SOMETIMES small is very beautiful in the gardening stakes.
I have a fondness for a tiny ash of ours, which has survived with little attention as an outdoor bonsai for many years but I have been well and truly trumped.
John Langley e-mailed me a photograph of a wee tree, which has survived regardless of similar abuse.
The lilac tree is 10ins tall with a 12ins spread
This year, the tree blossom is magnificent all across the Island but on John’s tree it is particularly special.
John said: “Our tiny back garden in Newport is no exception — it has been lit up but this very old bonsai lilac.
“It lives outdoors the year round and is never mollycoddled as witnessed by the state of its pot, repaired many times with Araldite when winter frosts have split the terracotta.
“We have no accurate idea of its age since we have had it on the Island for more than 17 years plus at least 12 years earlier when we lived on a canal narrowboat near Heathrow.
“It was gnarled when it came to live with us then.
“Can anyone match this?”
As we all know, proper bonsai is a real art form with root trimming and careful pruning and wiring to get the exact shape and form but I would be interested to see other readers’ bonsais.
Peter Lewis proudly e-mailed me a photograph of part of his beautiful garden.
He said: “Just thought you might like to see this corner of my garden in Park Road, Cowes, a lovely mixture of yellows and whites.”
It certainly is, Peter.