CAPE WOMAN FINDS DWARFED TREES FASCINATING

Bonsai is the art of translating the magnificent into the minute -- without losing anything in the translation.

That is what Pat Steinborn, 49, of Cape Girardeau finds so fascinating about bonsai, or dwarf potted trees.

She has been avidly involved as a bonsai grower for about 15 years, but remembers reading about the art as a child.

"It struck me then what a fascinating thing it was," Steinborn said. "It just seemed like such an amazing thing to have a miniature of this majestic tree that you would find in nature that you could hold in your hand."

After lots of reading and trial and error, Steinborn now creates her own bonsai and teaches others how to do the same. She is a member of the American Bonsai Society and Bonsai Clubs International.

She has about 60 specimens of bonsai -- pronounced with a long "o", as in "bone" -- including a Chinese elm, a quince, a Japanese zelkova, a Japanese maple, a Norway spruce that is more than 50 years old and a zuisho pine imported from Japan.

Steinborn will be one of several gardening experts sharing her knowledge and experience at the Men's Garden Club of Jackson's 1996 Gardening Seminar Saturday. Also on the program are Dave Niswonger, president of the National Iris Association, Todd Knaup of Knaup's Greenhouse, Joe Touchette of Plants Plus, Gerald Bryan of the University of Missouri Extension and Joe "Mr. Goodgarden" Sherinski.

Bonsai are evaluated by very specific characteristics, she said.

"You're looking for a tree that resembles an aged tree in nature," she said. "You have to think about things that are symbolic of an aged tree, like strong, exposed roots that show a sense of strength and stability and a tapering trunk that's wide at the base. Then we look at the branches or foliage, and they should taper, as well."

Bonsai are a three-dimensional art form, like sculpture, Steinborn said. But unlike sculpture, there is never a finished piece.

"You never stop. Bonsai is an art form, but it's unique in that you never finish because your art medium is living and growing," she said.

Bonsai are commonly associated with Japan, but in fact originated in China.

"Dwarf potted trees were believed to be grown in China as long as 1,500 years ago or longer," Steinborn said.

Japanese monks visiting China brought the dwarf trees -- called pen jing -- home to Japan in about the 12th century, she said.

"At first, bonsai was practiced only by the aristocracy in Japan, but over the years it's spread to all of the people," she said.

Bonsai aren't necessarily miniature trees species, Steinborn said. Many would be full-size if they were not trimmed and shaped.

Traditionally, bonsai range in size from "a few inches to 3 or 4 feet high," she said.

Almost any kind of tree or shrub, and some herbs, can be used for bonsai, she said. The key is making sure the foliage is in scale with the dwarfed trunk, branches and root foundation.

Junipers, pines, maples, crabapple and quinces are all good candidates, Steinborn said.

Bonsai are not low-maintenance; the trees need to be regularly pinched and trimmed to maintain their shape and size, and watering and wintering conditions are crucial. Hardy trees, such as evergreens, will not survive if they are kept in the house year-round, she said.

Steinborn comes from a long line of gardeners, and her family's home is distinctive for its landscaping and gardens.

"My grandmother started this garden and we've kept it going ever since," she said.

In addition to bonsai, she's also a past editor and publisher of a day lily magazine.