Completely fill you in?

They write books 200 pages long that don't do that. I would encourage you to pick a few of them up and start reading. If you have something specific to ask, I'm sure someone will be happy to answer.

randy

When I first discovered bonsai, I too was confused... particularly because I didn't understand how it happened.

The first, and by far, most important thing you need to know is this: bonsai trees are NOT genetically modified to stay small. They are ordinary trees that, through a specific set of processes, have been kept small or made smaller than usual. Although there are dwarf varieties or cultivars that are dwarfed, you can literally use just about any woody-stemmed plant and make a bonsai out of it. Probably even some shrubs from your backyard!

Having said that, the species that are most found as bonsai typically have small leaves, or at least, leaves that can be made small; however, this is not a strict requirement, more of an aesthetic preference. It helps maintain the illusion of size.

As rjj1 said, your best bet is to pick up a book, or just search the web. there is such an enormous wealth of information on the web about bonsai from many different sources. Eventually, you'll probably find that if youre interested enough to try it, youll learn the most about it by simply practicing this ancient art form.

Bonsai trees do not just happen, there is a special skill set developed to keep the trees alive, and there is a special skill set involved in making the trees look natural at such a small size. the most natural looking trees are often the result of the most work to change them, there is nothing you can plant that will naturally grow to a short size and look huge.

There's definitely a lot of info on bonsai out there that's quite readily available. Check out some previous posts about books to see some titles which have been selected in the past.

My personal suggestion is "The Bonsai Workshop" by Herb L. Gustafson. It's good at covering most of the basic topics, and has some pictorial "workshops" in which various case studies are explored.

-Audric