Library Owl

2012 杜鵑花節：臺大農場校友野趣苔球DIY &農場導覽

9:30-11:30AM, 10 March, 2012

I do appreciate the guided tour of the farm. The only downside of our tour guide was that he talked too much and didn't use his time effectively. After having attended numourous guided tours, I do feel that a guided tour around the farm is not just about burbling plant names. A tour could be more amusing with background stories and hands-on experience. Stop the whining and have a look at the gifts given.

戰利品 Trophies/gifts for attending the activity (all free)

Kokedama Bonsai: Buddhist Pine / Fern Pine (Kusamaki) 羅漢松苔球盆栽

臺大小書包~

茶葉蛋

三明治冰淇淋

Right, I should get back on how to make Kokedama Bonsai.

All these steps are courtesy to our teacher at the activity. Here is the link to his blog: http://www.wretch.cc/blog/pruns

Here are the few things to prepare 準備材料:

1. 水苔 Sphagnum moss

2. 小石礫 some small stones (not a necessity)

3. 塑膠袋 plastic bag or plastic wrappings or something to help you wrap up the moss ball

4. 縫衣線 strings (for tying up the moss ball)

5. 植栽 the plants you wish to put into the moss ball bonsai

6. 培養土 dirt

Steps for making a moss ball bonsai 製作步驟:

1. 將塑膠袋平鋪於桌面 put the plastic wrapping on the table

2. 抓一把水苔，置於塑膠袋上

    put a handful of Sphagnum moss on the plastic wrapping (dried excess water out of the Sphagnum moss before putting it on the wrapping)

3. 將水苔平鋪成煎餅形，中間較厚

    make the handful of sphagnum moss into the shape of pancake, thicker in the middle

4. 放一些小石子至水苔中央，作為重心（此步驟可省略）

    put some small stones in the middle of the sphagnum moss pancake to create some weight in the middle of the bonsai (not a necessity)

5. 放一些培養土至水苔中央（若植株的根上已有土，此步驟可省略）

    put some dirt in (not a necessity, depending on how much dirt is with the plants when putting on to the sphagnum pancake)

6. 將想栽植至苔球的植物放到水苔中央

　 put the plants of your choice in the middle of the sphagnum pancake within the stones and dirt

7. 將塑膠袋拉起，像是在包飯糰的動作把水苔包起來

    pull up the plastic wrapping as one does while making rice balls

8. 擠壓水苔球成飯糰形狀，去除多餘的水份

    squeeze~~~~~~till the sphagnum ball is firm

9. 將塑膠袋移除，並以縫衣線纏繞固定水苔球

　 remove the outside plastic wrapping and straps the sphagnum ball with some strings

10.放一些苔蘚至水苔球上 

    put some mosses on top of the sphagnum ball

11.完成

    Voila~ a Kokedama Bonsai is made!

Some things need to know about the plants of your choice:

1. One can pick up any plant one wants to grow from one's neighbourhood as long as the plant of one's choice is not the "only one" in the area.

2. When one collect mosses from the wild, do not choose those in the shady places. 

    The ones grow on the sunnier side would grow better due to their high tolerence of low humidity.