Bonsai School: The Complete Course in Care, Training & Maintenance (Paperback)

~ Craig Coussins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

It’s big and beautiful, and the only course you need to cultivate bonsais successfully. From the author of the acclaimed Bonsai for Beginners, this comprehensive, easy-to-follow instructional guide covers the basics and way beyond. One step at a time, he helps gardeners develop the necessary skills to create and maintain a beautifully shaped miniature potted tree. Everything imaginable is here, from choosing a suitable plant to wiring, pruning, and aging techniques, and finally expert tips on care. With its impressively large format, pages brimming with photos of dozens of specimens at different stages of growth, and preferred design techniques from world-famous bonsai artists, this is without a doubt the definitive reference on the subject.

 

PRAISE FOR BONSAI FOR BEGINNERS:
"A thoroughly illustrated reference that will captivate and educate newcomers to the art...a wealth of personal insights accompanied by illustrations that are refreshing in their clarity and in the depth of the accompanying explanations."—Bonsai Online.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sterling; illustrated edition edition (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 140273560X
• ISBN-13: 978-1402735608
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #160,998 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed Beginner, July 5, 2007

By	Timothy J. Joko-Veltman "Tim" (Brasilia, Brazil) - See all my reviews

Both reviews here and in various Bonsai forums around the internet led me to choose this as my first bonsai book. Unfortunately, I was rather disappointed with the book. Here's a few reasons why:
- there are "lessons" from various bonsai artists around the world ... oddly, there are none from any Japanese artists. Granted it wasn't the Japanese that started it, but there's a reason that practically all bonsai terms are in Japanese, and not Chinese, English, or Vietnamese.
- there is a limited index, but there is no glossary, and terms are used without prior reference. A simple diagram of tree anatomy would be interesting.
- there is a lot of varied focus on advanced techniques (shari, jin), but little information on basic things like how to thicken trunks or how to reduce leaf size.
- I found the tree reference section fairly limited. Granted, Coussins is Scottish, and he does cover the basics. But it would have been nice to see reference to some of the alternatives - especially for those like me who live in the Southern Hemisphere and/or the tropics.
- I thought the book poorly organized and felt really incoherent. For example, he talks about the suitability of various trees for different styles, but this is before he discusses the various traditional styles. There are other examples, but I can't remember them at the moment.
- Most of the pictures were of excellent quality, while some looked like poor quality colour printouts. There were however, a couple of photos which I marveled that they got into print - one because it has a very strong lens flare, and the other because the colours were not aligned properly. Furthermore, some pictures were repeated or simply didn't match the caption. In one place, a tree was made a centerfold, which really detracted from the photo, as the main trunk was hidden in the binding. Maybe it's not Mr. Coussins' fault, but with this book, Sterling's reputation has become tarnished, for me.
- There was some good information on pots, which I really looked forward to as a professional potter trained in Japan, but the section was not especially helpful as it seemed more like a "here's my collection, isn't it great?". Some of this material also seemed like it would fit better in a magazine than in a book. I also thought that many of the pots were unattractive, or inappropriate for the trees they held - but to be fair, that's largely personal taste.

Well, I think that about sums it up. Hope this was helpful.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beginner's essential, January 6, 2007

By	George C. Fago - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Covers all the topics with sufficient depth to keep you going for a tree's early life and beyond. It's a must have for those seeking an exhaustive beginning course. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book as school for all grades from early to advanced persons., February 13, 2008

By	Andre Laba - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This school book helped me very much in my Christmas bonsai gift. How and when to be precise, when to feed and fertilize, which month in the year and how often and when to add or stop the feeding in the year. Plus when to water each and every species as all bonsais known in the world.... in two words, THANK YOU. :)