What is Bonsai?

The Japanese word Bonsai, which has its orgins in Chinese word pen-tsai, literally translated mean tree-in-a-pot.

However, bonsai is more than just growing a tree-in-a-pot, it is an art form that bring together horticultural, nature, aesthetics and Zen into an harmonious and well balance tree or landscape that fires our senses and imagination.

A tree planted in a small pot is not a bonsai until it has been pruned, shaped, and trained into the desired shape. Bonsai are kept small by managing the plants growing condition, pruning unwanted growth, shaping to represent a more natural and balanced tree as found in nature. If a bonsai has and exaggerated appearance only to representing trees that are struggling to survive in hospitable areas like mountain sides or on rocky outcrops.

Bonsai artist understand and bring out the best of their tree into a living and every changing art that tantalises our senses from season to season and from year to year. A bonsai matures in beauty and tranquillity with age and with every bit of love and care it receives, and are often prized as family heirloom and passed on from generation to generation.

Next >> Bonsai Styles

Table of Contents

Bonsai Introduced:

What is Bonsai? Introducing: Bonsai Styles, Bonsai Sizes.

Looking after your Bonsai

Basics of Bonsai Care - Watering and feeding, Bonsai Pruning, Training and Shaping and Bonsai Repotting and Root Pruning. Creating your First Bonsai, What Bonsai Tools?, Choosing a Bonsai Pot?, What Bonsai Wire?.

The Experienced:

An in-depth study in to the Art of Watering Bonsai. A review of the Advanced Bonsai Styles why are they important? Some Advanced Bonsai Technique including Field Growing, Yamadori Introduced. Bonsai Species Guide – an exploration into Species Suitable for Bonsai.

Beyond Bonsai:

In this section I shall try and explore areas where Bonsai touches in other spheres of life, in healing, in meditation in self discovery and anything my readers would like to explore.