Happy Bonsai: Choose It, Shape It, Love It

by Michael Tran

Begin your lifelong love affair with the mindful art of bonsai.

Do you know your shari from your nebari? Can you tell literati styling from informal upright? Want to know how to create that gnarled and twisted look?

Let Happy Bonsai guide you along the path to enlightenment, with care and display profiles for 40 top trees and fully illustrated step-by-steps of more than 20 bonsai techniques and styles.

Find your perfect tree and discover how to prune, shape, and tend to its needs to create a beautiful living sculpture. Fall in love with this most meditative of garden crafts.

• ISBN10: 1465491422
• ISBN13: 9781465491428
• Publish Date: 5 May 2020 (first published 5 March 2020)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Dorling Kindersley Ltd
• Imprint: DK
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 144
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781465491428

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

Happy Bonsai: Choose It, Shape It, Love It is a beginner friendly tutorial and introduction to the art and philosophy of bonsai by Michael Tran. Due out 5th May 2020 from Penguin Random House on their DK imprint, it's 144 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

This is a really well written introduction to bonsai aimed at keen beginner level to expert gardeners. There is a good introduction with some history, current state of the hobby, a very short capsule introduction to tree growth and botany, as well as short 1-2 page tutorials on choosing pots and accessories, plant materials, and training bonsai into different shapes. The second section of the book includes profiles and information for 40 different species (all with accompanying photos). In fact the entire book is beautifully photographed with an accessible and understandable graphic layout.

Gorgeous gorgeous bonsai in all their glory, showing a wide variety of species trained into both traditional and modern silhouettes. Worthwhile and inspirational.

Five stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.