Product Description
How to choose the most suitable plants for bonsai, with step-by-step instructions on techniques such as propagating, pruning, wiring and defoliating. ... Read more

Product Description
Bonsai, growing exquisite aged trees in miniature, has its origins in China and Japan. Here, horticultural writer, Jennifer Wilkinson, describes the techniques behind this ancient revered art. Patience, discipline and very little investment is all that is needed for any beginner who wants to take up bonsai as a satisfying pastime. Perfect for small gardens and balconies, they require very little space and none of the physical effort associated with traditional gardening. Particular attention is paid to growing bonsai under Australian conditions, as well as the application of bonsai techniques to Australian native trees. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you know:

The five styles of bonsai tree sculpting?

Whether bonsai should be grown inside or outside?

How to find which types of trees are best suited to bonsai?

How to make a tree stay small making it a true Bonsai?

How to sculpt the tree to make it look like you dream it would?

Guess what? After you read this comprehensive guide, you will know all of these answers and so much more!

You won’t believe what you can find out about bonsai trees with this valuable book. We’ve taken advice and tips from those who are “in the know” and put it together right here – in one convenient package. You can get started creating your own bonsai trees just by buying this book.

You might think that growing a tree couldn’t be that difficult. You’re right! But taking that tree and cultivating it into a miniature form of itself is an art form. YOU can create that art. Everyone has to start somewhere. You’re just lucky you’ve found “Bonsai Trees: Growing, Trimming, Pruning, and Sculpting” – a definitive guide to get you on your way. ... Read more

Product Description
Bonsai Tree Trimming, Sculpting and Pruning" briefly describes this art form and goes into many aspects including:

*Plant your bonsai
*Prune and trim your bonsai into any style
*Wire the tree
*When and how to water and fertilize
*Repotting the plant
*Where and how to display your bonsai
*Taking care of outdoor bonsai in cold weather
*And much, much more! ... Read more

Product Description
Discover How To Create Masterful Bonsai Trees Using The Secrets Of Bonsai Master Growers…

Learn how to start and grow your own bonsai without spending hours perfecting your craft using simple, proven strategies and secrets…

Maybe you’ve admired a friend’s bonsai tree and have wondered how to grow a bonsai for yourself.Well, keep reading!

If you are seeking information on how to grow a bonsai tree, you have come to the right place!

From where to buy bonsai to the right bonsai tree pots to buy to caring for bonsai, “Bonsai Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai” can be your one stop resource for everything bonsai.

This is a fantastic bonsai beginners guide that will help you start out the right way when getting into the wonderful world of indoor bonsai trees.

“Bonsai Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai” is THE bonsai how to book on the market today.

Are you ready to find out how to grow bonsai quickly and easily, without spending hours struggling over concepts?

Each year thousands of people adore the beauty of bonsai trees. Most however, fail to pursue their desires for growing bonsai, because they fear the work involved may not be easy.

Truthfully, once you discover the secrets of bonsai, growing aesthetically appealing bonsai trees is easy.

Let me let you in on a little secret. Anyone can grow bonsai. You do not have to be a master bonsai artist… you just have to know a few tricks and secrets of the “bonsai masters”.

You are about to discover the secrets of bonsai, in a tutorial that will show you how to grow dozens of different species of bonsai simply and easily.

Create a professional bonsai garden without paying professional prices.

Interested in advancing landscaping to the next level? Then why not give “Bonsai Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai” a try?

There’s tons of information on bonsai gardening on the Net. However, much of it is confusing for the novice bonsai artist.

However, when you get your copy of “Bonsai Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai” you will discover that bonsai for beginners doesn’t have to be confusing.

If you are someone that wants to create beautiful bonsai, but are skeptical of your ability, fear no more. The answer is but a click away!

Here is a small sample of what you will learn when you enjoy this enlightening guide…

• What a “bonsai” tree really means and how easy it is to create bonsai from the trees living in your backyard…
• The #1 species of tree suited to beginning bonsai masters… a species so hardy, you are guaranteed bonsai mastery…
• How to feed, water, prune and repot almost any species of bonsai with care and ease…
• What terms like defoliation, pruning, and finger pruning mean, and how you can put them to work for you…
• How to choose the best bonsai tree for your home or garden, one that will thrive no matter the climate you live in…
• How to grow a bonsai from scratch or buy a small bonsai and keep it hardy, and hand it down from generation to generation…
• And MUCH MORE!

