Bonsai, a Japanese word, is used and understood throughout the world. The origin is a Chinese word "Penzei" which means dwarf trees and this style of gardening originated in China during the Jin dynasty, in the period 265AD – 420AD. In words : "Bonsai is a tree or a shrub pruned and disciplined in such a way as to imitate a full size tree, grown in a shallow pot for artistic effect and as an imitation of nature". This is literal, but "bonsai" signifies the element of art that distinguishes a bonsai from a potted tree.
My strong interest in nature, and in trees in particular, is also satisfied by the unique blend of art and horticulture that is bonsai.I do believe in the importance of careful examination of trees in nature, which provides a stimulus and challenge to recreate natural imitations. Imitation is the correct word, as it is useless to aim for a realistic approach where every branch and twig is reproduced. The goal is to create an idealized replica of nature.
Your own progress in both the technical and artistic aspects of bonsai can be fashioned to your specific interests, the time you wish to put in, and the enjoyment that you get from growing bonsai. As with a bonsai, which matures and improves with the passing years, your pleasure and satisfaction in growing bonsai can only increase over time.
There are four sizes of bonsai: miniature, small, medium, and average. Miniatures range up to only 2 inches (5 centimeters) in height. Started from seeds or cuttings, they mature in about five years. Small bonsai are from 2 to 6 inches (5 to 15 centimeters) and take from five to ten years of training. Medium bonsai are from 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters), and average bonsai are up to 2 feet (0.6 meter); both these sizes can be produced in as little as three years.
The bonsai are dwarfed by pruning roots and branches. Their shapes are controlled by wiring the trunk and branches. The wires must be removed before the bark becomes scarred.
The art of raising bonsai has enabled the Japanese to admire nature in an indoor setting. Bonsai are able to bear fruit and to drop their leaves in season, thus reproducing nature in miniature. A skillful bonsai artist can prune, bend, and shape branches to suggest trees standing tall and upright in a field or bent and gnarled by age or weather. The beauty of a natural landscape is evoked in the viewer's imagination.
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