Caring For Bonsai Plants

Aren't they wonderful? Bonsai Plants take training, though. While the words are Chinese (the characters bon and sai mean a "container" and "to plant"), it is the Japanese who have become most famous for creating these minature landscapes of windblown, ancient looking trees in small pots.

Bonsai enthusiasts have their own preferances, but they all agree that to succeed you first have to know what you have. Luckily, the plants are mostly small enough to carry from garden center to bookstore to library until you find a book or person to help you identify it.
(I'll give you my insider best source for Bonsia information at the end of this post)

Caring for bonsai has two aspects: first, keeping it alive and healthy, and second, continuing its training. Learning these two things means getting involved. But what a pay-off! These small marvels always cause a stir when I have visitors. They are hypnotized by them.

If you ever visit Washington go to the National Arboretum which has one of the largest collections outside of Japan. Take a virtual tour of their National Bonsai Foundation website right now by clicking here.

There are some beautiful photo examples at that web site.

You can also join Bonsai Clubs International here.



And if you're totally new to Bonsai, I heartily suggest my friend and fellow gardener
Eric Olsen (see his photo above). He's created a virtual encyclopedia of Bonsai Gardening know-how at your fingertips...and it's all written in easy-to-understand language so you can actually use it! I'm so thrilled with what he's done here.

Give Bonsai a try. Weekend Gardeners love it because its a passionate hobby you can enjoy all year round, when you're cooped up in the winter and are dying to garden but the weather won't cooperate. These plants will keep your attention and give you real joy.


I know you'll be thrilled with Eric's "Bonsai Gardening Secrets"... (that's why I'm recommending it to you) and you'll be overjoyed by how much fun it is to create your own amazing Bonsai Garden!