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Aiko Mori

A free letter, every Sunday

Five Small Trees

A short letter every Sunday from my balcony in Kyoto: what the trees did this week and one job for yours.

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NextSun 15 NovemberBringing the trees in from the first frost

A balcony shelf of five tiny trees at sunset.
  1. Sun 20 September

    What to look for at a small nursery

    A straight trunk, firm roots and a tree that is happy in its pot.

  2. Sun 27 September

    Pruning back the summer growth on a maple

    Where I cut, how much I take and why I stop sooner than I want to.

  3. Sun 4 October

    Choosing the tree that suits your balcony

    Sun, wind and how much time you have: three questions before you buy.

  4. Sun 11 October

    Repotting a small juniper in early autumn

    Loosening the roots, trimming a little and a pot that is only slightly larger.

  5. Sun 18 October

    A rainy week and a mossy pot

    What the trees do when it rains for days, and what I leave alone.

  6. Sun 25 October

    Wiring a young juniper branch, slowly

    Copper wire, a steady hand and the angle I wrap it at.

  7. Sun 1 November

    Cleaning and oiling my shears

    A cloth, a drop of oil and ten minutes before the tools go in their drawer.

  8. Sun 8 November

    The maple turns red on the balcony

    Three cold mornings, a persimmon-coloured leaf and nothing for me to do but watch.

  9. Sun 15 November

    Bringing the trees in from the first frost

    Next
  10. Sun 22 November

    Winter pruning on a bare maple

  11. Sun 29 November

    Wiring in cold weather

  12. Sun 6 December

    Choosing a tree in the winter nursery

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A wet lane of wooden machiya houses at dawn.

About

Hello, I’m Aiko

I live in a small apartment in Kyoto with a balcony just wide enough for a shelf. On it are five tiny trees: a juniper, two maples, a pine and an elm, the oldest given to me by my grandmother. I have kept bonsai for fifteen years and I have lost a few trees along the way, which is how I learned most of what I know.

Now I teach it. The letters are written on the balcony, in plain words, and follow the trees through the year. What I sell are the things I wished I had at the start: a calendar of the year’s jobs, sheets to practise wiring on paper, a log for each tree, a workbook for your first one and two video courses. I do not sell trees. I teach you to look after your own.

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