, Moss

and miniature fern
April 2017 48
Kusamono with Sword Fern &
Evergreen Penstemon on Lava
by Michael Hagedorn
Kusamono with Sempervivum

& Moss on Lava
by Crataegus Bonsai
April 2017 49
Aquilegia canadensis,
“Wild Dwarf Columbine”
Shitakusa
on Pintrest
Rhodohypoxis milloides,
“Claret pink Star Grass” Shitakusa
by Magical Bonsai Accents – Word Press
April 2017 50
English Elm bonsai with Erodium & Moss Accent
By Mike K., Wigston Bonsai Club
April 2017 51
Ulmus parvifolia “Seiju Elm”
with Miniature Host Shitakusa
and Kakemono (Hanging Scroll)
April 2017 2009 The Bonsai Society of Greater Harcord Annual Show 52
Websites
Containers/ Pots / Styles:
h4p://www.bonsaipots.net/index.php?page=kusamono-‐pots
h4p://www.cutebonsaitree.com/how-‐to-‐make-‐kokedama.html
Design Goals:
h4ps://bonsaitonight.com/2010/02/09/accent-‐plants/
h4p://www.yamadori-‐bonsai.info/Putz_Beistell_Engl.html
Samples of Shitakusa, Kusamono, Kokedama:
h4ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqyS5SBSesM
h4p://www.artojonsai.org/galleries/hebeisen.php
h4p://www.bonsaiempire.com/related-‐arts/accent-‐plants
h4ps://crataegus.com/2013/06/24/accent-‐plant-‐smorgasbord/
h4p://artojonsai.org/galleries/hosta_putz.php

April 2017 53
Notes
April 2017 54

Bonsai Accent / Companion Plants Linda'S View

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BONSAI

D. GENERAL CARE OF ACCENT PLANTS

Lodgepole pine with Sedum accent plant

Jovibarba, “Beard of Jupiter”

Photo by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa

*Lewisia cotyledon, “Cliﬀ Maids”

Photos by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa

Chinese Elm bonsai with an Oxalis accent plant

Photos by Linda Nishikawa, Colorado

Photos by Linda Nishikawa, O4awa

Photo by Linda Nishikawa, Colorado

Photo by Linda Nishikawa, Michigan

Sign at the Be4y Ford Alpine House, Vail, Colorado

• Great Gardening Weekend:

• Rock Wall Gardens, 995 Code Road, Perth

• O]awa Valley Rock Garden & HorGcultural Society

• Beyond the House Garden Centre, 144 Craig Street, Russell

A. AestheGc / PracGcal Design Guidelines

A.3 Size & DirecGon

A.4 Complement (Placement) & Balance

Kokedama on a Bark Dish

B.2 SLAB PLANTING

Kusamono with Sedum

Sedum Shitakusa Rock PlanGng

B.3 SMALL UNIQUE CONTAINER

Kusamono Rock PlanGng

Saxifrage paniculata Shitakusa

Kusamono with Grasses & Moss

Kusamono with Lichen, Moss

Kusamono with Sempervivum

You might also like

•  Great Gardening Weekend:

•  Rock Wall Gardens, 995 Code Road, Perth

•  O]awa Valley Rock Garden & HorGcultural Society

•  Beyond the House Garden Centre, 144 Craig Street, Russell