Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese maple    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Trees    9. Gardening / Ornamental Plants    10. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (19)

Already a Classic!
Extremely well designed, written and photographed! What more needs to be said. Covers all aspects of Bonsai care and propogation along with a detailed description of a large variety of species. Certainly one of the very (and perhaps the) best book on the subject to date.

Inspiring, beautifully illustrated, and easy to understand
If I had this book when I first started my bonsai hobby five years ago, I would have saved myself years of frustration and would have been able to enjoy bonsai almost immediately following the straightforward instructions Harry Tomlinson presents to the reader.I can definitely recommend "The Complete Book of Bonsai" to the beginner not only for this reason but also for its eye-catching beauty, wealth of ideas, and very reasonable price considering the sheer volume of high quality photography included in its hardcover binding.
Great for beginners
I purchased this book as a gift for a beginning Bonsai grower and it proved to be just the right choice.The photos are clear and beautifully done.Instructions are concise.I would highly recommend this book for anyone hoping to start a Bonsai garden. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Reference   

Reviews (19)

Very good ready reference
Very good handy reference for someone more or less familiar with bomsai techniques. Highly recommended.

Bonsai cultivation how-to in a nutshell.
This very affordable, essential reference for beginners covers all the basics of bonsai cultivation in a broad range of topics, without ever turning too technical for the reader. The well-organized, thoroughly indexed and concise information is presented in handy tips, easy-to-remember answers to frequently asked questions, and step-by-step expert advice with detailed explanations that include topics like:
This book was BADsai!
Upon recieving this book as a gift from my late husband, I discovered that the information given in this book was quite unsatisfactory.As a seasoned Bonsai enthusiast, I found it degrading and demeening and an insult to my intelligence.Any serious Bonsai lover would know enough to realize the suggestions given in this manual are foolish and obscene.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Techniques    8. Gardening / Japanese Gardens   

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Container    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    7. Japanese Gardens - General    8. Techniques    9. Gardening / Japanese Gardens   

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Encyclopedias    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    7. Ornamental Plants    8. Gardening / General   

Reviews (2)

Beautiful pictures.....
Simply elegant and inspiring pictures are captured within the pages of this book.The fan of simple, straightforward, bonsai designs that reflect nature, will be quite happy with the selected works of art.Also, the admirer of the more complex and fantastic manipulations of the trees will be pleased.
The Art of the Bonsai
First of all, this book is beautiful:from the trees in it (a truly amazing array, photographed simply to highlight the beauty of the bonsai) right down to the paper it's printed on, the book itself is a work of art.Wonderful design, good captions, and good color, too.An homage to the art of bonsai, and indeed a bonsai-lover's must-have for its beauty alone.Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    4. Photoessays & Documentaries    5. Photography    6. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    7. Art Forms, Treatments & Subjects    8. Gardening / General   

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Container    3. Gardening    4. Gardening / Horticulture    5. Gardening/Plants    6. Trees    7. Gardening / Container   

Reviews (2)

a classic
First written in 1978, this is a timeless book with beautiful illustrations and careful descriptions of how things can be done. Written by a Jap master who spent his entire life and career to cultivating bonsai, this book contains good insights in the art.

Bonsai
This book really explained the art of bonsai. I love bonsai trees, and this book helped to understand the creation and care of such beautiful trees. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening / Horticulture    2. Gardening/Plants    3. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    4. Bonsai    5. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (14)

good book to have handy
Nice book. Details many trees. Could be a bit more on styling.

Bonsai Survival Manual is just what it claims to be!
I have been doing bonsai for over a year now and have read many books on the subject. I don't believe any one can give you all the information you need to be successful with these wonderful little trees, but this one is chock full of usefull information in a clean no nonsense format. From soil mixture to lighting and fertilization-�this book outlines what is best for a lot of the most popular trees out there and gives useful general information as well! If you are new to the art or have been doing it a short while I highly recommend this little gem!

