I’ve been waiting some time to build the Bonsai Tree. Not for lack of desire, but simply the backlog of awesome sets. It’s a fantastic problem to have. Today we get to build the set and see how we rate it compared to the other botanicals.
We start building a wooden base structure which will ultimately support the Bansai tree. It’s a straight forward build and a little repetitive but the use of tiles makes it quite visually pleasing.
As we move onto the container for the Bansai Tree itself we see an interesting technique used. To keep the platform stable rubber tires placed horizontally are used.
It works really well and keeps the platform from sliding around the wooden base. Or really sliding around anywhere I suppose? I’ve not tested it anywhere else, but you should give it a go.
As we start to build the Bonsai tree itself, there’s quite a bit of detail in the trunk. I’m impressed with the designers ability to use a wide variety of elements to create the gnarled tree trunk look. It works really well. I’m a little unsure if the brown frog is meant to be another knob on the trunk, or actually a brown frog?
Adding in the soil is fun in every set where it’s required. There’s something ultra satisfying about running your hands throught the beads of LEGO.
One day when I’m a billionaire, I won’t have a pit of money like Scrooge McDuck, but instead a pool of 1 x 1 round tiles to dive in!
At this point you get to choose between a traditional green foilage as seen here, or a pink flower blossom bloom. We choose the green foilage as the contrast with the trunk is really satisfying. But we might cycle it to the flower blossoms in due course.
Building the actual leaves was a little tedious simply due to the number and it’s a little fiddly. But you can’t deny it looks great.
Overall Thoughts
I really liked this set. It was a pretty quick build, but it looks fantastic as a display piece. It’s small enough to sit on your office desk without taking up too much real estate.
As you can see below, we made a slight hybrid modification to add a touch of colour with some pink flowers and tree frogs. Overall, this is yet another excellent addition to the botanicals range and it’s highly recommended. You can pick it up from LEGO or many retailers at the moment.
Set: Bonsai Tree
Theme: Botanical
Set #: 10281
Number of Minifigs: 0
Number of Pieces: 878
RRP: $89.99
Overall: 88%
