There were so many little “baby” trees! During my time in the bonsai garden, I learned that each tree is carefully crafted by the people that volunteer in the garden. In this way, each bonsai is like a sculpture, or a work of art.
When I was visiting the bonsai garden, the volunteers let me see the back garden, where the bonsai trees that are not on display are kept. The volunteers told me that they have at least 300 bonsai trees in this garden! I learned that there different techniques that the volunteers use to “sculpt” the bonsai trees. One interesting thing I learned is that, if done correctly, you can actually cut off a branch and replant it to grow a new bonsai tree!
While fig trees are commonly seen in the Mediterranean climate and in cities such as Barcelona, these trees are actually native to the Middle East and western Asia. However, due to its popularity, the fig tree has been cultivated in many other parts of the world since ancient times. Today, the fig tree is popular due to its use as a shade tree for animals, the delicious fruit it produces, and also simply as a decorative plant.
Unfortunately, fresh figs are in season only from August to early October. So, while there are many fig trees in Barcelona, I was unable find one still bearing fruit!
As far as trees go, figueras are very resilient, or tough. This is part of the reason why fig trees can be grown in many parts of the world. For example, fig trees can grow in soil that does not have a lot of nutrients. Also, fig trees prefer to grow in dry environments.
