The Taikan-Ten International Bonsai Exhibition in Kyoto, Japan

The Taikan Ten Exhibition

The building is just down the street from the famous Heian Shrine, well known for a large and impressive tori gate. This exhibition is perhaps the second largest and most prestigious bonsai exhibition in Japan. I particularly like this show because it features displays. Both bonsai, suiseki and art objects are formally displayed, many with scrolls. This is not the common traditional bonsai exhibition. There were a few contemporary displays as well in good taste too.The Taikan-ten is one of Japan's leading Bonsai exhibitions, with an incredibly high level of Bonsai trees on display. It takes place each year in November, in the city of Kyoto Japan. The Taikan-ten is one of the few traditional shows that features Bonsai in displays, with scrolls and suiseki. But several contemporary displays can be found as well. The best of the show is awarded the Prime Minister Award and some of the Bonsai masterpieces may reach easily 160thousand dollars. If you are interested in the Japanese marketplace, ZenPlus offers Japanese craftsmanship and represents unparalleled craftsmanship.

The entrance of Bonsai Taikan exhibition in Kyoto Japan

Source: Julian Tsai & Bonsai Empire

Source: Julian Tsai & Bonsai Empire

An interesting fact is although all the bonsai are beautiful, not all are of the high Kokufu Bonsai Exhibition quality. Professional bonsai artists nominate the bonsai for entry. There are two general sizes of display and I believe the entry fee is US $500 and $1,000 per display areas. The trees are classified by size, large, medium and small, and by type, evergreen, deciduous, satsuki, shohin bonsai, literati, forest and rock plantings. The suiseki are classified as those in water basins, daiza bases and figure stones. Most of the Bonsai exhibitions are in Autumn, that is when the Bonsai trees manifest their true beauty on display. 

Source: Julian Tsai & Bonsai Empire

 Source: Julian Tsai & Bonsai Empire

Source: Julian Tsai & Bonsai Empire

Interesting Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe to this blog and leave your message on the comment section below. Remember, good feedbacks or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

Lighting for Indoor Bonsai and House Plants

Trees and plants have something in common, the location of your indoors and outdoors is crucial for it's survival and health in general. Both love bright spots but having said that it's just scratching on the tip of the iceberg. We can ask ourselves, why do certain trees reach centuries of lifespan and look healthy and thriving whereas others don't? Although the success of growing a Bonsai is not all about location, it's certainly an important aspect. An additional factor plays the species of your Bonsai, especially if it originates from a subtropical climate or otherwise. A tree in India might thrive better than equally in Europe or America and vice versa. 

Different strokes for different folks, this rule of thumb applies not only to humans but also to plants and trees in general. Deciding on what is the best location to place your Bonsai tree can be hard, as several factors (local climate, time of year, tree species, etc.) should be taken into consideration. The best is to know what species of tree you have and to look for specific information about it.

Most outdoor trees are best placed on a bright spot, about half the day in direct sunlight, and protected from the wind. Indoor trees are best placed in a bright position as well; usually right in front of a window facing the South. Place indoor trees somewhere with a constant temperature. (See picture above) A typical indoor Bonsai can be a Ficus, Carmona or Chinese Elm whereas a typical outdoor Bonsai is a Juniper, Pine or Maple. 

Suitable amounts of light is critical for the survival and health of a plant. Low levels of light make a plant weak and susceptible to all kinds of pests and disease. Giving your plant the right 'strength' and 'colour' of light could make the difference between a vibrant or struggling bonsai... The first thing we have to do is identify the quantity of light that you’re looking at in the area that you’re going to put your bonsai. You use a little light meter for that. The light meter generally has a lux which tells you the density or intensity of light. On a good bright day, you could have around 100,000 lux outside in the bright parts of the world. In the tropical parts, maybe 6000K and on a cloudy day, it can go down to 4000 lux. On dark days, it can get even less. Indoors, the light levels vary quite significantly. The human eye can read at 198 lux, but even the plants that live in the undergrowth in the Amazon forest require at least 400 lux to survive. 

Ficus’ and other indoor plants can generally manage at that kind of light level. Bonsais, on the other hand, generally need a lot more light. 3500 – 4000 lux is a good reading to have. You need to then choose appropriate lighting for the area that you’re going to have. Sometimes you can have light that creates heat. HID – High Intensity Discharge lighting. Then there is metal halide lighting (MH) and there’s also HPS or High Pressure lighting. They use a lot of electricity for one but they also generate a lot of heat, and the other thing about this kind of light is that it’s a general spectrum, so it goes across the entire spectrum of light.

Most of the light, or 20% of the light is used by the plant. Using fluorescent light, which is the other type of light is more accurate and fluorescent lights are colour corrected. You can get very precise lighting for the plant depending on what your plant is doing, whether you want it to grow leaves and be used between 500K and 6000K. It is a blue light and then you have for flowering, you would use 2000 to 2700K which is on the red spectrum. There is a new mention in the plant light area, made from LEDS - light emitting diodes. They generally come in panels or in strips. They can be used right over the plant and sometimes, if it’s a long strip, can even put it within the plant to light up the area. It’s not advisable to run the light 24 hours a day because trees need to rest. Trees need to be dormant in the night. When you can feel the heat and light outside, that’s the best time to have your additional lighting or support lighting for the trees.

