Going back thousands of years ago, the bonsai plant has a colorful history. The Chinese might have been the first race to prune and shape the bonsai plants but records show that bonsais were seen in Egyptian tombs 2000 years ago.

Records also show that Indian herbalists preserved these prized plants in small containers because of the dwarfish sizes 1500 years ago.

But of course, when talking about the modern cultivation of Bonsai, we often turn to the Chinese practice. They started growing the bonsai plant at a period when the peak was cultural learning. Later on, the Japanese adopted the hobby and even associated it to their belief in Buddha. Bonsai became a culture and an art for both the Chinese and the Japanese.

When choosing the right bonsai for you, you must be aware that there are two types: the temperate and the tropical.

Temperate bonsai can live in low temperatures, thanks to their shallow roots. It needs protection from the cold though. Examples of temperate bonsai are the maples and junipers.

Meanwhile, the tropical bonsai has difficulty adjusting to cold temperatures. As much as you can, protect it against frost. Examples of tropical bonsai are the ficus, serissa and bougainvillea.

Be aware of the temperature when you're buying a bonsai. Get one that won't have a hard time adjusting. If you're thinking of getting a bonsai that'll be outdoors 24-7, then get one that can handle it.

If you are getting a bonsai that will be put inside the home, at least, make sure that it gets the right amount of sunlight and enough water. An indoor bonsai needs more water than one grown outdoors.

Generally, bonsai enthusiasts purchased these plants so that they could prune and shape it themselves. If you already have a design in mind, then you should consider this as a factor in deciding what kind of bonsai you'd buy.

Styles of bonsai vary from easy to complicated. But do not worry; there are hundreds of bonsai books you can read.

Whichever style you crop, prune or shape your bonsai, as long as you make sure that the plant gets the sunlight and the water it needs, it will surely bloom and become the plant that you want it to be.

With each bonsai, you'd soon find yourself hooked!

Bonsai trees normally don't bear flowers. One variation that does is called the Bougainvillea. This is commonly found in many parts of Asia and South America.

This belongs to the Nyctaginaceae family that is part tree and vine. Although this has never been practiced by the Japanese or the Chinese, those in America have discovered that's also possesses excellent qualities of being a bonsai tree.

For one, the hobbyists doesn't have to give it a lot of water. Fertilizers can also be used to help it grow especially those that have nitrogen concentrates. It needs direct sunlight so those who decide to keep it indoors should take it out at least for four hours each day.

The Bougainvillea Bonsai can be placed either indoors or outdoors. It blooms all year round even during the winter. When the weather gets cold outside, it should be placed indoors and in a warm place to make sure it survives.

One technique that'll keep it looking good all year is pruning. The hobbyist will have to use a cutter to cut off some of the branches to make it work. A sealant should be used after to help the bougainvillea tree heal.

A little pruning should also be done with the roots when this gets bigger and this is transferred to a bigger pot. The hobbyist might even cut a small portion to start smaller bougainvillea bonsai's and sell it later on.

Leaves grow constantly on the bougainvillea tree, which is very similar to weeds in the lawn. The hobbyist will have to pinch or cut a few off whenever there's too much around that destroys its image.

Infant versions measuring five to six inches in height and twelve inches in width sell at $50. Fully grown ones that are twice the dimensions of a smaller one can be sold at more than $250 a piece.

Another technique the person can do to make it grow into the desired shape is through wiring. The person can purchase this from the store in either aluminum or copper. This should be wrapped one or two times around the branches and should only be taken out after a few weeks.

Those who are experienced with the different types bonsai might want to try something new such as this type of tree. This can be purchased in gardening stores then later on put into different pots.

The Chinese Elm bonsai is often interchanged with the species called Zelkova (also known as the Japanese Elm). The only difference between the two is the appearance of their fruits. The Chinese Elm has fruits with wings while its Japanese counterpart do not.

More often than not, Chinese Elm is sold as an indoor plant because it stays green despite being kept inside your home.

If you are redesigning the landscape of your yard and considering adding a garden to your home, make sure that your list of options includes building a bonsai garden. A bonsai garden is a unique design in many ways, and having it will make you the envy of your neighborhood.

