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Although bonsai is an ancient oriental art, it is just as relevant to today's Western culture as it was in the East, when it originated in China over 2000 years ago.

People everywhere have always had an affinity with nature, and people everywhere feel the urge to represent these things in the form of art. In painting, poetry, music and sculpture. In this high-tech era, this kind of empathy with our natural surroundings is even more important, helping us relax and unwind. What better way do this, and to pay homage to mother nature's most magnificent creations, than through the venerable art of bonsai?

The principles of bonsai are simple to learn and very easy to apply. For example, we all keep plants in pots, on our balconies, patios and even in our living rooms; there's nothing new about hat. We prune our shrubs, clip our hedges and fashion some plants into the recognizable shapes of birds or animals. Nothing new there either!

The only thing that makes bonsai different from any other form of horticulture is that it involves creating a miniature image of a larger tree, and keeping it that way, in a container that is shallower than usual. The only thing that makes it different from any other art form, is that the medium we work with is alive and constantly changing.

Bonsai involves no magic potions, no special philosophy, and no degree in oriental studies. All it requires is a woody plant, a pot, a handful of basic tools, and a few years' patience. Think you can manage that? Of course!

Read this book, try out the techniques for yourself (if you kill a few trees, don't worry - we've all done that!). Above all, have fun - that's what bonsai is all about.