What is Bonsai

It is a name given to an art form, originally Chinese, which is based on the study of trees grown in the wild. Bonsai re-creates nature in a miniature landscape.

Legend has it that bonsai started around 400AD by the Chinese poet and civil servant Guen-ming.

Over the centuries it was the Japanese who perfected the art of growing miniature trees to look like their natural larger counterparts, and they gave us the word bonsai - "bon" meaning pot, and "sai" meaning tree.

When shaping bonsai, Asiatic people follow Zen Buddhist principles, the aim being to create something natural, simple and asymmetrical while concentrating on what is most essential. Disciples of Zen Buddhism seek harmony between man and nature, and regard bonsai trees as religious objects which help meditation.

For a European interested in bonsai this religious background and meditative tradition is something alien, but they can learn nevertheless to set aside time to look after their miniature trees and to enjoy it's sense of creativity as he determines their shape, making them grow more and more like natural trees in every aspect except size.

Creating and looking after bonsai involves a certain amount of skill, but anyone who has had some success with general plants will quickly learn the art of bonsai and derive great pleasures from it.

Note: We encourage people who have bought bonsai to explore the Internet and gather as much information as possible about the trees you have bought. There are a lot of very useful tips scattered around and some people have their own views and ideas on looking after bonsai. The more you know the less there is to worry.