SMALL is especially beautiful for Richard and Charlotte Walby — and those who come to their garden.

Until they retired to the south of the Island, they ran a business importing 72,000 bonsai from Japan and Korea — and their Chinese equivalent, penjing trees — each year to their Hertfordshire nursery.

And all the containers and specialised tools that go with the art.

They still have a large home collection, the oldest up to 90 years old, penjing flourishing under cover because they are largely suitable for indoors, and bonsai which like it outside.

In business they supplied many garden centres throughout the UK and shops including Harrods, Liberties and Selfridges.

They provided Christmas stock for Marks and Spencer for many years and every lodge at all three Center Parcs in the country had a Walby tree at one time.

Each year the couple would visit the Far East to hand-pick trees to be shipped back, mainly from Guangzhou province in the south of China.

Bonsai Charlotte have shaped has won her gold at Chelsea and Hampton Court — and she still gives talks to interested groups.

One of their bonsai was even a TV star each week on the Wogan show and, as their nursery was only a couple of miles from the Elstree film studios, it was not unusual to see celebs perusing plants.

One was George Harrison and several impressive specimens were delivered to his mansion — with a strict ‘no photographs’ instruction.

A London florist contacted them with a request from one of its customers to buy a bonsai and deliver it to Princess Diana.

It was duly delivered to Kensington Palace, but she asked for it to be returned as she felt she could not give it the time and attention it deserved.

Richard says the bonsai reputation as demanding is not justified, although he does admit that the post-Christmas mortality rate is high.

“The mistake people make is that they do not water the tree enough. The best way is to place it in a bowl, so the water just goes over the top of the pot and leave it for ten minutes until it is fully saturated.

“In the summer they will probably need to be watered every day — in the winter about every two or three days.

"It also depends upon the size of the pot, the heat of the room and feel of the soil. If the soil sticks to your finger, then it is probably damp enough.

“Site the bonsai in as much natural light as possible, but not direct sunlight. They will also benefit from being put outside in the summer — but again not in direct sun.

“If you go away either find a friend to look after it or, as a last resort, leave it in a bowl of water.

“Don’t be frightened to prune it – try to keep the shape it was when you bought it.

“Bonsai and penjing trees will give pleasure for many years if looked after properly — it's not unusual for collectors to have trees well over 100 years old.”

  • Charlotte gives talks and demonstrations and can be contacted at kitwell@hotmail.co.uk

                                                                        TOP TIPS

  • Cover some of your outdoor strawberries with cloches to encourage an earlier crop.
  • Still time to prune rhododendron while they are dormant. Remove any dead, diseased or damaged material and consider the height and shape you want. They will take a hard prune now but don’t do it if hard frosts threaten.
  • Rake lime into very acid soils in the veg patch. It helps plants absorb nutrients. Beans, however, do like a slightly acidic soil.
  • It’s last chance saloon to prune autumn-fruiting raspberry canes to the ground to stimulate new canes to fruit this year. Lightly prune to just above a bud the tips of summer-fruiting raspberry canes that have grown beyond the top of their supports.
  • Mulch fruit trees with well-rotted manure or garden compost, taking care not to mound mulch up around the trunk which will encourage unwanted top growth from the rootstock.