A Step-By-Step Guide to Growing & Displaying Bonsai

Rating:
Summary: [e-mail]
Review: bonza

Rating:
Summary: This book is a FIND.
Review: I found this book at a used bookstore (sadly it's out of print), and since then I've treasured it as an inspiration. I suppose for so many years I've had a latent love of plants and the beauty they offer-- and this book shows clearly how to tap into that love and develop the skills towards sculpting & refining a plant's image according to bonsai principles. If you're interested in bonsai, and are looking for a good starter book, well-- in my opinion, this is the one. Buy it used from amazon, or go to half.com or wherever-- and make the seven dollar investement; you won't regret it. It's the kind of book that you will find yourself perusing some evenings, learning some new details of this art, and also, as you flip from picture to picture of master-level bonsai specimens, find yourself in awe of the staggering beauty of these lovingly, carefully, meticulously maintained plants. But don't think that this is some kind of museum book for bonsai; well.... it partly is, but there is a large section where the author takes your typical garden-center plants (and I mean, raggedy, rough-looking plants that look like they've failed to sell for some time), and through a series of photographs he clips, trims, wires and repots the plants, transforming them into beautiful bonsai. All for the relatively inexpensive price of the nursery purchase! There is really so much to say about this book, but over-all, every technique is covered, and at the end of the book there is a particularly detailed calendar where the author outlines what can & cannot, should & should not be done during the different seasons (ie. repotting, fertilizing, wiring, pruning). My appreciation goes out to the author and photographer for their inspirational work-- thank you for a book that really has changed my life.

Rating:
Summary: one of the best
Review: this is one of the best books i've ever been able to find on bonsai. it helped me tremendously. answers a lot of questions i was left with after reading other books. pictures are just the ones i need; not display, but process. that's important.