Covers all aspects of bonsai design

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.

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.

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 guide, which is part of a series, gives practical information on bonsai propagation, maintenance, planting styles, growing techniques, tools and equipment, shaping and trimming, and pests and diseases. The history and tradition of the bonsai are explained and the book includes a photographic record of over 100 species.

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 - - -

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.

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."

The Spirit of Bonsai Design, written from its unique Zen perspective, shows how an understanding of Zen aesthetic and its profound influence on bonsai design can improve your skills at shaping, displaying, and appreciating bonsai.