Those little trees with the matured and seemingly put-on roots around them are aptly called bonsai. They make for a very good indoor or outdoor décor for any home or commercial establishment. Every person who sees a bonsai will probably wonder whether they created by nature as such or if they are a product of the creative hands of man.



Bonsai is a Japanese word which refers to a tree placed in a tray, much like the way the modern bonsai plants look like. It is not just enough that an ideal tree species is chosen and dwarfed but the container where it is grown also adds to its value.

Bonsai growing usually starts as a hobby until a person gets enough experience and expertise in bonsai making to make his hobby a business. Bonsai growing is much like gardening but the difference lies in the skills necessary to produce the dwarfed trees.

The trees are dwarfed by regularly pruning the branches as well as the roots of the tree. A little bit of shaping and tugging is also necessary to keep the bonsai in the desired shape.

Bonsai growing is a painstaking hobby because a person can not produce beautiful bonsai trees in a day or two. A bonsai grower must wait for a long period, sometimes years to see the beauty of his creation come to life.

There are basically five bonsai styles which include the formal upright style, the informal upright style, slanting, cascade and semi-cascade style. These basic bonsai styles can already produce beautiful bonsai trees but growers are looking for more advanced styles to keep up with the growing demand for bonsai.

Bonsai growing is so dynamic that growers have developed advanced styles of bonsai trees. The advanced styles of growing bonsai however get their inspiration from the basic bonsai styles.

One of the advanced bonsai styles is known as Fukinagashi or what is commonly known as the windswept style. This style aims to personify the effects of nature through the bonsai design. The

The Bankan or Twisted style aptly follows the shapes taken by a dragon as the style seems to have gotten inspiration from the Chinese. Bonsai trees following this style may look like a roaring dragon or other forms taken by the dragon.

The Bunjin or Literati style of pruning bonsai is the simplest of the advanced styles of bonsai growing.

Growing bonsai can be therapeutic but it can also be a good money-making venture. The hobbyist should keep himself abreast of the latest bonsai styles so he will be able to present new designs to his clients. Bonsai growing basically stems from love of plants but somehow, it is also tied up with creativity and patience