Product Description

Noted bonsai artist Herb Gustafson provides advice on styling your tree with confidence and creativity. All the major styles are covered as he shows how to bring out the tree's essential trunk inclinations. Each style comes with its own methods about how to train, including pruning with the pinch-and-grow technique, training with wire, and container considerations, (knowing when it's time to transplant, and then what to do). 112 pages (all in color), 6 1/4 x 10 1/4.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1416447 in Books
• Published on: 1997-06-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 112 pages

Customer Reviews

Maybe the wrong title.
The title to this book might suggest that it is a practical guide to technique. Only the last 13 pages, however, are actually about technique. The first 94 pages explore each of the major bonsai styles, with careful attention being given to design considerations based on comparisons to trees in nature. As such, the book is less about "keeping" your bonsai perfectly shaped as it is about planning for its shape in the first place.

My more serious criticism about this book is that the photographs (especially the author's nature shots) are small and, in some cases poorly reproduced. I found it frequently difficult to convince myself that I could see what the author wanted me to see. Many of the photographs are not referenced in the text, and some of the references appear to be wrong.

All in all, however, it is a good book value and provides a detailed examination of bonsai styling.

Helpful Design Strategies
This book focuses on design strategies for bonsai enthusiasts. It is a wonderful, brief read. Photographs of natural-setting trees were poor, however, especially printed as they are in very small format. Photos of private bonsai trees were excellent. A good place to start for strategy in design.

Not bad for "General Knowledg", but lacking in content
I found this book to fair well in the category of "General Knowledge", but thought it needed a little more content. I now know all the different styles and basic wiring techniques but fail to find many of the pitfalls to training in some of the harsher styles.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a novice and lacks general knowledge, but would warn that there is much more to learn before attempting to train a bonsai tree.