Paul Lesniewicz

The Japanese seem to be fascinated with miniaturisation whether it is foot-binding, miniscule slide-in hotel rooms or ever more tiny electronics and nature hasn't escaped this national obsession either. I love the idea of taking a forest tree, not a special house-plant variety, and by restricting and directing its growth produce a fully-grown tree that would not be out of place in Lilliput and is a work of art itself. This book is a work of art too - the photographs of the little trees makes show more it a coffee-table joy whether or not you are interested in perhaps trying the technique of miniaturisation yourself.

I was interested and got a Running Press bonsai kit. It didn't work though. Perhaps because Running Press isn't exactly serious gardening material or perhaps because I live in a rain forest and trying to restrict the growth of anything is a joke. However, I did find a rather old potato busting out at the bottom of my fridge and placing it upright on a jam jar I successfully trimmed it with manicure scissors into the vegetable version of bonsai. It was quite...interesting-looking...while it lasted. show less

This has been described to me as the bible of indoor bonsai. It's definitely complete and broad in what it covers. The large format book looks dated in formatting, font and pictures. However, it's reliable and matches much of the current conventional wisdom. It has a great index and frequently asked questions section-while limited-is good. It's section profiling care and characteristics of different species is needed and useful, and likely more usable than the deep dives in more general show more bonsai books. Some of the tips on pruning should be taken guardedly as they are little more pointed and confident than they should be. show less

Focuses on plants that make good bonsai to be kept indoors. With a photo gallery of indoor houseplants that can be trained as bonsai. There are instructions on basic care, design, when to wire or prune (or both), how to cure common pests and diseases, and how to grow plants from seed or cuttings.

from the Dogear Diary