The Japanese seem to be fascinated with miniaturisation whether it is foot-binding, miniscule slide-in hotel rooms or ever more tiny electronics and nature hasn't escaped this national obsession either. I love the idea of taking a forest tree, not a special house-plant variety, and by restricting and directing its growth produce a fully-grown tree that would not be out of place in Lilliput and is a work of art itself. This book is a work of art too - the photographs of the little trees makes it a coffee-table joy whether or not you are interested in perhaps trying the technique of miniaturisation yourself.

I was interested and got a Running Press bonsai kit. It didn't work though. Perhaps because Running Press isn't exactly serious gardening material or perhaps because I live in a rain forest and trying to restrict the growth of anything is a joke. However, I did find a rather old potato busting out at the bottom of my fridge and placing it upright on a jam jar I successfully trimmed it with manicure scissors into the vegetable version of bonsai. It was quite...interesting-looking...while it lasted. ( )