Simple, proven methods any novice bonsai beginner can use to create beautiful bonsai successfully.

You simply can’t fail using the tips and techniques offered in this one-of-a-kind guide.

Once you have your copy of “Bonsai Beginners Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Bonsai in your possession, from where to buy bonsai trees to proper care of your bonsai, you will be on your way to a satisfying experience with bonsai.

So, what are you waiting for?Get your copy today!
... Read more

Product Description
The Japanese believe in simplicity when it comes to aesthetics. What could be more simplistic and beautiful than a simple crafted tiny version of a normal sized tree?

The art of bonsai has been around for years. Its culture is deeply rooted in the Asian culture and it adds not only a touch of class to your garden and home, but it also can provide a beautifully sedate focus for relaxation and meditation right in your own home.

This is the art of bonsai. You take a tree that is meant to grow many feet tall and allowing it to grow only a foot or two.

Many people new to bonsai are daunted by the task that awaits them.After all, growing bonsai takes time. It takes patience and diligence to craft your own bonsai work of art, and in a world of instant gratification like ours, it’s often difficult for people to wait to see results in their work.

You will learn so much about yourself and what you are capable of when you start your bonsai journey …and patience will be one of those things.

Bonsai is much more than simply gardening. It can give you insights into yourself. Some say that the art of bonsai is the slowest sculpture in the world, however, it’s difficult to figure out which is being sculptured -- the tree or the person.

Even though the tree is small, the rewards to oneself are HUGE!

With the benefits of this book, you will learn how to craft your own bonsai tree into a beautiful work of art. Inside these pages, you will find tons of information to help you in creating a bonsai you can be proud of.

Taking a tree and cultivating it into a miniature form of itself is an art form and YOU can create that art …This guide will help you along your way.

You’ll not only get information on bonsai trees, you’ll learn how to craft them into a work of art.

We’ll tell you how to:

- Plant your bonsai
- Prune and trim your bonsai into the style you want
- Wire the tree
- When and how to water and fertilize
- Repotting the plant
- Where and how to display your bonsai
- Taking care of outdoor bonsai in cold weather
- And much, MUCH more!

By growing and viewing these miniature masterpieces, you’ll see this quote come to life and realize that when we take the time to craft life, it can make everything else seem much smaller in comparison!

Life takes time to make it what you want it to be. But once you get to the point where you are living your dreams, you can take a step back and say “Wow! That was certainly worth it!”

It’s the same way when you start growing bonsai. From the moment you leave the nursery with your seedling to the first time you wire the tree’s trunk, you’ll see how we can take not only the tree, but our lives as well and mold them into what we envision in our minds.

In many ways you can learn about a lot about life through the art of bonsai.

This book gives you step-by-step instructions from getting started, to cultivating a beautiful natural masterpiece that you can be proud of for years to come!

Bonsai is a satisfying and beautiful way to show off your gardening and growing skills and you won’t believe how relaxing and fulfilling this great hobby is.

You deserve to find that fulfillment in your gardening.This book can help you on your road toward a fulfilling bonsai hobby today.
... Read more

Product Description
Here is a season-by-season look at 180 remarkable bonsai presented by the official gardener to the Imperial Household of Japan. Shown in their full glory from the first spring foilage to their somber winter repose, this collection celebrates the individual colors and beauty of each season. 280 full-color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Beautiful book to have!
I was torn over giving 4 or 5 stars.I love the way the book shows the beautifully photographed Bonsias that are hardy for each season. I didn't know flowers could grow or survive in frost until I received this book.There is a brief description of each bonsai shown which is great! I've seen so many bonsais before, but didn't really know where they originated or where they best thrive.This is a good book to have in your collection. Enjoy!

The wisest, most eye-opening treatment of bonsai
This book is not a "how-to" book about growing bonsai.As other reviewers have stated, the text accompanying the pictures is spare, sometimes hard to follow, and not all of the plants pictured are easy to find or grow well inmuch of the U.S.

