Hard Cover, 423 pages. Comprised of 2 parts: I Design and Technique that covers all aspects of growing and caring for Bonsai, and II Bonsai by Species, a guide to the requirements of all the important genuses of Bonsai including species specific information.
Advantages: Well organized, written, and well referenced. The closest thing to a textbook on Bonsai there is. A must have for the library.
Disadvantages: No color photos. Some of the B&W are poor images. No guidance on how to style by pruning. No examples of Bonsai advancement except for Chinese grow and clip method.
Soft Cover, 220 pages, $24.95. An early and superior book with 8 chapters; Introduction, Propagation, Potting and Repotting, Training, Rock and Group Plantings, Care of Bonsai, Pests, and Judging and Exhibiting Bonsai. Some poor quality color photos. Mostly B&W but some truly excellent and well known Bonsai can be seen here (Some are from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens). Should be in every serious hobbyist's library.
Advantages: The words of a truly great Bonsai master and some great Bonsai shown. A must have for the library.
Disadvantages: Photos are of very poor quality, mostly B&W. Text can be tedious to read.
Hard Cover, 108 pages. Comprised of 9 chapters. Book is based on over 50 Japanese books published by Shufunotomo. The "Essentials" is the right title for this book as its text is boiled down to the essence of growing Bonsai. No-nonsense text - a lot packed in to this short book. Color photos of excellent Bonsai.
Advantages: Truly a Best Buy. Good photos, good text.
Disadvantages: Should have been longer.
Paperback, 144 pages, $14.00. 9 chapters. Contains a color photo gallery of some very old and fine Bonsai. Many B&W photos. Some well known Bonsai are used throughout the text. Text is thorough and has good illustrations covering most important topics. Appendix contains a chart of activities and timing of procedures for most species.
Advantages: Inexpensive and complete. A Best Buy.
Disadvantages: Paperback. B&W photos are not very clear.
Paperback, 121 pages, $6.95. Surprising little book, some nice color photos, well illustrated and clear text. A lot of bang for the buck.
Advantages: Inexpensive and pretty complete.
Disadvantages: Too short, should be expanded into a longer hardcover book. Some of the Bonsai shown could be better.
Soft Cover, 120 pages, $12.95. Unusual early (1964) book by a great master. Amusing translations and unusual format. Has a Q&A section that answers such questions as "What are the merits of Bonsai?" Extensive discussion from a true master's mouth on the care and training of 17 Bonsai species and brief descriptions of many more.
Advantages: A book worth hunting down (can be found at Tuttle: Rutland, Vermont) but may be hard to find. Unusual and a collectible for any serious Bonsai hobbyist.
Disadvantages: Probably hard for a beginner to follow.
Pocket Book. 62 pages, $5.95. Miniature book on miniature Bonsai (Mame Bonsai) by a famous Japanese comedian. Compact, short, but surprisingly complete little book on growing "Mame" style Bonsai. Many very nice Mame Bonsai, including some surprising material as Bonsai (e.g. dandelion).
Advantages: Short but good text with good drawings and every other page a Mame Bonsai example, many very nice.
Disadvantages: Restricted to Mame style. Tiny book 4" X 6".
Paperback, 127 pages, $9.95. This book has 8 sections on: Historical Background, What is a typical Bonsai?, How to Grow a Bonsai, Training a Bonsai, Buying a Bonsai, How to look after Bonsai, Recognition and Control of Pests, and a Table on Care and Training. Nice little book covering many aspects of Bonsai in little over 100 pages. Some good color photos of some nice Bonsai. Good diagrams of techniques. Has a good pinching and pruning guide for a number of typical Bonsai species.
Advantages: Inexpensive. A lot of bang for the buck. A Best Buy.
Disadvantages: Short. Limited number of color photographs.
