One of the better introductory bonsai books that I have read so far. It is clearly written without too much overwhelming detail and with excellent, large illustrations. I found the examples of how to create bonsai from ordinary garden centre plants particularly helpful, as was the final chapter on the "bonsai year" - a month by month schedule of bonsai care. It was inspiring to see examples of the trees before and after pruning and wiring. This book has convinced me that I can create a bonsai of my own! If you're just getting started with bonsai and looking for a book to start with, I would recommend this one. ( )

An excellent book. The pictures are stunning, the text is easy to understand and well-written in a conversational way. It covers the art and design of bonsai, techniques and methods used to shape the trees, their care, feeding and health. But there's far more than that. Also tells the reader what the function is of each part of the plant, so you know exactly what effect you're having on it when you trim and prune, and understand why certain tasks must be done in certain seasons. There's information on how to set up a display, pick out good trees from a nursery, and grow your own stock. I especially appreciated all the extra tips, like how to make do with what you have already on hand until you can afford specialized tools, how to redesign a plant you're dissatisfied with, or even when to give up and start over. Aside from their beauty, the pictures are particularly useful because they show each stage of a bonsai's training, and often plants showed at a very early stage are pictured later in the book, after several years' development.

from the Dogear Diary ( )