Bonsai: The Art of Growing and Keeping Miniature Trees

This is a well written, very comprehensive book for the bonsai hobbyist. I loved the pictures and the history of the hobby. I got the Kindle version for my Fire tablet so I can enlarge the small pictures to see detail. I'm not sure how big the pictures would be in a hard copy of the book. I also liked the way the author organised the information using lists to begin the explanations. Personally, although I enjoy reading about bonsai I have to say that I actually learned more from watching You Tube videos. Maybe it is the reinforcing of the information by seeing it done and reading about it but I definitely need both mediums to understand how to actually plant, trim, and wire a plant to make a miniature tree.

Enjoyed reading this excellent book by Peter Chan. The book is an older one, but the few somewhat dated pictures doesn't change any of the valuable information that Mr. Chan passes along. Lots good pictures of beautiful Bonsai trees! Great for Bonsai lovers, those practiced or just starting out. Lots of techniques, ideas and inspiration inside. Plus it makes for an interesting coffee table book as well.

Beautiful pictures with good instructions for new and old bonsai lovers. This book had helps from starting, planting, choosing the pots, trimming styles and design ideas for a bonsai garden without getting overly technical. It was a great gift.

I purchased this as I have always enjoyed Herons Bonsai videos on YouTube. I especially liked the bonsai calendar section. I did think that the pictures could have been a higher quality, but I expect they were photos of the book. A great read for beginners and experianced persons! Carl in Dover DE

Great information

I'm new to the Bonsai world. They are no places around where I live that teach Bonsai art. So, I decided to buy a book and learn myself. First book I bought (The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Bonsai by Ken Norman) left me wanting more. There's a lot of great pictures but that's about it. All the techniques weren't explained very well. So I went on Amazon and bought another book, Bonsai (101 Essential Tips) by Harry Tomlinson. This one is a short book about how to create your first Bonsai. It works well if you just want to make "a bonsai". I actually could recommend this one. However, I wanted to make more than just "a bonsai". I want to create "The Bonsai", I decided I needed to read more than one book about Bonsai trees. That's were this book "Bonsai: The Art of Growing and Keeping Miniature Trees" by Peter Chan comes into play. I honestly can say that this felt like being educated at a higher level into making competition level Bonsai trees. Feels like sitting down at school and learning the history, meaning, and techniques of creating beautiful Bonsai trees. I can't say that this is "The Only" bonsai book that you need, simply because no one becomes a master at anything by just reading "One" book. You will probably need to read several books, look at videos over the internet, join blogs and practice with a lot of trees. But this book will definitely help you to get there. 100% Recommended.

As a beginner to bonsai, this book has a wealth of knowledge that has made the hobby feel much more rewarding and much easier to understand. Peter Chan’s books and YouTube channel both are insanely insightful! 100% satisfied with my purchase and have ordered his other books as well! Thank you!

I am enjoying learning Bonsai by using this book plus watching Peter Chan on Herons Bonsai. Between his book and the videos I'm feeling confident to prune and repot my Bobsai.

Bought this for my mother. She absolutely loves it. The information is easy to read, the history inserts are great and the photos are inspiring. Thank you.

Peter Chan’s You Tube enthusiasm for bonsai carries through in this superbly illustrated volume. Lots of tips to save time and money as well as putting bonsai into perspective. Specific step by step pictured instructions for the neophyte. Lists and opinions on different plants. Even in paperback this book looks good, superb cover shot. Deborah Koreshoff my other bonsai volume is a lot more flowery

I have bought several books now on Bonsai and this is the ONLY one I would recommend, the others were just horrendous with little to know structure and huge font just to fill out the pages. This book on the other hand is full of information and techniques laid out in an easy to follow method. If you are interested Peter has an excellent youtube channel too.

Good book, to take your bonsai knowledge a little beyond beginner level, not perhaps for people who are already quite proficient in the art. Great for amateurs to learn a little more.

What a wonderful little book this truly is! As a beginner I've purchased several books about Bonsai / PenJing but sadly been a little disappointed with the details concerning important information about timing and methods of growing etc. This slim volume was the shortest and the cheapest of my purchases, and has the most comprehensive explanations, not only of what and how, but also the species of plant on which the method works best, as well as those on which it might not. Even a short browse through the content of text and photos I had a clearer idea of what tools I would need and when to prepare. If you are a bonsai beginner I recommend this book without any hesitation (& thank you Peter Chan)