Paperback, 77 pages, $7.95. A compilation of 23 essays on various Bonsai subjects by leading American growers of Indoor Bonsai (e.g. Derderian, Stowell, Alstadt, Okamura, Naka, Ballard). Topics range from Mame Bonsai, to wiring, Light Gardens, Kingsville Box, Ficus, Myrtle, Camellias and Gardenias, and Herbs and Succulents. Has a suggested list of plants suitable for Indoor Bonsai.
Advantages: Inexpensive. Good range of topics covered by leading American Indoor Bonsai growers. Worth having for Indoor Bonsai fans.
Disadvantages: Essays are short but complete.
Paperback, 89 pages, $7.95. A compilation of 30 essays on various Bonsai subjects by leading American and Japanese growers (e.g. Perry, Hull, Murata, Yashiroda, Kawamoto, Nakamura). Topics include soils, wintercare, Forest Bonsai, Stone-clasping Bonsai, and wiring technique. Some color photos.
Advantages: Inexpensive. Wide range of topics covered by leading Bonsai growers. Color photos of some outstanding specimens from the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens collection.
Disadvantages: Essays are short; some only one page. But topics are covered better here than in most books.
Paperback, 97 pages, $7.95. A compilation of 16 essays on various Bonsai subjects by leading Japanese growers (e.g. Yoshimura, Yashiroda, Nakamura) Topics include how to repot, miniature Bonsai, Bald Cypress Bonsai, Wisteria Bonsai, Yeddo Spruce, Satsuki Azalea, and Zelkova Bonsai. Has a suggested list of plants suitable for Bonsai.
Advantages: Inexpensive. Good range of topics covered by leading Japanese Bonsai growers. Worth having.
Disadvantages: Essays are short but topics are covered better here than in most books.
Paperback. A very well written short book on the art and cultivation of Bonsai by the publishers of Sunset Books. Many color photos of some excellent to very nice Bonsai. Many are from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden collection. A great beginner's book.
Advantages: Inexpensive. Very well written and well organized. Has a seasonal care chart for various Bonsai chores for a large number of species.
Disadvantages: Not as detailed as other texts.
Hard Cover, 288 pages, $35.00. Book begins with 73 pages of excellent color photos of some excellent Chinese and Japanese Bonsai. Profusely illustrated with excellent color photos of Bonsai, gardens, etc. Excellent color photo step by step guide to Bonsai techniques.
Advantages: Good color photo illustrations. Includes a section on plant physiology missing in most Bonsai books.
Disadvantages: The author appears in too many of the photos. A borderline vanity/coffee table book. Expensive.
Hard Cover, 194 pages, $27.95. Has 7 chapters and 6 appendices. Complete, well illustrated, but not extensive text. Text is short; topics are covered in 4-5 paragraphs. Illustrations to procedures are well drawn and clear. Some good color photos of some good Bonsai.
Advantages: Basic beginner's text. Clear, easy to understand instruction.
Disadvantages: Treatment of subject matter is superficial. Photo quality is not great.
Paperback, 208 pages. 14 chapters. Concise, well written book on Indoor Bonsai. List of Indoor Bonsai species gives 1-2 pages of cultural information on 29 plants commonly grown as Indoor Bonsai. Good color photos of some nice Indoor Bonsai. Some Bonsai pictured are of inferior quality. Short but clear sections on watering, potting, etc.
Advantages: Good reference for Indoor Bonsai species cultural information.
Disadvantages: Only addresses Indoor Bonsai.
Hard Cover, 160 pages. Comprised of 6 chapters all primarily devoted to styles, growing material, and styling technique. Chapter 5 is solely on the Scots Pine; a favorite of the author.
Advantages: Detailed info on how to style & develop a design, good drawings & photos, some color and some B&W. More stress on the "art" than most books.
Disadvantages: Advanced book on design; beginners will be lost. No species specific advice. Styling and pruning advice is general in nature. No info on plant physiology or science including the all important info on soil composition.
Paperback, 144 pages, $14.95. Comprised of 3 sections: Basic Horticultural Technique, The Basic Styles, and Cultivation and Shaping of Specific Species. A very brief guide esp. the 3rd section.
