FOREWORD

      The essence of bonsai

      Although bonsai is an ancient oriental art, it is just as relevant to today’s Western culture as it was in the East, when it originated in China over 2000 years ago.

      People everywhere have always had an affinity with nature, and people everywhere feel the urge to represent these things in the form of art. In painting, poetry, music and sculpture. In this high-tech era, this kind of empathy with our natural surroundings is even more important, helping us relax and unwind. What better way do this, and to pay homage to mother nature’s most magnificent creations, than through the venerable art of bonsai?

      The principles of bonsai are simple to learn and very easy to apply. For example, we all keep plants in pots, on our balconies, patios and even in our living rooms; there’s nothing new about that. We prune our shrubs, clip our hedges and fashion some plants into the recognizable shapes of birds or animals. Nothing new there either!

      The only thing that makes bonsai different from any other form of horticulture is that it involves creating a miniature image of a larger tree, and keeping it that way, in a container that is shallower than usual. The only thing that makes it different from any other art form, is that the medium we work with is alive and constantly changing.

      Bonsai involves no magic potions, no special philosophy, and no degree in oriental studies. All it requires is a woody plant, a pot, a handful of basic tools, and a few years’ patience. Think you can manage that? Of course!

      When David Prescott first came to me to study bonsai, I recognized at once his innate talent and burning passion for the art. Since then, he has studied with many of Europe’s leading experts and has become a master in his own right. His down-to-earth approach and his unfailing sympathy with the worries and uncertainties of the absolute beginner have made him a very popular teacher.

      Here, he not only brings to you his deep knowledge of the subject, but does so in a way that makes bonsai seem so easy that you wonder why people make such a fuss.

      Read this book, try out the techniques for yourself (if you kill a few trees, don’t worry – we’ve all done that!). Above all, have fun – that’s what bonsai is all about.

      Sincerely,

       Colin Lewis

      INTRODUCTION

      What is bonsai?

      Bonsai, literally translated, means tree-in-a-pot. This, however, is a broad definition which needs qualification. Perhaps it would be easier to explain what bonsai is not. A bonsai is neither a dwarf variety, nor is it a tree miniaturized by means of magic. Keeping the roots confined in a pot assists with mobility and allows for a unified composition but that is not what keeps a bonsai small and beautiful, either. The size, shape and attractiveness of a bonsai is entirely dependent upon its owner’s dedication to its daily care and his or her taste and artistic ability.

      Nobody knows when the idea first arose that one could shape trees in containers to mimic their full-sized counterparts. There is clear evidence that the Chinese were doing it over 2000 years ago. Paintings of that period depict shallow pots with trees and rocks, which look like landscapes in miniature. However, it was the Japanese who took up, refined and developed the practice.

      Much of Japanese culture and art throughout history has come under the influence of the Chinese. The Japanese script even uses the same characters for the word bonsai as does the Chinese. But within the past few centuries the two cultures have moved further and further apart. In China, most bonsai, (pronounced ‘punsai’) or penjing include elements of landscape.

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