Covers all aspects of bonsai design

Dave Joyce devoted his life to growing, researching, and photographing natural bonsai-trees that bear no trace of man-made manipulation. His unequalled wisdom and artistry are showcased in this full-color volume packed with advice and breathtaking images of trees as they matured. Illustrated case histories displaying exquisite natural bonsai offer details on the preferences and requirements of various species. Every task and technique is explained, with tips on bonsai photography and bonsai garden ideas.

Original Japanese edition published by Nitto Shoin Honsha Co., Ltd. in 2007.

With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. Much more than a mere how-to book, Bonsai with Japanese Maples is a forthright attempt to look at bonsai as art objects and to critique and assess them from an artist s perspective."

Beyond Bonsai . . . A whimsical exposé of aJapanese apprenticeshipA restless 36-year-old American travels to Japan to begin a new life as an apprentice in the traditional art of bonsai. This is the setting of Post-Dated, a chronicle of one man¿s erratic education far from home . . . linguistic blunders, broken branches, mischievous coworkers, eccentric clients, a strict (but hilarious) master . . . adventures that he realizes are just the beginning of a nonstop emotional roller coaster.But then again . . .. . . there are lessons to be learned even in the most irregular of circumstances.

Bonsai--the Japanese art of training plants to form elegant sculptures--is an age-old craft that appeals to gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Bountiful Bonsai presents a radical, new approach that applies bonsai techniques to everyday container gardening, instantly turning houseplants and herbs into beautiful and unusual bonsai sculptures! Bonsai expert Richard Bender not only expects his plants to look good but also expects to yield pleasant fragrances, fresh herbs and fruits for his table. He shows readers how to create "instant bonsai" by shaping a range of common houseplants, including: Fragrant hibiscus and jasmine Kitchen herbs such as rosemary and thyme Luscious fruits like cherries and oranges Medicinals such as tea tree and camphor laurel This beautifully illustrated volume provides all the information you need to get started, from plant choice advice to care requirements and bonsai "carving" tips. Suitable for indoor gardening, or shaping exquisite bonsai fruit trees for outside gardens, Bender turns a finicky art into a hobby accessible to all. Bonsai have graced Japanese homes for centuries; now they can yield useful crops that will simultaneously satisfy your artistic sensibility and also provide some wonderful meals!

Jerry Meislik is a well-known bonsai lecturer, demonstrator, teacher and writer. He has written articles for many of the major bonsai publications including Bonsai Journal of the American Bonsai Society and Bonsai Clubs International magazine. Jerry maintains a very active bonsai web site at www.bonsaihunk.us. There are more than 70 articles written by Jerry in various online forums and groups. The author is an acknowledged expert on the genus Ficus as it is applied to the growing of bonsai. He previous book on Figs, Ficus: The Exotic Bonsai was printed in both hard and soft cover editions. This prior book was used as the start and backbone of this new book The World of Ficus Bonsai. This new book is written for the everyday bonsai grower who wishes help in growing, styling and making the best fig bonsai possible from a tree or two and also contains information about figs suitable for the advanced bonsai grower and artist. The book is highly enhanced from the first book as it now contains over 40 Ficus species references that will greatly help the bonsai enthusiast to identify and to grow these specimens. Also included are photos of many Ficus species to aid in identifying the often confusing world of Ficus. There is also a list of Ficus that likely will prove difficult to grow as bonsai. Jerry has held many offices in the bonsai world. He has been president and vice-president of the Big Sky Bonsai Society; chairman of the publications committee of the American Bonsai Society; a member of the board of the National Bonsai Foundation; and is an honorary member of the Ann Arbor Bonsai Society of Michigan. Jerry has had two of his masterpiece bonsai accepted into the Matthaei Botanical Gardens Bonsai collection of the University of Michigan and into the Denver Botanic Garden Bonsai collection. He has traveled abroad to Canada, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Chile, Myanmar, Argentina and other countries to give demonstrations as well as to study their bonsai culture and of course to view and to learn from their bonsai trees.

Contains photographs, case studies, ideas, and tips that provide instruction in growing and training bonsai.

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.

Trees are often taken for granted. They have many utilitarian purposes as well as aesthetic presentations, from supplying building material for construction, lining the roads to improve the streetscape, producing fruits in an orchard and providing a collection of specimens in the botanic gardens. Often, they are a nuisance, clogging up the gutters with fallen leaves, cracking driveways or becoming a safety hazard during storms. They may not be appreciated for their intrinsic appearance until a detailed assessment is made about how their natural characteristics can be portrayed in a miniature representation. Progressing this evaluation process further to derive an artistic outcome is the core inspiration for the creation of a bonsai. The understanding required in the development of a bonsai becomes clearer once the application of both the creative principles and horticultural methods are understood. For those of all levels of experience, the Seven Principles of Bonsai Design provides a compendium of fundamental bonsai processes and artistic composition principles, all of which offer the guidance required to transform simple and humble trees into works of art.The creation of a bonsai is just the beginning, for these are living sculptures that can transcend an individual's lifespan. Consequently, the knowledge and skills of bonsai creation and maintenance are required to continue this process and needs to be enduring and generational. This body of knowledge is but a mere fraction of what there is and will be. The journey continues - - -