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!

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.

Rapidly growing and responsive to training, you can quickly see the fruits of your labor when taking care of a Juniper Bonsai. This non-flowering and evergreen conifer have long, sprawling branches that can easily be styled to almost anything except the broom.

Considered as one of the most popular forms of bonsai, the Juniper has numerous varieties which include the Japanese Garden Junipers, Shimpaku, Chinese Junipers, Green Mound, just to name a few. Easy to manage, the Juniper can both grow indoors and outdoors, but it must be kept outside during winter for it to experience the dormant stage. By following this guide of proper care for Junipers, your tree will flourish and will not experience any difficulty while growing.

Water your Juniper like most bonsai. Before watering your plant, check the soil by sticking your finger about half an each in the soil or if it is on a rock, lift it and feel the soil under it. If the soil is still moist, limit the amount of water that you'll pour on your bonsai to prevent root rotting. It is a general rule to never let you bonsai go dry for a long time. Although there are bonsai that like short dry periods, keeping your bonsai dry for extended periods will surely kill your plant. When watering your bonsai, allow the soil to absorb the water first before pouring another one. Eventually, you will soon be able to determine a schedule depending on the climate of your area.

Your Juniper will need filtered sunlight. Avoid exposing your bonsai to direct sun.

It is also important to use fertilizer on your Juniper. Use organic liquid fertilizer and feed your plant once every two weeks during spring and fall. A chemical fertilizer can also be used but it should be diluted. Follow the instructions given by the manufacturer.

Your Juniper should be repotted every two years when it is still young or about 5-6 years old then each 3-5 years thereafter. Although it can be repotted in any time of the year, the ideal time is during spring or fall. After repotting place it in a cool and shady area and give liberal amounts of water until new roots appear.

Provide it also with proper winter care by keeping it under cool temperatures usually under 600F to grant it to rest. Avoid exposing it to dry winds and extreme cold temperatures by using window wells, mulch beds or enclosed unheated rooms.

Following these instructions properly will help maintain your Juniper bonsai healthy and always beautiful. Read more about Juniper bonsai and have fun with your plant.

John Yoshio Naka was born on August 16, 1914 in Denver, Colorado. He and his family returned to their native Japan when he was eight years old. Having his grandfather as his constant companion, he observed as his elderly shaped and trimmed the trees.

When he was nineteen years old, John took up landscape design. He learned the fundamentals in the relationship of nature - trees, space and stone. After completing his education, he pursued further studies by attending a prestigious art school in Japan.

Because of the building war in Japan in 1935, his father feared that John might be deployed. John was sent back to Colorado to live with Sadao, his bruther. He settled down by marrying Alice Toshito Mizunaga in 1936. They had three sons: Eugene, Robert and Richard.

The family moved to Los Angeles in 1946. Here, John worked as a landscaper and concentrated on Japanese gardens. Striking a friendship with Sam Doi, John Naka was encouraged to read books about bonsai techniques.

His first work was the Montezuma Cypress. It was a 36 inch tall five gallon plant that was grown in Southern California. Years later, this plant continued to grow at the exact height. Tree also produced small cones two times.

At this point, John Naka was noticed as a bonsai artist. Together with for other friend, Fumiko Nagata, Ai Okumura, Joseph Yamashiro and Morihei Furuya, Naka started the Southern California Bonsai Club.

From local instructor, Naka went on to become a national teacher in the art of bonsai. He attended symposiums where he was the gust speaker in the 1970s. Some of his works were published in newspaper articles and on the "Bonsai Journal." Here, he illustrated step-by-step the transformation of a juniper that is grown in a nursery to
the center of a bonsai garden.

Then Naka conquered the global scene by visiting various countries and also educating bonsai enthusiasts on his art. His collections of bonsai art have been viewed countless times. They've been published in countless books as well.

John Naka once said that he regarded his works as his grandchildren. That's why his interest and passion on bonsai can be seen by all.

The National Bonsai Foundation is a non-profit corporation which elected Naka as one of the honorary advisers to the foundation. Through the years, Naka has also become legendary in the sense that he has buildings named after him. As a matter of fact, a workshop room is named after him who they regarded as the "Father of Popular Bonsai."

Let's face it. Not all of us have a green thumb and not everyone has the luxury of time either. Other than that, we are not all born with the patience of a saint or a bonsai grower either.

If you have always wanted to grow bonsai but haven't got one for one reason or another, you have a choice: buy an artificial bonsai. They don't require any watering, pruning or pesticides and they'll last as long as the real thing. Here are some tips on how to get ones that are as good, or even better:

Choose the style or species.
There are dozens of bonsai species to choose from, such as pine trees and flowering trees and all of them look decidedly real. They also come in different styles - single-trunk, double-trunk, cascade, rock - and you can select one or two that'll blend with your home's overall design scheme.

Good ones to try: artificial Japanese pine bonsai, Chinese elm, maple or juniper. For artificial flowering bonsai, get the crabapple, jasmine, camellia, flowering plum or gardenia bonsai.

Seeing is believing
If the artificial can fool your eyes, it can fool others' as well. Look at the artificial bonsai from afar and then up close. Look at the trunk, the branches, the leaves and the flowers. The trunk shouldn't look painted on and the branches should blend well with the main trunk.

There should be a continuing, seamless line from the base of the artificial bonsai to the tip of the branches. If you see the joints, you might want to move to the next one. If it still looks like the real thing from six inches away, then it's top quality artificial bonsai.

Touch to test
The true test of a good quality artificial bonsai is its touch. The trunk should feel rough like the bark of a real tree and shouldn't feel plastic to the touch - slippery and smooth. Another test for quality artificial bonsai is its leaves. The leaves shouldn't be too thin or too fabric-like and avoid ones that unravel when pulled. They should be smooth with a partial sheen to mimic real leaves.

Flex to form
Another thing to look for is flexibility. Even though many artificial bonsai are shaped in various ways, there are some that let you manipulate their 'growth' by bending them anyway you like. If you're the kind who likes to work with your bonsai a tiny bit, pick ones that are made with flexible materials such as luna clay. These artificial bonsai let you bend and twist to create a plant that is all your own.