Totally Bonsai: A Guide to Growing, Shaping, and Caring for Miniature Trees and Shrubs

Learn the ins and outs of proper bonsai design and care with this beautifully illustrated Japanese gardening book. Creating your own bonsai tree is simple, calming and serene, and best of all, it lets you bring the outdoors inside, even if you don't have a lot of space. Imagine an enormous redwood shrunk to a size you can carry in one hand, but perfect in every detail. That is the joy of bonsai--the re-creation of nature in miniature. With Totally Bonsai you can learn everything you need to know to become accomplished at the art of bonsai tree care and cultivation--how to pick a plant, what tools you'll need, and how to trim and style your plant. At the heart of the book is a species directory detailing both outdoor and indoor bonsai. It includes 10 easy-to-grow types of bonsai plants that are great for the beginning bonsai enthusiast, as well as another 40 species that need a little more care With Totally Bonsai you will: Discover the small but perfectly formed world of the bonsai Learn the secrets to growing a healthy tree Properly pot or repot your bonsai Recognize pests and diseases and how to treat them Discover the techniques for shaping, bending, and transforming your bonsai Totally Bonsai is a wonderful introduction to bonsai tradition and practice, including a historical overview of many styles of Japanese, Korean, Singaporean and Chinese bonsai, or penjing. Whether you want to grow a bonsai with dramatically exposed roots, create a spectacular twin-trunked landscape or cultivate a romantic sweeping cascade, Totally Bonsai will show you how.