Advantages: A good guide to basic design with many line drawings.
Disadvantages: Not a complete guide - a good supplement to a beginners text. A few color photos. Very little discussion on cultivation in general.
Paperback, 95 pages, $8.95. Comprised of 5 sections: Basic Styles, Sources of Bonsai, The Bonsai Process, Bonsai Data, and a Conclusion. Brief but wordy discussions of each topic. Data section is a very brief genus to genus guide.
Advantages: Inexpensive. Some good line drawings.
Disadvantages: Not a stand alone help at all. Money would be better put toward a more complete text.
Soft Cover, 128 pages, $17.95. Text focuses on the Japanese Maples, horticulture, growing techniques, and styling. There are 13 examples of Trident and Japanese Mountain maple Bonsai with discussions of their development.
Advantages: Highly specific information on the growth and design of the Japanese maples.
Disadvantages: Highly specific information on the growth and design of the Japanese maples.
Hardcover, 140 pages, $24.95. The book is broken into 2 parts: The Profiles provides horticultural information on 3 tree "groups"; Beech and Hornbeam, Elm and Zelkova, and Mixed Juniper species and Cryptomeria. Part 2 The Case Histories details the development of 16 Bonsai belonging to the author. Profiles are detailed but some of the information is strictly limited to the U.K. Case histories are informative and enlightening on tLhe development of Bonsai over 5-20 year periods.
Advantages: Some interesting information on the tree "groups". Good presentation of Bonsai development over the years. Good photos.
Disadvantages: Some info is specific to the U.K. (e.g. all profiles contain a dodge on Pests and Disease due to "a change in governmental policy" and offers no information at all. Most case histories are on trees imported from Japan and already far along in development. Information on earlier development would be more helpful.
Paperback, 40 pages. 5 chapters on propagation: By Seed, By Cuttings, By Grafting, By Layering, and an Introduction to Bonsai Art. Short book on the 4 propagation techniques commonly used for Bonsai by a leading American grower.
Advantages: Species information specific to Bonsai concerning propagation.
Disadvantages: Short and possibly out of print - hard to find.
Paperback, 255 pages, $13.95. Contains an Introduction, a guide to Styles, a guide to the Genera and a guide to Bonsai species. The Intro is fairly complete and contains a brief section on plant physiology. The Genera section describes the genuses commonly used in Bonsai including pictures of leaves, fruits and nuts. The Bonsai section lists the requirements of 124 species of Bonsai for Repotting, Pruning and Wiring, Feeding, and has a Notes section on any unusual requirements. Also has a glossary of plant terms.
Advantages: Very good color photos of each Bonsai species described. A good guide to cultural information on 124 species. A good investment.
Disadvantages: Training info is very brief. The cultural info on species is also very brief.
Pocketbook, 72 pages. A pocket guide to the National Bonsai Collection in Washington D.C. donated by the Imperial Household and citizens of Japan to America as a Bicentennial gift. 50 trees are pictured with a caption stating the size, age and donor.
Advantages: A guide to the National Bonsai Collection.
Disadvantages: No cultural information.
Hard Cover, 255 pages, Contains 10 chapters: an Introduction to the Art of Bonsai, Shaping Techniques, a Symposium on the Soil, Root Pruning, Potting and Repotting Techniques, the Care and Maintenance of Bonsai, Seasonal Color Changes in Trees, the Art of Bonsai Styling, the Art of Saikei, Bonsai Classification by Size, and Exhibiting and Judging Quality in Bonsai. Extensive wordy text heavily illustrated by the author. Chapters are heavily referenced. Many nice color photos of the author's collection. Some very nice Bonsai shown. Techniques are well illustrated by the author who is a degreed artist.
Advantages: Extensive text, very well illustrated. Includes a section on plant physiology missing in most Bonsai books.
Disadvantages: Author tends to show off her art work. Excessive use of poetry and prosaic quotations from her father, and a friend (?). References are usually articles written by her father - many unpublished. Expensive.