Nevertheless, this is the wisest book about bonsai that I know of. Why?Murata-san approaches the concept of bonsai as applying to almost any plant, including common weeds, grasses, rare orchids, and fruit trees.By taking a plant, matching it to a container, and giving it care, you can see the plant in a whole new perspective; the common becomes uncommon, nature takes on a fresh beauty.The book is divided into seasons because Murata emphasizes how bonsai reflect the changing seasons, and should be viewed in that way, rather than just as show plants to be displayed only when they're at their flowering or foliage peak, and then forgotten the rest of the year.If you want to learn how to grow and train bonsai, buy another book.If you want to deepen your appreciation of bonsai, buy this one.

True bonsai
Full of examples of excellent bonsais, the results of techniques which are almost lost in the present profit-basis world of bonsai. This book is an accumulation of true masterpieces which an amateur can never attain.
Those who criticize this book for the lack of explanation are making the samemistake as saying "no explanation of how to paint!" looking at the book of Leonardo da Vinci; besides, bonsais in this book are grown for tens of, sometimes hundreds of years. So it would be impossible to explain what time does to the plants.
In front of this book, all I have to do is to sigh for my lack of skills. But I believe this is an agony by which all creators are haunted.

Excellent introduction to true masterpieces
Full of examples of excellent bonsais, the results of techniques which are almost lost in the present profit-basis world of bonsai. This book is an accumulation of true masterpieces which an amateur can never attain.
Those who criticize this book for the lack of explanation are making the samemistake as saying "no explanation of how to paint!" looking at the book of Leonardo da Vinci--crying for the moon; besides, bonsais in this book are grown for tens of, sometimes hundreds of years. So it would be impossible to explain what time does to the plants.
In front of this book, all I have to do is to sigh for my lack of skills. But I believe this is an agony by which all creators are haunted.

An excellent introduction to true masterpieces
Full of examples of excellent bonsais, the results of techniques which are almost lost in the present profit-basis world of bonsai. This book is an accumulation of true masterpieces which an amateur can never attain.
Those who criticize this book for the lack of explanation are making the samemistake as saying "no explanation of how to paint!" looking at the book of Leonardo da Vinci--crying for the moon; besides, bonsais in this book are grown for tens of, sometimes hundreds of years. So it would be impossible to explain what time does to the plants.
In front of this book, all I have to do is to sigh for my lack of skills. But I believe this is an agony by which all creators are haunted. ... Read more

Product Description
Saikei is the art of the living landscape. A form of bonsai, it uses miniature trees, rocks, soil and vegetation to form replicas of gardens and the natural world. This book instructs on how to create a striking miniature landscape or Japanese garden. Illustrations and examples of saikei guide the reader through the various stages of landscaping. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A book that opens up ones own personal creativity in Saikei
This is a must book for people interested in creating a personalised landscape on a pot. Never have i come across a book that allowed me to lookat rocks in a different manner and arranging them so that there is balanceand harmony. The author has managed to explain in simple terms and clearinstructions on how to see a rock and arrange it in such a way that itbecomes alive. There is more to it than just rocks...plants, pebbles, mossare all use to make scenaries that you wish you could be inside it. Theauthor also shares his imagination with each of his creation. He shows usas well in step wise manner how he builds his creation. Best of all thehobby is not expansive and can be appreciated by all people.

Nice introduction to the art of Saikei
This is a nicely illustrated introduction to bonsai landscapes known as Saikei.Discussion of the different basic concepts of perspective and form is clear and enjoyable.This is a great guide to expand your enthusiasm for bonsai related art ... Read more

Product Description
These ornate, exquisitely formed trees are not merely plants but elaborate works of art.This book demystifies the intricate process of bonsai with 50 projects ranging from how to start the training process, to looking after a 10-year-old tree.A wealth of advice on seasonal tasks, plant maintenance, tools and materials, together with ideas for displaying bonsai, help you master an intriguing and satisfying art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

bonzai
this is a very nice little book for beginers whith some gardening experence who would like to try bonzai without much attachment to perfect results. ... Read more

Product Description
Bonsai pays tribute to the artistry and design behind these fascinating miniature trees. The text compares the ancient art of bonsai to the traditional arts and focuses on the specific design elements of the bonsai--the roots, trunk, branches, foliage, and container--and discusses how bonsai artists manipulate these elements for a specific effect. Unlike the traditional arts, bonsai requires working with material that is alive and ever-changing, presenting unique challenges and rewards.