Tips on Building Your Own Bonsai Garden

Size - Unlike other types of gardens, size isn't a consideration if you're intent on building a bonsai garden. If you don't have much space to work with, you can just as easily choose to grow all your bonsai from pots alone. Of course, you can let bonsai grow from the ground if you so wish. As long as all growing conditions are best, bonsai plants can grow just as huge and strong as any other tree.

Indoor or Outdoor - It depends on you whether you wish to have an indoor or outdoor bonsai garden. Indoor gardens are easier to design and maintain, but they will have to occupy a part or one whole room in your house. Outdoor gardens can be small or big, but you'll definitely have to work harder in taking care of your bonsai plants because you've to contend with the usual natural factors that hinder plant growth.

Giving Shape - The art of slicing bonsai plants and molding them into the shape you desire requires patient effort. Although it's possible to learn by self-study, it's still ideal to enroll in a bonsai slicing workshop to ensure that you don't cause accidental harm to your plants. When giving bonsai plants as gifts to your guests, you can ask them ahead of time what shape they desire for their plants.

Choices, Choices - If you have given much thought to the idea and you have decided that an indoor bonsai garden will suit your home beautifully, here are a few bonsai plants that'll adapt to indoor living: sacred bamboo, Chinese elm, fig tree, and Buddhist pine.

Warning - Many shops deliberately deceive people by mislabeling plants and passing them off as genuine bonsai plants. Make sure that you purchase bonsai plants only from people you know or trust and from legitimate shops in malls.

Bonsai plants age beautifully, and as such your bonsai garden can be an inheritance for your children and grandchildren. You can give them pot by pot or acre by acre, but make sure that your descendants understand the special kind of love that bonsais need. Take good care of your plants!

The practice of growing miniature trees is known better throughout the world as Bonsai. It is a misconception that the Japanese were the first to practice it because it originally came from the Chinese.

Taking care of a bonsai trees is considered to be a hobby. Those who want to learn should first buy the necessary tools from the store in order to begin.

The most important of course is the tree. These range from $20 to $30 a piece. There are different types for sale so the customer should probably look around the store or ask the sales clerk for help before choosing one.

In order for the tree to look great, pruning and cutting tools will be needed. Some examples of these are concave or spherical cutters, pruning saws, shears and scissors. The cheapest ones begin at $15 but for those with quality, it would not hurt to invest in a model that is just under a hundred bucks.

Bonsai trees just like plants need to be put in a pot. This allows it to absorb water and nutrients that is blended together with the soil. After some time, the hobbyist will have to replace the container since the current one will run out of space for it to grow.

Mishandling the bonsai tree can kill it. This is the reason that various tools were invented such as the potting trowel, the soil scoop and the root hooks so such an incident doesn't happen.

Some people think that it takes its shape naturally. The secret is the use of wires that gives it the artistic shape. There are thin and thick models to select from which really depends on the type of tree at home.

The bonsai tree needs a lot of maintenance. Another tool that can be bought at the store is a brush. This will take away dust that'll probably be found in the leaves or the branches when this is left outdoors.

Those who want to try taking care of a bonsai tree can take classes since some stores want to promote this hobby. Some advertise in the phone directory or in the newspaper inviting people to join for free in the hopes that this becomes part of one's daily habit.

If the tree or the tools that the customer wants is out of stock, there is a chance that the hobbyist can also find these items on the web.

You probably would not believe it but the art of planting and tending to bonsais has been around for over two thousand years. Then called 'pun-sai', the ancient Chinese made very special animal designs such as dragons and birds out of the small branches of the small trees. These trees became the forefathers of what we now know as bonsais.

Although generally believed to be dwarf versions of plants or trees, any expert gardener would be able to tell you that bonsais aren't the smaller counterparts of more massive plant species. They are actually, just your regular plant that's carefully pruned on the tree's crown or roots.

Also known as Pen-jing or scenery on trays, Chinese bonsai is more than a representation of a smaller version of a tree. Tending for it represents artistry and the illusion of maturity. It could also depict a small landscape (for example, the small tree could have a miniature brook and a miniscule mountain beside it).

Chinese bonsai is very much similar to its Japanese counterpart. Let us just define it as the 'bigger picture'. How? A certain category of Chinese bonsai is making use of landscape in a small pot while the Japanese bonsai is putting just the tree in a small container.

As it is called Chinese bonsai, it originated from China and was transported to Japan during the seventh to the ninth century. There are three types of Penjing namely: Tree Penjing, Landscape Penjing and Water & Land Penjing.

