Plum bonsai exhibition graces winter of Beijing

Residents in the South of China are normally lucky enough to enjoy the sight of plum blossoms. However, their counterparts in the north have to wait a little longer. Luckily, a plum bonsai exhibition has opened at the Beijing Botanical Gardens for those who just can't wait.

Unlike the south of the country, Plum bonsai do not normally blossom in northern China until April. However an exhibition at the Beijing Botanical Gardens mean visitors can see the attractive blossom a little earlier this year.

Unlike the south of the country, Plum bonsai do not normally blossom in northern China until April.

Some of the trees are more than a hundred years old and the already beautiful flowers are enhanced further by intricate bonsai designs.

The exhibition includes plants grown in Nanjing, WuXi and Beijing. The bonsai may not be great in stature, but no small amount of effort has been put into them. Some garden workers have spent twenty years nurturing the plants.

Experts say despite the beautiful end product, growing a plum bonsai can be something of a tedious process. But visitors and amateur horticulturists can still give it a go at home. The most important thing is to keep the temperature at 5 degrees, and to make sure the soil is regularly dug and changed.