Bonsai, the art of growing a tree in miniature, has fascinated and captured the imaginations of people worldwide for hundreds of years. This book will show you how to establish a collection, from first tree acquisitions to quickly creating your own bonsai from ordinary garden material. Step-by-step demonstrations, real examples and helpful advice then ensure you can develop and refine your trees in line with your aspirations. Key coverage includes: both indoor and outdoor bonsai; the best equipment and materials to use; the established bonsai styles and the different approaches required for various tree species; detailed advice on how to keep your tree strong and healthy; guidance on watering, positioning, feeding, pests and problems and an analysis of roots and the process of repotting. There are separate detailed chapters on trunks, branches and twigs with guidance on design considerations; practical styling techniques; bonsai aesthetics, including sources of inspiration, tree styling and pot choice, and finally, detailed case studies, spanning many years, documenting the development of a range of trees.
This title introduces a collection of the finest bonsai pieces to be found in Japan today. Over 180 plates of priceless specimens with informative commentary provide a definitive tour of the bonsai world. The notes for each piece offer insights into the balance, style, harmony and aesthetic as well as history of the bonsai. The Nippon Bonsai Association, Japan's pre-eminent voice of the bonsai tradition, introduces a collection of the finest bonsai pieces to be found in Japan today - some of them presented to a Western audience for the first time. Over 130 full-colour and 71
Shows how to combine miniature trees, rocks, and vegetation to form replicas of gardens and other landscapes, and discusses style, depth, tools, equipment, and annual care
This original and authoritative book is presented in a practical yet inspirational way. Dan Barton shares with us his expert knowledge and two decades of research, giving both detailed step-by-step horticultural instructions and a fascinating insight into the creative process of Bonsai, to provide a genuine understanding of the subject. As well as giving the essential descriptions of stock, equipment, basic care, and training techniques, the book includes new methods of achieving quicker results, a Bonsai calendar showing routing tasks on a month-by-month basis, and the use of modern materials, all of great value to today’s Bonsai enthusiast. Beautifully illustrated throughout with strikingly original and instructive photographs, line drawings, and working schedules, The Bonsai Book is a must for would-be Bonsai enthusiasts and experts alike, and its fabulous presentation makes it an ideal gift.
With hundreds of color photographs and illustrations, this Chinese gardening book is a wonderful introduction to penjing—China's treasured bonsai art. Although most people thing bonsai is a Japanese invention, the art originated in ancient China where it is called penjing. The two Chinese characters for penjing ("pot" and "landscape") capture the essence of this art: sculpting microcosms of the beauty of the natural world from plants, rocks, soil, and water, both as an artistic process and as horticultural cultivation. Both penjing and bonsai are art forms that express the beauty of nature. In China, bonsai, as a part of penjing, is often called "tree penjing," or "tree in a pot." The Chinese divide penjing into three categories: tree penjing, rock penjing, and water-and-land penjing. This Chinese gardening book showcases the Chinese art of penjing in all its aspects for the benefit of penjing aficionados and all other readers interested in Chinese culture. It covers the concept, history, categories, aesthetic features, techniques, display, appreciation, and preservation of penjing. It is a feast for the eyes while providing a wealth of information for the academically inclined as well as the practically minded. There are more than 300 lavish illustrations grouped into three different categories of penjing. The reader will not only be awed by the beautiful compositions of penjing, but will also learn about the Chinese approach to nature and to life.
Pop bonsai is bonsai that ignores existing rules about what bonsai ought to be, and instead is grown and displayed in ways that give free rein to the imagination. So what exactly is pop bonsai'? Bonsai like you've never seen before-a 'freestyle' version, in fun containers, that reflects the author's breakaway approach to this ancient art. Pop Bonsai involves taking a tiny seedling, trimming its branches and leaves, and wiring the trunk and branches to bend them into almost any style. The result: a living work of art, for next to no cost, to display as you like-in a ball of'
Learn the ins and outs of proper bonsai design and care with this comprehensive Japanese gardening book. Japanese bonsai have long been admired throughout the world while their care and preservation have seemed shrouded in mystery. The Art of Bonsai is, however, a comparatively simple art to learn. Anyone with a love a plants, a little patience and this eminently practical book can create bonsai and keep a finished plant healthy and vigorous for generations. Included in this definitive volume are: Detailed, illustrated instructions on propagation and training Hints for those growing bonsai in a hurry and apartment dwellers Daily and seasonal bonsai care practices Dealing with pests and bonsai troubleshooting How to judge, select and exhibit bonsai Detailed appendices on tools, equipment, soil analyses Data on more than 300 species of plants used in making bonsai This classic work remains an eminently practical book and is the classic guide to bonsai care. It contains the essentials of an art that is one of Japan's most treasured traditions--sculpting beauty in living wood.
Growing bonsai is a beautiful art that inspires tranquility and peace, yet requires precision and patience. Comprehensive profiles on each major species used in bonsai design include information on natural habitat and plant description, soil preferences, watering instructions, transplanting tips, containers, feeding, pests and diseases, and what to expect each year in terms of structure and form. Each section is completed with a summary chart of the species' individual development, month-by-month, year-by-year. Specific styles are studied in a "case history" manner from stage one -- development of mass -- to stage two -- structure and form -- through stage three -- refinement of image.