Hard Cover, 160 pages, $24.95. a pictorial essay on the appearance of classic and not-so-classic Bonsai and accessory plants as seen against their best seasons. Broken into 4 sections: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.
Advantages: Excellent color photos of many outstanding Bonsai. Many non-traditional but interesting plants shown as well.
Disadvantages: No culture or styling advice. Only pictures with short captions.
Hard Cover, 168 pages, $17.95. Broken into 2 parts; General Principles, and Selection of Trees Suitable for Training as Bonsai. Part 1 has excellent drawings and photos demonstrating various techniques but is only 24 pages long. Part 2 has 1-2 pages devoted to each genus used as Bonsai.
Advantages: Well Illustrated, some good examples and tree specific information.
Disadvantages: General Section is too short.
Hard Cover, 144 pages, $35.00. Consists of 8 chapters on care, purchasing, maintenance, history, creation, specific techniques, indoor Bonsai, and an abbreviated guide to the popular Bonsai genuses.
Advantages: Excellent photos of the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens Bonsai collection maintained by Frank Okamura for years. Text is well written but very basic.
Disadvantages: Expensive at $35 US and $43 Canada. More a coffee table book than a working text.
Hard Cover, 99 pages, $14.95. Contains a very brief intro to Bonsai styles and appreciation and then 73 pages of Color photos of some truly excellent Bonsai from Japan. Photos captioned with size and age info.
Advantages: An excellent book to derive inspiration and humility from. Excellent photos of some real masterpieces.
Disadvantages: No cultural information whatsoever.
Hard Cover, 255 pages. Early book with 14 chapters on the How-to of Bonsai. Some are only a few pages long. Only 4 pages of the book are devoted to Saikei and Bonkei. Procedure are well illustrated for the time.
Advantages: Easy reading basic text.
Disadvantages: Very little on Saikei and Bonkei considering the title of the book. Out-of-date text and probably out of print.
Hard Cover, 385 pages, $10?. Unique book containing photos of the author's 355 Chinese Bonsai, rocks, and rock gardens mostly in color. A scant 10 pages of text on Bonsai. Some photos are captioned with plant cultural information. Book is not for sale but can be obtained by donating $10 US and $1 seamail postage to: Office of Public Information, Hong Kong Baptist College, 224 Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. (Telephone K-374161).
Advantages: Photo guide to one of the most prominent Chinese Bonsai collections. A Bonsai hobbyist's collector's item. Very unusual book, worth having. Very inexpensive.
Disadvantages: Book reads from right to left. Very little cultural information. Should write to college to confirm price ($10 was 1979 donation price)
Soft Cover, 267 pages, $17.50. A collection of Bonsai class notes from John Naka's workshops. Not particularly organized but related topics are grouped together. Bonsai Techniques II is a continuation of these notes. A few color plates of Naka's collection.
Advantages: Detailed advice on specific aspects of Bonsai care. The notes of a master.
Disadvantages: No coherent flow to book. Intermediate level. Not a good beginner's book.
Hard Cover, 131 pages, $14.95. Comprised of 8 chapters. All around good text with some color photos of some well known and excellent Bonsai. Although there are some photos of American trees there is no discussion centering on them.
Advantages: Fairly complete text and some excellent Bonsai shown.
Disadvantages: Does not live up to its title at all unless it means: a Bonsai book with, by the way, some pictures of American Bonsai.
Hard Cover, 140 pages. Comprised of 8 chapters. Well written text and fairly complete. Extensive information on the American Apple tree but not much else. 9 other trees mentioned briefly (1-2 sentences each) Nice photos of author's collection. Many nice trees.
Advantages: Fairly complete text.
Disadvantages: Little info on American trees other than the Apple.
Soft Cover, 141 pages, $15.00. Comprised of 2 sections; Basic Techniques and Bonsai Techniques. Basic Techniques covers all the wiring, potting, pruning, etc. specific to Satsuki (variety of azalea). Bonsai Techniques covers, step by step, the creation of each style of Satsuki Bonsai (cascade, raft, etc.).
