Little and Big Bluestem Kusamono–
On a recent visit to Wisconsin I was standing in a field with my mother, talking about the prairie remnant surrounding us.
And in a slipstream moment, thought…
What about a Bluestem kusamono?
I hardly imagine I’m the first to think of Bluestem for an accent piece. So this really isn’t about Little or Big Bluestem grass, but about how we can stand around in a field or woods, those we see all the time, and miss what is signature about where we live.
Often we see mondo grass or a golden grass as a kusa. But these (for most of us) speak of lands far from where we live.
In bonsai display a hint of the location is one of the prime objectives. Something like a particular sort of grass is super nerdy, and about 0.5% of viewers to a show (maybe less) might recognize it. But you would know.
Why do we display? There’s always the chance to jump into our displays, like Mary Poppins and the kids into Bert’s painting, and see the world afresh.
Note: The Bluestems are BIG grasses. 6’ tall in some cases, so not your first thought for a shitakusa, in a bonsai display, but, perhaps, as a full-sized kusamono they might be worth a try. Grasses reduce in a small pot, like everything else.
4 Comments
Thanks for this Michael, I am fully in agreement and think Andropogon out matches a giganteum Miscanthus (Maiden grass) any day. I’ve used dwarfed Colt’s foot with Thuja as a display, to reflect the outer edge of a quarry. The soil disturbance favors Thuja proliferation which has been documented in science, and Colt’s foot being a local invasive that enjoys disturbed sites. No one knew what I was getting at, but I did. Despite using a popular species in Japan for my shitakusa, it was still authentic and met the goal for me. Somewhere in between using a blue stem and a mondo grass.
Thanks Joe! That’s a great example, thanks. I remember seeing a lot of Thuja on disturbed sites when I lived in upstate NY. Cool!
I’ve been in a spot just like this in Wisconsin and had this same thought. Our planting choices should speak to place and time!
Cheers Gordon! Wisconsin is where we find wonderful weeds…