Featured are photographs from the most highly-regarded bonsai artists throughout the world. The bonsai photographed are not only the most popular pine, juniper, elm, and boxwood, but also the more exotic or colorful rhododendron, crabapple, wisteria, and bougainvillea. A useful reference section provides a list of public bonsai collections worlds.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The art of making a great book
The title is perfect. I just wanted a book with great photos of beautiful trees and this book is it. Plus quotes and simple captions that compliment the photos. Then in the back of the book, so it would not distract from the art, the author was thoughful enough to give detailed information about each tree. I will hold on to this one.

Beautiful pictures.....
Simply elegant and inspiring pictures are captured within the pages of this book.The fan of simple, straightforward, bonsai designs that reflect nature, will be quite happy with the selected works of art.Also, the admirer of the more complex and fantastic manipulations of the trees will be pleased.

The writing throughout the book, on the other hand, leaves much to be desired if one is interested in learning any how-to tips.I was able to look through and read sections of this book before I bought it, and was aware that there was little information or substance to it.I purchased it for its pictures, nothing else.If you want to know how to grow bonsai, buy another book.If you want inspiration and pretty pictures, this book will fulfill your needs.

The Art of the Bonsai
First of all, this book is beautiful:from the trees in it (a truly amazing array, photographed simply to highlight the beauty of the bonsai) right down to the paper it's printed on, the book itself is a work of art.Wonderful design, good captions, and good color, too.An homage to the art of bonsai, and indeed a bonsai-lover's must-have for its beauty alone.

Second of all, I actually liked the text.It's not a basic how-to or a boring dense history- it focuses instead on the philosophy and, again, the art of bonsai.Just reading the book is calming. ... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (6)

Indoor Bonsai
A very basic bonsai book. Good for beginners who wants to grow bonsai inside the house. The information about the suitable species for indoor training is very helpful. there are no "big and old" bonsai pictures in this book, mostly young plants. Again, a book for beginners.

I Love the Photos
I love this book. Simply paging through the gorgeous color photos is a treat - I dream about all the types of bonsai I could care for, shaping into lovely forms. There are step by step details about growing a bonsai from seed, training the branches to grow, fertilizing the soil, handling vacations.

For each type of plant there are details on how to set up the temperature, watering, fertilizing, sunlight,and much more so that the particular plant type flourishes.

There are drawings and photos of how the bonsai change over the years so you can get a sense of what to expect

The book goes into common issues a new bonsai owner might face - listless leaves, mushy roots - and explains how to deal with the issues.

Well recommended!

Indoor bonsai book
This book tell about shaping and creating, planting and repotting, creating your own indoor bonsai, the tools you will need, pruning, cutting, and trimming, how to wire or bend the branches and all of those necessary things to make a tree or plant into a bonsai.Because of its size 5X7 it is not as easy to use as the larger bonsai books. This book is totally devoted to indoor bonsais and there are not many books on indoor bonsais.

An indoor bonsai does not mean that it lives indoors all year.All bonsais grow better if they are outside as long as your area will permit.An indoor bonsai is one that can live in the house during the winter without a dramatic set back.Outdoor bonsais on the other hand must spend the winter out doors.If you try to keep them in the house for the winter they will eventually die. Most bonsai books include many of the indoor bonsais, but they don't label them as indoor bonsais and they don't tell you how to keep them thriving in the house for the winter.

In this book there are 27 indoor bonsais that are presented in a two-page format. There is a beautiful picture of each bonsai. There is general information about the bonsai; it's origin, size, flower and fruit information, and other interesting information about this bonsai.It also has the following sections: Site, Watering, Feeding, Repotting, Soil, Pruning, Wiring and Propagation.

In the back of this book there is a section listing many more plants and trees that can be made into indoor bonsais with a paragraph on each of them.

