BBG Bonsai Museum

A few weekends ago Jim and I went to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden because I convinced him that the daffodil hill must be in bloom. Well, it was a total fail because only about four daffodils were actually in bloom and I said more than once "yeah but just imagine how beautiful they'll be when they finally do appear." The garden is free from 10 am - noon on Saturdays, so I can't really complain. There's always something interesting to see, even if nature doesn't always cooperate with my expectations.

My favorite part this time was the bonsai museum, which I think was being worked on when I went last year, but now is really fantastic. It's occupies a small space in the conservatory, which is fine because bonsai trees are teeny tiny and completely adorable.

Apparently their collection of about 350 trees is the "second oldest in the country and one of the largest on public display outside Japan, with as many as 30 specimens on exhibit at any given time." Bonsai trees really need no frills in their display to make them interesting, they're totally cool just on their own.

One of the trees on view when we went was almost 300 years old, and another almost 200. The art of Bonsai is just kind of baffling to me and they never cease to blow my mind a little. I have a really hard time actually believing that they're real and the fact that they are just seems impossible to me.

And really it's kind of cheating because everything looks better in miniature. Is there anything cuter in nature than these teeny tiny neon green pine needles growing on this teeny tiny pine tree? Nope.