MOSSEL BAY NEWS - Marthinus Stone of Mossel Bay is passionate about plants and trees. 

"I've loved plants since I was small. I grew my first one when I was five. 

"I have a large variety of plants, from scarce succulents to roses, but trees are my favourites." 

Stone also enjoys cultivating bonsais. 

"As a child I really wanted my own trees, but I had no space to plant them. That's how I discovered the art of bonsai. It gave me the opportunity to have my own trees in miniature. 

"Today, 22 years later, I am still busy with bonsai, but I have a little piece of land where I can plant my own trees and watch them grow big." 

Stone says he planted 18 trees on his piece of ground a few weekends ago. He grew them from seed and from cuttings. 

"Trees will be my legacy," Stone says. 

"For hundreds of years people will be sitting under the trees I planted." 

He is fortunate to have a job in which he works with plants. 

Recently he gave an informal talk about plants in his personal capacity for a small group that used a nursery as its venue for a function. 

Besides his interest in botany, Stone also enjoys photography and works as a freelance photographer in his spare time.

Marthinus Stone A "bloubos" bonsai cultivated by Marthinus.
BELOW: Marthinus' wild fig bonsai.

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