Advantages: Excellent source of information for Satsuki or Azalea as Bonsai. many excellent photos of excellent Satsuki Bonsai. Worthwhile addition to the library.
Disadvantages: Specifically for Satsuki or azalea Bonsai lovers.
Soft Cover, 69 pages. Detailed text on the growth requirements and Bonsai techniques for the Japanese five needle Pine. Very interesting info on Pines as grown in Japan as Bonsai and in the garden.
Advantages: Excellent resource for Pine lovers.
Disadvantages: Very specific to the 5 needle Pine. May be difficult to find.
Soft Cover, 97 pages. Compilation of lectures and photos of the Bonsai Clubs 73 meeting. Articles by many top American growers featured such as John Naka, Chase Rosade, Jerry Stowell, and Keith Scott.
Advantages: A lot of early info on the early work with American trees.
Disadvantages: Probably out of print and hard to find.
Hard Cover, 143 pages. Very early book on Bonsai and Bonkei. Very poor and superficial advice given on training and repotting. Many B&W photos of very poor Bonsai examples.
Advantages: Interesting as an example of what not to do in designing a Bonsai.
Disadvantages: Very superficial treatment of Bonsai.
Hard Cover, 84 pages. Comprised of 15 chapters. Disorganized collection of Bonsai procedures mostly displaying the use of various tools made by the author's company. Handful of color photos of some nice Bonsai thrown in. One chapter on the care and use of Bonsai tools not normally found in any other book.
Advantages: A lot of advice on Bonsai tool care. Many step by step instructions.
Disadvantages: Not a complete text, no info on fertilizing, virtually none on watering.
Paperback, 64 pages, $5.95. Has 8 chapters and 4 appendices. Text is very brief - some chapters are only 2 short paragraphs. Some good photos of fair Bonsai pictured.
Advantages: Inexpensive.
Disadvantages: Very superficial treatment; money would be better spent on a better book.
Soft Cover, 74 pages. Short How-to book on Bonsai and Japanese gardens. Exceedingly basic.
Advantages: Inexpensive
Disadvantages: Not very detailed. Not very good pictures of Bonsai.
Hard Cover, 64 pages. A Limited Edition (500 copies) of one of Yuji Yoshimura's student's collection and it's development over a 10 year period. Contains B&W photos of Bonsai at their creation and usually 10 years later. Some cultural information as well as historical info specific to that Bonsai.
Advantages: Shows a Bonsai as it appeared at creation and then up to 10 years later.
Disadvantages: A vanity publication. Bonsai shown are not exceptional in any way. Relatively unavailable.
Hard Cover, 208 pages, $17.95. Contains 20 chapters some only 2-3 pages long. Some chapters are not very useful such as "Photographing Bonsai". Many poor subjects are shown. Some photos are poor quality. The only good Bonsai shown were photographed at an exhibition and are not the authors. Fertilizing directions are questionable and probably untenable.
Advantages: Easy to read.
Disadvantages: Poor examples, weak text, photo quality very uneven and poor.
Hard Cover, 160 pages, $19.95. Covers mainly sources of Bonsai including a chapter of limited utility called "Bonsai from Hedges". Bonsai as described by a Chinese writer with a British accent.
Advantages: Many photos showing how to obtain Bonsai from the various propagation methods.
Disadvantages: Many Bonsai shown are of poor quality and lack the refinement seen in Japanese styled trees. Work shown could easily be achieved by an amateur/beginner in 2-3 years.
Oversized Hard Cover, 183 pages, $75.00. Coffee table book with an essay on nature by Emanuel Eckhardt(?), a picture tour through the gardens and nurseries of China and Japan and then a gallery of 62 Bonsai. A very brief discussion (4 pages) of Bonsai culture follows. Also the use of Bonsai tools not normally found in other books.
Advantages: A very pretty book. Large color photos of some very nice Bonsai.
