Growing & Displaying Bonsai

by Colin Lewis, Neil Sutherland

Part art, part horticulture, a properly shaped, trained, and potted bonsai becomes more beautiful with age. Covering every key technique and style, plus cultivation, maintenance, and display, these right-from-the-beginning basics go from root to leaf to bud--the entire lifecycle of a tree. In large, close-up photos, see how they grow, and how to buy and propagate them from seed or cutting. Trim, shape with wire, repot, root prune, and do summer pinching. Most spectacular are the displays, shown in incredibly detailed pictures, with information on preparing them, including choosing a pot. Successfully nurture a handsome, broom-style zelkova, with the branch patterns reflected in the surface root formations; a micro-forest on a slab, with depth and perspective; a simple, but wonderfully effective raft planting; and a dramatic-looking tree with its roots wrapped around a rock.

Genres: Gardening, Reference

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 1995

About the author

Colin Lewis has been growing bonsai for almost 30 years and has gained an international reputation as an artist and author.
He teaches regularly throughout the UK, Europe and the United States and in 2001 was awarded second prize in the Japan Airlines World Bonsai Contest for his work with Scots pine.

Reviews

[Stefanie Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Brad McKenna]

When Pam brought home a Bonsai from New York, I was thrilled. I'd been kicking around the idea of getting one. So now that I had one, I needed to learn how to care for it. This book helped a great deal. It's got beautiful pictures to illustrate the points. He talks about everything from choosing a type to what styles you can shape your choice into. It talks about how/when to trim, pinch, prune, water and a host of other things. And a lot of things to do there are. He also gives you a handy timeline of what needs to be done during each season. I would recommend this book to anyone wanted to learn the art of bonsai. Though, I would pick up the book and then buy your plant; there are section of the book that are specific to a certain species and needn't be read if you don't intent on buying that species.

[Jacque Sherbak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great photos, especially if you can get an earlier, larger softcover edition like the one shown here. Was given to me as a gift and I subsequently gave a later edition as a gift.