Sparse
No real indepth information. It does have a lot of different trees listed but don't rely on this to be your only book on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Ornamental Plants    7. Gardening: plants    8. Horticulture    9. Specialized gardening methods   

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Garden Design And Planting    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Gardening / Japanese Gardens    8. STUDY AIDS - ACT   

Reviews (1)

A nice overview of a complex art
A good book for someone with no bonsai experience.The authors keep the basics of bonsai simple and point the novice in the right direction.Although it would be a good reference to have handy while attempting thatfirst Juniper, the beginner would do well to read other books before goingfurther. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    5. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (4)

Good beginners title
This is a good beginners book with information about all phases of the art and some of the science.It is accessable to anyone.I would recommend it to serious beginners.

Good basics, but no real step by step for beginners
This book provides excellent background and general information for someone starting out in bonsai.The photos are excellent and a wide variety of types are shown.However, I was expecting more of a guide on how to actually start growing a bonsai.There are a lot of references to finding "a local club" which would of course be helpful, but if you're just starting out (like me) and don't have a nearby bonsai club, you'll probably want additional books to guide you through getting started.

A wonderful beginners book
"What else would I need than this book when learning about Bonsai? I recommend it fully and suggest that it should be on everyone's bookshelf, or at least in his or her hands" Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Ornamental Plants    7. Shrubs    8. Trees   

Reviews (19)

AWEsome BOOK
Very goodthe best in all one i see best book A++++++++++

A Great Place to Start
By no means would I ever be considered an expert on the art of Bonsai, but about 5 years, I took up the hobby. As an avid reader, when my interest blossomed, I bought several books on the subject. Of those, by far, I found BONSAI by Harry Tomlinson to be the best "beginners" book, but it is also one I have turn to time and again since I first took up the hobby.
Everything you need to know, illustrated
I had wanted to learn bonsai for years, but I kept putting it off because I couldn't find a reference that covered everything. Some books are great on types of plants but don't cover maintenance in much depth, some are great on maintenance but aren't well illustrated, and so on. Then I picked up this book, largely on the strength of the reviews I found here. I was not disappointed.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Gardening / Trees   

Reviews (3)

Very Comprehensive
I actually bought this book as a gift along with the various items needed in the growning of a bonsai. The book was amazing with beautiful pictures and detailed instructions for growing a bonsai from the underground - up. Great deal for the money. Enjoy!!

Un libro excelente - An excellent book
* Un libro excelente finamente ilustrado, recomendable para todos aquellos que comienzan en el arte del Bonsai o para aquellos que desean deleitarse con magn�ficas fotograf�as de Bonsai. Classical Treatment of a Classical Art
David Prescott's treatment of bonsai is highly recommended.The Bonsai Handbook is a fine example of how bonsai should be presented. It depicts both young trees and fine specimens.It makes bonsai approachable to the beginner as well as creates intrigue for the advanced collector.The plates are clear and finely photographed.Illustrations are well executed and helpful.The text is well written, although, at times, a bit complex.The author thoroughly descibes the art, science, and technique.He includes excellent information concerning tools, pots and general horticultural practices.As a bonsai artist and horticultural botanist, I find this book to be a great value and superior to many bonsai books presently in-print.Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    5. Japanese Gardens - General    6. Bonsai    7. Gardening / Japanese Gardens    8. HEALTH & FITNESS - DIETS TRD HC   

Reviews (5)

Great for the novice
This book, of the 3 I purchased, is the one I refer to most often. It has detailed descirptions of each tree along wiht detailed instructions on care for the tree including maintenance, repotting, propagation, etc. Very easy to understand and has answered the vast majority of my questions.

Great How To Manual for Beginners
Paul Lesniewicz describes the bonsai art with simplicist and skill.Thisbook is full of wonderful photos and great advise.

