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The zen of the bonsai potato? Yep!
Jean Godden / Times Staff Columnist
December 20, 1998
Move over, pet rocks and Chia pets. There's a new craze: the Bonsai Potato Kit, brainchild of Seattle
artist Mike Dillon and writer Jeff Fitzsimmons, who operate Bottled Lightning! Inc.
The Bonsai Potato Kit contains a black "altar," a bag of black gravel and instruction book titled "The
Art of the Bonsai Potato." The idea is to put a potato in a warm, dark spot until it sprouts, place it on the altar
and, when stalks reach desired length, trim them into shape. The instruction book, subtitled "Zen - Without the Wait," is mainly
for laughs. ("It is OK to visit your young potato every couple of days, but don't smother it. This is a time of great introspection for
the potato.")
Incredibly, more than 15,000 of the kits, introduced eight weeks ago, have sold. They're priced at $14.95 from outlets like Amazon.com. The Web site is: http://www.bonsaipotato.com
Thirty of the kits went to Curran Mendoza, a Kent-based law firm that's having a Bonsai Potato contest. Attorney Fred Mendoza
says, "The potatoes are bagged and in the closet. They go on the altars Jan. 11. Around the end of February, KING-TV's John
Curley will judge the contest."
The law firm, naturally, has devised some official rules. Among other provisions, contestants must state that they have "no prior
experience growing potatoes for artistic purposes."
Downright tubular, isn't it?
Jean Godden's phone message number is 206-464-8300.
Her e-mail address is:
©copyright 1998 The Seattle Times Company
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©copyright 1998-2006 Bottled Lightning! Inc. all rights reserved
Bonsai Potato and Zen — Without the Wait! are registered trademarks of Bottled Lightning! Inc.
Bottled Lightning! is also a trademark of Bottled Lightning! Inc. of Mukilteo, WA, USA
Questions? Problems? Contact sensei@bonsaipotato.com
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