Tree Penjing is the most similar to the Japanese form of bonsais. It is the authentic act of dwarfing trees to fit into small pots or containers.

Landscape Penjing makes use of rocks to depict mountainous regions beyond the miniature tree. Water and Land Penjing, on the other hand, makes use of the former two elements (the tree and some rocks) plus a third element which is the water to finish the landscape illusion.

Chinese bonsai is also considered as a spiritual object. The act itself of pruning, cultivating and generally tending for the plant exudes spirituality on a different level. It is believed that the closer a man gets to Mom Nature, the superior able he's in understanding himself.

You need no spiritual training to be able to appreciate the beauty of Chinese bonsai. In its own right, it is a work of art and a source of serenitynobody, in his right mind, would dispute.

There are lots of types of bonsai trees that are sold on the market this day. The Ficus bonsai doesn't belong to the list of the fastest selling bonsais for nothing. First, it is naturally miniscule so pruning is easier for the gardener especially for a beginner.

Second, it is great to keep indoors. In fact, it is more beneficial for the plant to stay indoors rather than outdoors.

The Ficus bonsai has many types namely: The Golf Ball Ficus (or the so-called Ficus Benjamina), Root Over Rock Ficus, Chinese bonsai, Taiwan Ficus (this is also called the Banyan Fig), The Curved Shaped Trunk, and many more.

Here are a few tips in keeping your Ficus Bonsai:

1. Just like most bonsais, the Ficus likes to keep itself dry in between your waterings. If you want, you can touch the soil daily to be able to determine if it's time to water again. If your bonsai has a rock on its surface, lift the rock and feel the top portion of the soil. One good way of watering this type of bonsai is to put it in the sink and have the water level reach up to its trunk. This should be no longer than 5 to 10 minutes. Drain afterwards.
2. The Ficus isn't 'choosy' when it comes to its lighting conditions. It could dwell in either a well-lighted place or a semi-lighted one. Others like to keep their Ficus in shady areas to ensure that it is kept away from the glaring afternoon sun. Although chemical fertilizers could be allowed, the organic ones are most preferred.
3. To be able to gauge the humidity around the Ficus, you can use a humidity tray (which has humidity stones). In the absence of this tray, you can use easy tray with stones and water.
4. Always keep the Ficus indoors during the winter season. Be sure to keep the plant in a well-lighted area during these months.
5. The Ficus should be transferred to a different pot each two years. Repot during springtime and make sure that ample water is given so that the roots might grow. A word of caution: make sure that it is kept in a shady area for a few weeks!

These are basic ways of caring for your Ficus bonsai. What you have is a thing of beauty. Be sure to have enough time and enough love to care for it.

Many people don't realize that the beauty of nature isn't available to 'outdoorsy' people alone. With much care and persistence, big versions of trees can be made to fit your small garden or your living room. Impossible? Of course not.

Bonsai (derived from the Japanese word 'bonsai' meaning planted in a container) is carefully pruned and trained to look like a much smaller version of its bigger counterparts. To purchase bonsai trees is good enough, but to grow one from scratch is another thing. Taking care of bonsai trees from its seedling state is much more fulfilling as you'll be able to see the plant sprout and grow to its full beauty.

Many bonsai seeds can be bought from the market nowadays, it isn't surprising that even e-bay have them. There are also other websites that offer the seeds at a very low price, some for as low as $2. Examples of seeds that are available for buying are: The Sacred Japanese Cedar, The Pyramid Chinese Juniper, Incense Cedar, Monkey Pod Rain Tree, Amur Maple, Monkeybread Tree, among others.

The 'how' part in taking the bonsai seed and preparing it for germination is simple but could be tedious so the owner should exhibit much patience. At the beginning, it is essential that the freshest seeds are taken because this will determine the success of the germination. You could try doing this experiment at home:

1.Soak the fresh seeds and wrap them in paper towels which would also be wrapped in plastic. Do not worry about oxygen because it is believed that germination can begin even in the absence of oxygen.
2.Keep the temperature of the wrapped seeds at a uniform seventy degrees for about 10-14 days. With much care over the temperature, it should be able to germinate.
3.In case it doesn't, put the wrapped seeds inside your fridge for 3 whole months. Be sure to check it each week. A week in the fridge should show signs of germination.
4.If after three months no germination takes place, take the wrapper out and keep it now at a 70 degree temperature. This should be able to produce a sprout in 1-2 weeks. If none shows, keep it at the 70 degree temperature for three more months.
5.If the experiment outside the fridge produces nothing, put it back in and do the same procedure until the seeds sprout or until they rot.

