One of my favorite hobbies is Bonsai. Contrary to popular belief, Bonsai is not just keeping a special tree in a pot on your desk. The Japanese art of creating miniaturized trees traces back to the 13th century. The tree is trained from a seedling to grow in a shallow and wide pot and requires daily tending to stay healthy and mature. It will acclimate to the limited space in the pot and will mature as a regular tree would but remain at a fraction of the size. You can even have tiny fruit or flowers depending on the breed of the tree.
Also surprising, Bonsai is not inside plants. Though some may need wintering indoors to avoid freezing, most Bonsai trees need to go dormant for a good part of the year, just like their outdoor cousins. If they do not get this time, they could eventually grow weak and die of diseases. If properly cared for, these trees can even outlive their owners. Some of the oldest trees are over 400 years old!
Even if you do not participate, they are something to admire. There are exhibitions that show these works of art. So next time you see a Bonsai tree in a pot, you know a little more about what it took to get it there.