Disadvantages: Very expensive. No real cultural information.
Hard Cover, 174 pages. Contains 12 chapters. Some good photos of procedures. The section on suitable trees gives very brief info on the various genuses. Chinese stylist not up to Japanese standards.
Advantages: Good photographic illustrations esp. techniques like potting.
Disadvantages: Very brief info. Some very poor Bonsai shown.
Hard Cover, 128 pages. Book has 2 parts: an Introduction and a Species Directory. Introduction is very brief; 12 pages. Species Directory has some very good and some very poor Bonsai shown, mostly OK but the bad are really bad. Book falls short as an identifier as it would take someone already familiar with the trees to identify them from this book's photos.
Advantages: Genus specific descriptions (brief)
Disadvantages: Very little info on horticulture or general care of Bonsai. Some poor Bonsai pictured.
Hard Cover, 128 pages, $19.95. This book is in 2 parts. Part I: Cultivation, Care, and Training has 8 chapters on the History, Care, Propagation, Training, Repotting, Special Effects, and Pests and Diseases. Part II: A - Z Selection of Tropical, Sub-Tropical, and Temperate Bonsai genuses used as Bonsai. Part I contains a guide to the different cultural requirements of Trop. vs. Sub-Trop. vs. Temperate Bonsai. Fairly well written and illustrated. Part II is a species guide to plants grown indoors as BLonsai with a description of the plant, a training guide, and watering, feeding, repotting, light positioning, and disease and pest advice.
Advantages: Specific advice on the cultural needs of some commonly grown Indoor Bonsai.
Disadvantages: Some of the poorest examples of any type of Bonsai anywhere - many are badly wire scarred and poorly pruned and potted. Should not be used as a design guide.
Hard Cover, 224 pages. Comprised of 6 chapters, Art, Creating, Species Guide, Maintenance, Propagation, and a Compendium of Trees and Shrubs. Captioned color guide to Bonsai techniques, text is at a minimum.
Advantages: Techniques and procedures are explicitly explained by excellent photographic sequences. Good species guide.
Disadvantages: Many poor subjects are shown as good examples. Ironically many of the examples suffer from the very defects the text explains how to avoid.
Paperback, 122 pages. Short book of 4 parts: I Some Decorative Plants, II Pruning and Shaping. III Root Pruning and Potting, and IV Watering, Soils, Fertilizing, and Pest Control. Part I has short discussions of Bonsai, tropical Bonsai, Herbaceous Plants, Succulents, Epiphytes, Tray Plantings and Dish Gardens, and Potted Topiary. These discussions are accompanied by a few B&W photos of mostly poor Bonsai or potted plants. Two of the photos of Bonsai are of a famous Pine at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and 2 Hinoki Cypresses at the Arnold Arboretum. But these photos do nothing to help this book. Parts II, III, and IV have brief but fairly accurate descriptions of these procedures. Procedures though are poorly illustrated or not at all.
Advantages: An early book interesting from a historical perspective only.
Disadvantages: Poor B&W photos of mostly poor Bonsai. Techniques are not illustrated. Probably out of print.
Hard Cover, 188 pages. Book has 2 parts: 1 The Fundamentals of Growing Potted Trees, 2 The Art of Growing Bonsai. Early book by an early American amateur Bonsai grower. Superficial treatment of all subjects by today's Bonsai book standards. Some of the text is frivolous.
Advantages: Interesting for a historical comparison of the advances in American Bonsai growing.
Disadvantages: Text is not very helpful. All Bonsai shown are of poor design and training esp. compared to Bonsai in America today.
Hard Cover, 63 pages. A brief description of Chinese style Bonsai and a color pictorial of Chinese Bonsai and scenes of Chinese Bonsai nurseries. Little cultural advice.
Advantages: The difference between the Chinese and the Japanese attention to detail can be clearly seen.
Disadvantages: Not a helpful guide for someone interested in starting to grow Bonsai. More like a "armchair-travel" type book.
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