Good book
This book says everything from how to care for your bonsai, to how to growbonsai from cuttings and seeds.This is a great book for beginners as wellas the experinced grower. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening    3. Gardening / Horticulture    4. Gardening/Plants    5. Indoor bonsai    6. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    7. Japanese Gardens - General    8. BG-CLASSIC EDITIONS - BG-B&N CLASSICS    9. Gardening / Japanese Gardens    10. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (1)

Everything you need to know about Bonsai
A must if you enjoy the great art of Bonsai. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bonsai    2. Gardening/Plants   

Reviews (2)

outstanding
I think this book is excellent. Although the trees are native to Europe, most of the advice applies perfectly to people in temperate North America. Scots Pine, yew, spindle, beech, hawthorn, apple, willow etc... all species are covered in detail with info on training, pests, propagation, etc.... Definitely not just for Europeans, anyone in the Eastern U.S. and most of Canada will find this very useful. Great photos, too! "Native" applies to Europeans
This is an excellent -- and useful -- book for those who wish to use native trees for their bonsai.However, to get the best benefit from it, you need to live in Europe, since the 'natives' are from that continent. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    5. Japanese Gardens - General    6. Gardening / Trees   

Reviews (1)

An Excellent Introduction To Growth And Care Of Bonsai Trees
I recently bought a Juniper bonsai and have become very interested in these exquisite miniature plants. Bonsai is the reproduction of natural tree forms in miniature which increase in beauty and value as they mature over the years. I am now thinking about purchasing another and want to learn as much as possible about the growth and proper care for these Japanese-style miniature plantings. I browsed through bookstores and also asked a friend, who has numerous healthy bonsais, for some book suggestions. I finally purchased "Bonsai: Nature in Miniature." A few people recommended it as a bonsai book that is especially designed for beginners. It is also an excellent book to accompany a bonsai given as a present. Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. House Plants & Indoor    5. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    6. Japanese Gardens - General    7. Bonsai   

Reviews (10)

Mixed Reaction
I ordered this book because it sounded comprehensive and promised lots of photos. Having spent a good bit of time looking it over, I confess to very mixed feelings about it. There is a lot of excellent information inside and some very handsome bonsai portraits, but the overall subject treatment varies: sometimes Dr. Liang goes into depth, while at other times her approach remains superficial. Her section "Bonsai Creation," for instance, runs all of 4 pages (primarily photographs) and essentially recommends spending a lot of time looking at trees. Worse, I couldn't escape the sense that the book is in some regards a vanity publication. Many of the pictures focus on Dr. Liang and her trees, occasionally including family members, and very few of those pictures are instructive; they seem intended instead to show off her collection. And while the writing is generally solid, the English is at times stilted and could have used editing by someone for whom it is not a second language. Having said all that, it's not a bad book by any means and it does contain useful information. However, I recommend thinking of it as one source among many and suggest buying a used copy to save a few dollars.

excellent book
I've read this book from cover to cover.I'm already on my 3rd bonzai tree.What an excellent book!You can tell the publisher and the author put alot of work into it. Excellent
I bought this book in a bookstore for the pictures. I bought another book (which had black and white pictures) for information. When I got home I read through both books and found that the information in Liangs book was far better in information as well as the pictures. The other book has since been given away as a "gift" to one of my bonsai friends :)Read more

Subjects:  1. Flowers - General    2. Gardening / Horticulture    3. Gardening/Plants    4. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    5. Bonsai    6. FICTION - FICTION TRD PB    7. Shrubs & trees   

Reviews (2)

Comprehensive coverage for beginners to experts
This text was the one i'd been searching for so long. I've purchased a dozen bonsai books over the years and finally found Koreshoff's book. It's straight foreward, simple, and explains so many things i'd been confusedabout that other bonsai books don't touch on like the philosophical purposeof the shapes of trees. Bottom line is this: you can get many bonsai booksand get close to what Koreshoff has done, or you can purchase hers and bedone. You won't regret it.

A compendium of practical and innovative bonsai techniques.
With few color photographs but many excellent line drawings and lucid writing, the author covers all the essentials.The techniques presented are both practical and innovative.The chapters on shaping, soil, and styling are exceptional.Only Naka's two volume set rivals this publication. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gardening / Horticulture    2. Japanese Gardens - Bonsai    3. Shrubs & trees    4. Bonsai    5. Gardening    6. Gardening/Plants