The rewards of keeping a bonsai plant are numerous but as always, when much is expected, much is also required.

The term bonsai came from the Chinese word which means a plant in pot. It was the Chinese who introduced the miniature ornamental trees in the period of the second century B.C. This was the period of perfecting the landscape and trees where planted in specific containers.

Bonsai are plants that measures around 2 inches up to 3 feet in height which grew from seeds and as well as from cuttings. This plant is usually grown in pots or containers which are kept small by pruning the branches and roots to serve as decorations. There are times that the trees are wired on its branch and trunk to attain a desired shape.

Bonsais live for many years and some families think about as prized possessions. Bonsai have many varieties such as the gardenia, azalea, bamboo, camellia, pine and even plum. There are so many styles that you can do with bonsai. You can have it informal upright, formal upright, cascade, semi-cascade and slanting style.

Professionals with bonsai use specialized tools to mold and create bonsai into different forms such as the pliers, concave branch cutters, root trimmers and shears. If you want to create your own form of bonsai, there are 12 steps that you can follow.

You must choose first a petite shrub from common varieties of garden such as the azalea, camellia, boxwood, gardenia, cotoneaster, or even hibiscus. Trim the plant with the use of bypass pruners until a structure is seen. After that you need to remove the bonsai from its pot and place the root of the bonsai in water.

Decrease the amount of soil around its roots in order for the root ball to fit the said container. Trim the roots to until two-thirds of the original size are reduced. The next thing that you will need to do is to place a plastic window or a piece of gauze over the drainage hole of the pot.

Then add an inch of blended potting soil on it then the root ball while spreading gently its roots over the soil. Put additional soil again to cover the roots but make sure that there's a one inch allowance on top for watering purposes. Prune the plant on your desired structure.

The last thing that you'll do is to water it until the soil is soaked then covers it with aquarium gravel. Place the plant on a location wherein it can receive a adequate amount of sunlight.

When you hear 'bonsai', the first image that comes to mind is a miniature tree. Aesthetic miniaturization of trees that are grown in the containers is an art practiced by Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

For the Chinese, it is 'penjing', for the Korean 'bunjae', whereas for the Japanese, the term is 'bonsai.'

The Chinese were the first to grow miniature-size trees in containers. They started doing so around 200 CE. This is how herbal healers transported medicinal plants.

The practice spread to Japan during the Heian period. Landscape gardening was given importance during the Tokugawa period. Maples and azalea were cultivated by the wealthy for a pastime activity.

The term used at that time was 'hachi-no-ki' which means "a tree in a pot." Bonsai was used in the Meiji period during the late 19th century.

There are various kinds of bonsai. These are the slant, formal upright, informal upright, raft, literati, cascade, semi-cascade and the forest/group.

The slant style bonsai is like the straight trunk of any upright trees. The apex extends to the right or the left of the base. The formal upright is similar to a straight and tapered trunk. This is as opposed to the informal upright that has curves and bends with the apex usually found on top of the roots.

The raft bonsai is considered to be a phenomenon because it takes place after a tree is toppled from natural force or erosion. The branches then expose the edge of the trunk. Roots grow from these buried portions. A literati is when the trunk line is bare and there are minimum branches on a somehow contorted trunk.

Cascades are models of trees that grow on the side of the mountains and the water's surface. The tip or the apex of a cascade bonsai reaches underneath the lip of the pot. Finally, a forest or group bonsai is a group of trees that grow altogether in a pot. These are usually of a similar species.

Bonsai are classed according to their sizes. There are styles and techniques associated to the shito and mame bonsais. These are the bonsais that are grown in pots as small as thimbles.

The bonsai enthusiast must know that the smaller the size of the bonsai, the greater the care he has to exert. The miniature sized bonsai often requires special attention.

Bonsai is often found in the center of a garden when set alongside an urban or wild landscape. Bonsai collectors put high value on the bonsai because of the plant's ability to exhibit age as they mature.