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Chapter 1 >>          

“Bonsai art is the display of a landscape - without the landscape.”
–Nobu Kajiwara

This quote couldn’t be truer.Growing and sculpting bonsai trees can be quite a satisfying hobby.It is a hobby; however, that requires a tremendous amount of patience.When you take a simple sapling and mold it to your desire, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful piece of art you can truly be proud of!

The term bonsai literally means plant in a pot or tray planting.Bonsai however is much more than simply a plant in a pot. The goal of bonsai is to create the appearance of great size and age. This is accomplished by creating a bonsai with strong roots that extend in all directions, creating a sense of stability, a large trunk which tapers as it goes upward, a clear apex, and well formed and well placed branches. These features all combine to create a careful blend of symmetry, balance and proportion. It also must be displayed in a pot which harmonizes well with the plant material.

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Chapter 2 >> The history of bonsai is long and storied.Bonsai first appeared in China over a thousand years ago on a very basic scale, known as pun-sai.Pun-sai was the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots. These early specimens displayed little foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds. There are a great number of myths and legends surrounding Chinese bonsai.The grotesque or animal-like trunks and root formations are still highly prized today.

With Japan’s adoption of many cultural trademarks of China - bonsai was also taken up, introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) by means of Zen Buddhism - which at this time was rapidly spreading around Asia. The exact time is debatable, although it is possible that it had arrived in AD 1195 as there appears to be a reference to it in a Japanese scroll attributed to that period.
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Chapter 3 >>

It is important for you to remember, as a beginner, that no single bonsai style is the “right” style.Bonsai is meant to be a representation of a tree in nature.Crafting a bonsai masterpiece is tantamount to how YOU view that tree.You are not learning from a bonsai master, you are simply being given instruction on how to create your own bonsai.What you make of it lies simply in your own mind.

You should strive to make your bonsai trees look as natural as possible.Let the tree suggest its own possibilities.If the trunk bends to the right, let it bend that way.Work with it to make it a main feature of your bonsai.You must listen to the tree and hear what it is telling you.Then you will come up with a beautiful creation!

Bonsais should simulate age.You should try and project the appearance of maturity in your tree – just in a miniature form.Even if your tree is relatively young, you can groom it so it looks like it has been growing for years and years.
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Chapter 4 >>

One school of thought is that trees are outdoor plants and putting them into pots does not transform them into indoor plants.Many believe that if you bring bonsai inside, they will die.While not necessarily true, you will probably see much better results if you let your bonsai flourish outside rather than indoors.

Just remember that you are going to be growing and cultivating a tree in a tray or pot.Trees need lots of sunlight and care to grow.Just because the trees are in a tray or pot instead of the ground doesn’t mean they don’t need the same care.
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Chapter 5 >>

Bonsai requires very few tools. Tools, however, make certain jobs or tasks easier and quicker. Tools can range from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. As with most things, you get what you pay for. The range of quality (and price) in tools is immense and it is suggested that you buy the best basic set of tools that you can afford. You will come to appreciate them with time, and, if you care for them, they will last you a long, long time.

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Chapter 6 >>

You can start your bonsai from seed, but be warned, it can take awhile to see your results.Unless you’re starting your bonsai hobby at age 4, being able to see the fruits of your labor will probably not come to reality.While it may be nice to be able to have complete control over your bonsai from the beginning, we have to advise against it.
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Chapter 7 >>

Almost any type of tree or shrub will be suitable for bonsai.In general, most experts agree that pine trees aren’t good for the beginner.When you are ready to work on your first tree you should select a species that is "forgiving" to the beginner.
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Chapter 8 >>

In general there are five things that you should look for in nursery stock.

First, look at the roots and check to see if they give the appearance of a strong foundation. The roots, at the base of the trunk, should appear to gently spread out in a radial pattern (this will be less apparent on junipers) and should both provide a sense of stability and invite you to follow the line of the tree, focusing your attention on the trunk. Good roots invite you to examine the tree from the ground up!
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Chapter 9 >>

Since bonsai trees are meant to be grown in a container, you’ll want to select an appropriate one to foster the growth of your tree.

The bonsai with its container and soil are physically independent of the earth since its roots are not planted in it. It is a separate entity, complete in itself, yet part of nature. This is what is meant by the expression "heaven and earth in one container".
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Chapter 10 >>

A great deal of pruning is often necessary if starting with a nursery plant. Only excess foliage and undesirable limbs should be removed.Make all cuts above a bud, a side branch, or a main fork of the tree. Remove all buds except those on the outside of the trunk to force growth outward and upward. Leave stubs flush with the stems. Avoid cutting back so far that the main branches are weakened.
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Chapter 11 >>

Wiring is an important part of the process of styling your bonsai and nearly all well designed bonsai have been wired at some point in their development. Though at first a daunting technique to master, it gives the bonsai enthusiast better control and manipulation of the trunk and branches of his/her bonsai.

By coiling wire around the limbs of the bonsai, the enthusiast is able to bend the tree into a desired position upon which it is held by the wire. In a matter of weeks or months, the branch or trunk ’learns’ and stays in position even after the wire is removed.

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Chapter 12 >>

With the large number of tree species commonly used for bonsai and the wide variation of climates in which readers will be wiring, it is impossible to state exactly when your tree should be wired. There are also pros and cons of wiring at any particular time of the year with any particular type of bonsai. Theoretically, most tree species can be wired at most times of the year though trees wired during the winter may need frost protection in certain climates.

The only time that wiring can negatively impact the health of your tree to a large degree is during winter, in areas where temperatures regularly drop below 15°F. In temperatures this cold, any fractures that have not healed will be exposed to the cold and possible future dieback of the branch.
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