From ancient roots: a Mississippi bonsai grower embraces the age-old art of creating "heaven and earth in one container".

When he was five years old, Brussel Martin became intrigued with little trees in pots that his father brought home to Memphis from a California business trip. At 16, he started tinkering with trimming and training the tiny trees in his parents' backyard. Before long, what began as a hobby grew into a thriving business.

Today, on a country road in Olive Branch, Brussel's Bonsai Nursery has become the largest importer, grower, and shipper of quality bonsai in the United States. For Mother's Day last year, Martin and his partner McNeal McDonnell shipped 16,000 orders in five days. A tower of FedEx packages that nearly touched the ceiling of the nursery's cavernous warehouse caused Martin to describe the scene as a "wailing wall of bonsai." Suspended from the ceiling, four bulbous white sacks filled with foam packing peanuts looked to Martin as if the Hindenburg zeppelin had landed.

"I wish we had more Mother's Days every year," Martin smiles.

Martin started his business in 1974 and moved it to north Mississippi in 1980. Bonsai thrive here, he says. "[The climate] is similar to Tokyo's, with long growing seasons, plenty of sunshine, and mild winters."

Bonsai--pronounced "bone-sigh"--has its roots in the Bible. From the earliest times, trees were grown in pots for ease of transport. Indian physicians kept medicinal herbs in small containers for the same reason. In ancient Egypt, native citrus--oranges, limes, lemons, and kumquats--and palm and nut trees decorated the courtyards of kings and queens. Citrus specimens make excellent bonsai today.

In 200 A.D., unique styles of dwarf trees were established in each province of China: the "earthworm" style developed in Szechuan; "dancing dragon" originated in Anhwei; and the "three winding" style came from north China. Some highly skilled horticulturists were able to twist trunks into Chinese calligraphy. The trees themselves expressed words such as "age," "beauty," or "perseverance" or mythological symbols and animals.

The Japanese take credit for the word "bonsai," which is translated as "planting in a tray." The trees are kept small and aesthetically pleasing through pruning of roots and branches. In traditional bonsai, selecting the container often takes as long as finding the perfect tree for it. Buddhist monks spent hours at a time training and caring for such miniatures. Plants were often harvested in remote mountain areas or on dangerous cliff faces. Today, it's forbidden to pluck specimens from the wild in Japan.

Almost any tree can be a candidate for bonsai, Martin explains; the artistry lies in how each tree is trained. Imperial bonsai, the largest category, can reach 120 inches. Most people work on smaller specimens with tightly compacted foliage and smaller leaves or needles that are in proper scale to the main trunk and shaped in relation to the container.

Popular specimens for bonsai are junipers, pines, dwarf azaleas, and cypress. A "braided money tree" (Pachira aquatica) is a symbol of good fortune and easy to grow indoors. The Brussel's Bonsai catalog describes it as the "perfect gift for anyone who may not have a green thumb." Ficus trees grow curved trunks, which the Chinese wire to create interesting swirls. Black olive trees and miniature gardenias also result in arresting bonsai. Brussel's also sells a lot of "lucky bamboo," even though it is not considered bonsai.

"A lot of professionals like to tinker with trees as a stress reliever," Martin says. "It allows them to connect with nature." In fact, he notes, the founders of Honda, Panasonic, and Sony are among the many collectors of bonsai.

Trees sold at Brussel's are imported from Asia or grown at the nursery or by contract growers elsewhere in the United States. For example, the best junipers come from Oregon, the finest orange trees are from Florida, and the most prized avocados are grown in California. Each fall, Martin hand-selects bonsai during a buying trip to Asia.

While traditional Asian trees are trained throughout their lives, the trees at Brussel's Bonsai are allowed to grow untrimmed in the nursery at first. At six months, wire is used to shape the trunks and major branches. Martin looks for interesting trunks and shapes that exude a sense of movement. Fast-growing deciduous and tropical bonsai require repotting after two to three years. Slower-growing conifers, including junipers, pines, and spruces, can be repotted after four or five years.

"We make our own potting medium," Martin says. "It's the healthiest in the United States." The medium is a soil-less mixture with pine bark and aggregate from the Horseshoe Lake area.

Some trees have driftwood or deadwood as part of their aging trunks and are called "Sharimiki." In the nursery, Martin points to a 3-foot tree that is 100 years old. In Japan, such a tree would cost $1 million.

Bonsai prices range from $25 for simple trees that come with care instructions to $5,000 for Japanese specimens trained by bonsai masters. In addition to selling tools, containers, and accessories, Brussel's Bonsai holds periodic classes and lectures. A three-day event last year called Rendezvous 2004 coincided with the opening of Brussel's relocated shop and nursery on Center Hill Road. Rendezvous 2005, held in May, featured artists from Italy, Portland, Oregon, California, and Atlanta.

Most customers purchase finished trees, which are cleaned up and given a final trim before their sendoff. "We try to educate people so they can do [the trimming] themselves," Martin says. "It's not rocket science, thank goodness, or I wouldn't be doing it."

It may not be a science, but Martin's own artistry has resulted in an incredible personal collection of about 50 trees, including a 50-year-old Hinoki Cypress that he has owned for 30 years.

"Bonsai is not just a plant--it's art, a chance to connect with nature, watch the seasonal changes," Martin says. "I like working with something alive. It's creative and refreshing."

Brussel's Bonsai is located at 8125 Center Hill Road in Olive Branch. For more information, call 800/582-2593 or see www.brusselsbonsai.com.

brussel's tips for bonsai care

* Selection: Good trees for beginners include ficus and schefflera for indoors and "Green Mound" juniper, "Trident" maple, and Chinese elm for outdoors.

* Placement: Indoor bonsai should be set in a sunny window where they won't freeze. The trees can be taken outside for a period during the summer. Outdoor bonsai should be placed where they can go through seasonal changes in a protected area.

* Watering: When a tree is in a pot, it depends on you. Standard watering practices apply: less in spring, fall, and winter; more in summer. Misting is also good for bonsai. Pots can be placed on rock-filled trays to collect water and increase humidity.

* Insects: Inspect bonsai regularly, and treat with appropriate conventional products at the first sign of infestation.

* Trimming: Clipping and pruning branches is strictly subjective. This is where the fun is.

* Feeding: Like any other plant, bonsai need regular fertilizing to keep them healthy and growing.

* Repotting: When roots become pot-bound, the bonsai should be removed and repotted. Comb roots out to separate them, and prune roots before replanting.