When Isabel Burley first delved into the world of bonsai a few years ago, she discovered a plethora of possibilities for growing plants.

“It opened up the whole world,” said Burley, who works at Black Forest Nursery in Boscawen. “You can basically bonsai anything if you know how to do it the right way.”

The word “bonsai” derives its origin from two Japanese words: “bon,” meaning “tray,” and “sai,” meaning “planting.” Some of the oldest bonsai techniques have existed for over 1,000 years, she said, and the long tradition of plant care continues at nurseries around the world.

“They were created to mimic the ink paintings that you would see of the mountains and the forests and the water,” said Burley, who began teaching bonsai classes at the nursery earlier this year. “They kind of said, ‘Hey, can we make this into a live plant?’ So they’re taking big trees and essentially forcing them to grow in smaller pots so that they are miniature versions of what they look like out in nature.”

The process of growing the plant into a specific shape takes time and differs from a typical house plant, she explained. But many different species, such as junipers, jades, ficuses and Japanese maples, can make for good bonsai, as long as they’re transformed in the proper way.

“You’re really cutting away the root system and shaping the plant to stay in this small form, and then over time, you’re training it to have different styles. You’ll see that there are bonsai styles that are more upright and grow straight, some that cascade. You can have them grow to cling to rocks and different kinds of little miniature groves that look like forests.”

The care these plants require can provide a sense of catharsis and a source of connection between the person and the plant.

“It really isn’t something where you’re just putting it in the pot and then forgetting about it,” Burley said. “It’s a ritual that works into your daily life, where you’re looking at the plant, wiring it, training it, watering it based on what it needs. Some people move them in and outside. So it really becomes this practice that you can use in your daily life to create this nice routine of caring for your plant.”

It can take up to two years for a newly created bonsai to re-establish its root system. Burley said that when this happens, it’s time to repot the bonsai into a larger container. A bonsai plant will likely need to be transferred to a larger container every two years, she estimated.

“I’m by no means a perfect expert, but it is something that is also a lifelong learning kind of thing,” Burley said. “So you’re always finding different styles and new ways to train your plants, new fertilizers and all kinds of things that you can apply to growing them.”

For anyone looking to try their hand at creating a bonsai, Burley shared some advice.

■Choose the plant you want to turn into a bonsai. Some common bonsai-friendly plants include juniper, false cypress, jade, ficus, azaleas, Chinese elm, Japanese beech and Japanese maple, among others.

■Pick the pot you plan to use. A shallow pot tends to work better for the bonsai process.

■Put down a screen to cover holes at the bottom of the pot.

■Prepare the wiring.

■Take the plant out of the pot and remove soil from the roots while leaving the center root ball alone.

■Place the plant in the tray according to where you’d like it to be and the angle at which you’d like it to grow.

■Use the wire to secure the plant in place.

■Put bonsai soil into the pot and shake to make sure the soil is evenly distributed around the roots and creates a stable base for the plant.

■Water the plant. This will need to happen multiple times to saturate the soil.

■Add any stones, moss, wood or decorations you’d like.

■Monitor your bonsai. Water it regularly. Stay attuned to the plant’s needs.

To stay up-to-date on future bonsai classes at Black Forest Nursery, visit blackforestnursery.com.

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com