This book has a lot of good information. It is printed on very good quality paper and is very tightly bound.It is because of this that it is hard to keep open which makes it a little hard to read and that is the only thing I don't like about this book."Bonsai In Your Home" is a large book by the same author and is written in the same style.It has more bonsais described in detail, but it doesn't have any of the short descriptions.

Very informative and helpful
As a bonsai beginner, I found this book contained very good answers to most of my questions. It is more helpful than my other 3 bonsai books, combined.

The text can be divided into two "sections":

GENERAL INFORMATION: e.g. constant care, repotting and root pruning, shaping, propagation from cuttings, fertilizing, tools you need

SPECIES-SPECIFIC INFORMATION: very clear instructions on how to apply (at what time of the year and with what frequency) the general techniques mentioned above, on the most popular indoor species; for each species there's apicture of a magnificent finished bonsai.

I learned a lot reading about pruning, shaping and growing bonsai over rocks; also air-layering. I didn't find anything about grafting, though. I also appreciated the part about "first steps toward an indoor bonsai": it shows a lot of pictures of plants "before" and "after" a few months of training.

At the end there's a list of "Tropical and subtropical plants suitable for training as indoor bonsai", with a short description of each species and short directions for optimum conditions and care.

To save time, there's also an index of plant names and a general index.

Ok Beginners book
This is a good general basics book -- it has beautiful color plates and some good diagramming on prunning and training.

I found the index of specific species to be very lacking and there is no "problems"section so if you have a problem that is not pest or disease related -- youcan't find answers to pretty common situations(like leaf drop) here. ... Read more

Product Description
Part art, part horticulture, a properly shaped, trained, and potted bonsai becomes more beautiful with age. Covering every key technique and style, plus cultivation, maintenance, and display, these right-from-the-beginning basics go from root to leaf to bud--the entire lifecycle of a tree. In large, close-up photos, see how they grow, and how to buy and propagate them from seed or cutting.Trim, shape with wire, repot, root prune, and do summer pinching. Most spectacular are the displays, shown in incredibly detailed pictures, with information on preparing them, including choosing a pot. Successfully nurture a handsome, broom-style zelkova, with the branch patterns reflected in the surface root formations; a micro-forest on a slab, with depth and perspective; a simple, but wonderfully effective raft planting; and a dramatic-looking tree with its roots wrapped around a rock.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Author, execellent information, Poorly Edited
Having read over 20 Bonsai books, I love the layout and the flow of information in this book. Specially the case studies, very useful and informative. I would recommend this for Beginner to Intermediate Bonsai enthusiast. The author is very knowledgeable and the pictures are beautiful. I would have given this book 4.5 stars, instead of 2 stars if not for the poorly editing/publishing job. There were some unacceptable editing and printing errors. For example, page 94 and 95
have the exact same content(word by word) but different page layout. Hope the editors/publishers can fix these embarrasing problems. ... Read more

Product Description
Bonsai is both an art and a craft. It can be learned by novice gardeners and turned into a satisfying hobby, whether the plants are grown in the garden or in the house. This book starts by defining what bonsai actually is and moves on to types of bonsai (indoor and outdoor), bonsai styles, tools, growing and care and a detailed directory of plants suitable for use for indoor and outdoor bonsai. The book concludes with advice on how to display bonsai. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
This book features specimens of bonsai from the author's collection, photographed in colour. Simple tips on growing, pruning, principles of growth, tools, shaping, trimming, potting, training and wiring are provided, as well as information about the effects of weather, emergency treatment, watering, insect/disease control and winter care. The author also suggests imaginative ways of displaying bonsai in the garden, at home and at shows. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Great for novice
This is the perfect book for the novice. The demonstration photos and drawings are the most detailed and relevant I've seen in a 'how-to' bonsai book. Many beginner books are filled with beautiful full page images of show bonsai but lack detailed, step-by-step visuals on to how to create that product. While Gustafson provides a list of bonsai-friendly plants, space in the book is not wasted on 1-2 page synopsis of all the major variety of bonsai plants. If you're computer-savvy enough to be reading this review, you can find plant specific info on the internet. Lastly, I really appreciated the glossary. Few newbie books have this invaluable resource. Even experienced gardeners will benefit from explanation of terms unique to the art of bonsai.

