Lee Dobbins our expert of the day, writes:

Fran Black our expert of the day, writes:

The Japanese refined and developed Bonsai techniques and evolved the art form it is today. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.
The major aspects of Japanese bonsai, has not changed significantly over time.

Bonsai initially originated in Egypt thousands of years ago and moved to China. From China bonsai moved to Japan. Where the Japanese perfected the art of bonsai.

Japanese use azaleas to create magnificent bonsai following years of pruning, wiring and careful attention. The Japanese art of bonsai, and its precursor, the Chinese art of penjing, are rooted in the traditions of Asian culture.

The art of raising bonsai dwarfed potted trees has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. The art of bonsai, as developed in America, is much freer in concept and style than Japanese bonsai.

MelloBonsai our expert of the day, writes:

Getting Started with Bonsai

Bonsai is an enjoyable hobby and form of art. However, unlike most other art forms bonsai is unique in that one’s canvas is alive and changing. Aside from the art side of things one needs to develop some knowledge of arboriculture. Along with knowing how to make the tree look appealing one also needs to keep it alive. This article will serve as an overview of bonsai basics to help beginners get started with the hobby of bonsai.

Selecting a bonsai tree

From a high level one can classify bonsai trees into two groups; indoor and outdoor. Outdoor bonsai should never be kept indoors for more than a few days as the lack of light and temperature difference will cause it to weaken and it may die. Therefore, if one wants an outdoor bonsai they should make sure they have a suitable outdoor location for it. Outdoor bonsai typically tend to be evergreens and conifers. One of the most popular bonsai trees is the Juniper which is an outdoor tree.