On a recent trip to Ecuador I spent a wonderful afternoon at the Botanic Garden in the capital city of Quito. It is such a treat to walk through the orchid houses, past the display of medicinal plants, through the cactus and succulent garden; there are so many beautiful and interesting sections of the garden. Unexpected, though, was the lovely bonsai pavilion.   In a dedicated space, near a Zen garden and a contemplation pond is a wonderful exhibition of bonsai.  

           

The plants on display were created by many different hands, some of the creations more than thirty five years old, all of them beautifully crafted. We saw flowering shrubs used, cypress, pine, juniper, olive, acacia and eucalyptus.   The pots varied from ceramic to natural stone to slate slabs with rocks and moss as sides of the container. Each bonsai was a study in both simplicity and elegance.  

 

 

After returning home, I found the following quote in my Sunset garden book “in bonsai the container plant transcends horticulture and becomes fine art.”  We certainly felt that as we enjoyed the bonsai and sat in the shade of the bamboo pavilion. What a delightful surprise, in a botanic garden high in the mountains of the Andes. You might not expect to come across Japanese horticulture, but it is a reminder that bonsai is enjoyed the world over.