Bonsai (Rd Home Handbooks) (Paperback)

by Harry Tomlinson (Author) "A bonsai tree is infinitely changeable, both as the seasons come around, and as it matures over the years..." (more)
Key Phrases: basic soil mix, trim new shoots, informal upright, Japanese Tokoname, North America, Japanese Ibigawa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
Here's a handy bonsai book which provides a fine visual explanation of the art of bonsai; from growing bonsai from seed to the challenges of proper styling. The A-Z species guide is accompanied by excellent-quality visual details and includes plenty of cultivation guidelines. -- Midwest Book Review

Product Description
The best bonsai book on the market! A complete guide to the art of bonsai, from design and choosing the tree, to pruning, wiring and propagating. It offers precise step-by-step instructions on how to work with each of the 15 classic bonsai styles.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Readers Digest (January 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0895776472
• ISBN-13: 978-0895776471
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #186,166 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #27 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Japanese Gardens
  #42 in	Books > Home & Garden > Gardening & Horticulture > Trees

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Art of Bonsai, August 10, 2001

By	Tacie Himelright "Tortuga Tess" (Kennett Square, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a good book. I have had it for a number of years. This is a good book for the beginner and the intermediate Bonsai enthusiast or if you are just going to buy and maintain a Bonsai. It is broken down into chapters including: The Art of Bonsai, A-Z of Bonsai Species, Creating a Bonsai, Propagating Bonsai, Maintaining Bonsai, Dictionary of Trees and Shrubs, Glossary and Index.

The Art of Bonsai is the overview. It give the basics, some background, and ideas and information. Most people will want to start in the A-Z of Bonsai Species. This has at least one color picture of the different plants (in some case 3 or 4 picture of different shapes, styles and arrangements) and is VERY handy. It has a detailed, close up view of the leaves and flowers so if your bonsai has a different shape or form, you can still identify your plant. Each of the 75 different species include the following information: Identification (Botanical name and common name), General description, Bonsai suggestions, Leaf detail, Container, Special interest, Seasonal features, Main Caption (which includes height, age, style and particular features of the Bonsai pictured), and Cultivation box. For those of us who have purchased our Bonsai this Cultivation Box has all the information in it we need to keep our Bonsai healthy and happy.

The Maintaining Bonsai section has all the information you will need to keep your Bonsai looking good. How to prune, repot, water and more are covered in this section. It also includes information on pests. Creating a Bonsai take you through all the steps from taking a raw plant to turning it into a masterpiece. The Dictionary give you all the information you need on the plant including cultivation (sun needs, watering, repotting, pruning and propagation), identification, cross reference and general description. It is a very handy reference once you know what kind of plant you have.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to follow, wide variety of bonsai, many great ideas, September 17, 1999

By A Customer

The book "BONSAI" by Harry Tomlinson is a very informative bonsai manual. It provides my illustrations and tips for different styles of bonsai with easy to follow text. I find that if I have a question I can grab the book and it's there! I looked at many books before I picked this one and have not had any regrets. This book deserves 6 stars.

-Ryan Natschke Phoenix,AZ

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction and quick reference of the art, March 10, 2000

By	Daniel (Sinking Spring, PA) - See all my reviews

This book provides the beginner with all of the basic knowledge of the art needed to get started. If I had the option, I would have rated it 4 1/2 stars.

What I like best about the book is the many photos it has of the different plants and bonsai styles. This book will help you develop your bonsai taste because of the variety that it presents to the reader.

It is also an excellent quick reference, it provides the reader the basic needs of each of the trees presented as well as suitable styles and propagation methods. The information is presented in a quick and concise manner for each of the different trees.

About 76 pages of the book is used in presenting the A-Z of bonsai species, the rest of the book is used to present the basic skills and knowledge that you will need to maintain your plant.

The only thing that this book lacks is a "how to" styling guide. That said, I would strongly recommend that anyone who may think that they would be interested in bonsai should buy this book. The pictures are beautiful and even if you go no further in the craft it has a lot of good information about the various plants presented. For the more advanced bonsai artist, this book is a valuable quick reference.

This is a great first book to have!