Great Resource
Just getting into the bonsai hobby.This book has an awful lot of information that I am sure I will reference as my skills grow.Geared more to the advanced beginner, I need to step back and will be purchasing some more basic tutorals.

The Bonsai Workshop
Great Book!!I tend to be obsessive compulsive when I start a project and buy every book I can find on the subject.This book gave a very interesting and concise approach to bonsai.The author uses real case studies to show how he approached different bonsai subjects, from nursery grown to collected wildlings.This book and John Naka's book "Bonsai Techniques I" are the two best books to start with.

The Best Bonsai Book!!
I was mostly...unimpressed by the bonsai books you normally find in a book store, so I asked my mentor(world famous) for a good suggestion for a book. He suggested this book. I went out and bought it. It is so easy to understand. It made the hardest stuff seem easy. It put everything that would seem extremely difficult into words even a beginner could understand. I used this book to save a tree that was almost killed by Hurricane Katrina! Using this book I still havn't lost a single tree.

IT I S IRREPLACABLE FOR ME
After many starts which led to complete disasters for me, this book finally gave the information I need to get started in this wonderful art.The instructions are great for a beginner like myself.The combinaiton of written, step by step direcitons along with the wonderful photographs makes this book a joy to work with.I cannot say if this is a good book for the advanced student, as I am far, far from that category, but I can say without a doubt that it is great for beginners.It certainly answered all of my questions.This book was far better than any other I purchased on the subject!Thank you SO much Mr Gustafson! ... Read more

Product Description
Western home and garden design has been increasingly influenced in recent years by ancient Eastern traditions. Feng shui masters are now routinely consulted by architects and interior designers, and bonsai gardening continues to fascinate and inspire. In CREATING BONSAI LANDSCAPES, the spirit of the East is recreated in 25 stunning miniature landscapes that not only are a delight to look at but also lend a harmonizing and soothing force to any environment. Su Chin Ee works with a Chinese form of bonsai art known as penjing - which literally translates as "landscape in a pot or dish" - to create her designs.

The art of bonsai was developed as a means to please the ancestors so that they would bestow blessings and wealth for generations to come. Su explains how each bonsai landscape in the book conveys different elements of the original eastern philosophy and themes.

Each landscape is presented in project form, with clear advice on how to select suitable plants, plant and position them, and nurture them successfully to full maturity. Each project is thoroughly illustrated with a color photograph of the completed landscape, cross-section drawings to show how the landscape is put together, and practical advice on choosing the equipment and materials for creating special features. Tips on construction techniques and shortcuts, and a visual materials list of required items, round out the detailed instructions. And to ensure long-lasting success, Su provides pruning and trimming tips, solutions to common problems and diseases, and a directory of the most popular bonsai trees and shrubs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Awesome book for the "bonsai landscape" beginner
If you're looking to start making your own landscapes for your bonsai, this is a great book to begin with.I didn't buy the book, it was at my library, so maybe you can save a few also.

A very specialised application of Bonsai
This is a useful book for a very specialised application of bonsai landscaping. If you have every other book on bonsai, then this will complete your collection, though you may not practice what you read because of the specialised and complex application.

A very small world
The writer presents 18 miniature landscapes which, she says, "represent a very personal synthesis of the bonsai and penjing traditions". These landscape are made up of the usual tiny trees, moss and gravel, but they also contain intricate rocky "outcrops" which form the basis of the entire landscape. Her creations combine the delicacy of the tiny landscape with the ruggedness of rock and tree to unique effect.

The writer gives detailed instructions for making each of the landscapes, including - I kid you not - how to make all the rocky outcrops yourself. Given patience, skill and delicacy of touch almost anyone could follow these instructions and make a very attractive table top landscape.

The writer was born in Singapore and studied art in England. She is a judge in the bonsai category at the Chelsea Flower Show in London. She approaches her miniature landscapes from the point of view of a painter, and she incorporates the Chinese principles of Tao and the balance of yin and yang to create harmony in these beautiful miniature worlds. ... Read more