The Four Basic Things to Keep in Mind

• How to position your Bonsai
• Watering your Bonsai
• Pruning and Shaping your Bonsai
• Re-potting your Bonsai

Over watering or under-watering your Bonsai is the no. 1 Killer

These factors play a crucial role in keeping your Bonsai healthy and stimulate growth. The positioning is crucial, as your bonsai should be kept away from direct heat or draft. The lighting is ideally in an area with plenty of sunlight. In addition, Bonsai's need humidity in order to keep their soil moist. Please always remember that the path to Bonsai longevity depends on your PATIENCE and dedication.

The number one cause of most bonsai tree deaths is under-watering. Because the soil layer is so shallow, it is prone to drying out very quickly. Bonsai trees should be watered right when the top layer of soil appears dry. Depending on the type and size of your tree, as well as the type of soil you use, the frequency of watering can differ and can even be once a day. Therefore, it’s best to water each of your bonsai plants individually, instead of sticking to a routine.

When watering your bonsai tree, the main goal is to fully saturate the root system with water. To ensure proper saturation, keep watering until water escapes through the draining holes. To allow for proper draining, many bonsai trees come with a tray to collect excess water.

Over watering can also be detrimental for your bonsai tree. Symptoms of an over watered bonsai include: yellowing of leaves and the shriveling of smaller branches. If a bonsai is over watered, its roots are drowning in water and are deprived of oxygen which prevents further growth to support the tree. Over watering can also result from poor-draining soil. Although sporadic watering may seem an easy task, well it is not. An automated water drop irrigation system helps to water your bonsai sporadically. 

To ensure that you are watering your bonsai properly, you’ll need to assess your bonsai tree daily. The rule of thumb is to water as soon as the soil appears dry.

Pruning is essential for keeping bonsai trees small and for maintaining their compact shape

There are two main types of pruning: maintenance pruning and structural pruning.

Maintenance pruning strengthens the tree by encouraging new growth. By cutting away young shoots and leaves it exposes the leaves underneath to air and sunlight which further strengthens the tree and benefits its overall health.

Areas that require maintenance pruning include the branches, buds, and leaves. Pruning away branches encourages the growth of smaller branches and allows you to control the shape of your tree. Pruning buds away from branches produces a more compact leaf growth which encourages the growth of smaller leaves.

Typically, you should prune your bonsai tree when you see new growth that’s starting to morph the shape of your tree in an undesirable manner. For flowering bonsai's, pruning should take place during the spring to encourage more flowers to grow the following year.

Structural pruning is a more advanced technique that should only be done when the tree is dormant. It involves the removal of the tree’s primary structural branches and requires the skills of a professional to ensure that the tree can recover.

Another way to properly shape your bonsai tree is to wire its branches. You can control the shape and growth pattern of certain branches by wrapping a thin wire around them. Wiring is best done during winter when the leaves of the bonsai tree have fallen off. Be sure to keep an eye on the branch’s growth and remove the wire when necessary. If the branch grows too fast, it can grow into the wire and cause scarring.

TO THE STORE

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

More Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Books Review

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback's or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

"

The Oldest Bonsai Trees in the World 世界で最も古い盆栽の木

As simple as it seems, it's not that simple to discover the oldest Bonsai's on earth. These are the ones that are known to public, the youngest tree is estimated to be 300 years and above. Not only the age of these astonishingly well kept trees is a challenge but also the upkeep. Can you imagine if a 500 years old tree just dies in front of your eyes ? That would be the ultimate disaster but thank god trees are quite resistant over time. If you have trees that are older than the ones listed below, please feel free to let me know. I will be happy to include your Bonsai on this list. I firmly believe that there must be even older ones somewhere in remote areas in China. 

First and foremost before going too much into details, what makes it a Bonsai ?

A tree planted in a small pot is not a bonsai until it has been pruned, shaped, and trained into the desired shape. Bonsai are kept small by careful control of the plant's growing conditions. Only branches important to the bonsai's overall design are allowed to remain and unwanted growth is pruned away. Roots are confined to a pot and are periodically clipped. Bonsai may have a stylized or exaggerated form, but it is always reflective of the tree as found in nature. The appearance of old age is prized, and in fact, bonsai may live to be hundreds of years old. The living bonsai will change from season to season and from year to year requiring pruning and training throughout its lifetime. As time goes on, it will become more and more beautiful.

Bonsai, which is the Japanese art of growing small trees in containers, dates back to about the 6th century BCE. During this time period, Imperial embassy personnel and Buddhist students would travel to China and bring back container plantings called penjing (the ancient art of depicting artistically formed trees and landscapes in miniature).

One of the hallmarks of the art of bonsai is that with proper care, a tree can survive for many years and be passed down as a family heirloom. The following list covers the seven oldest bonsai trees in the world and their storied pasts.

Chabo-hiba Cypresses

Estimated: 275 years old
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA

Source: bark.com

The Chabo-hiba Cypresses are a part of the Larz Anderson Collection of Japanese Dwarfed Trees at Harvard University’s Arnold Arboretum. Anderson, who served as an ambassador to Japan brought back a large collection of bonsai trees to the U.S. in 1913. After his death, his widow Isabel Anderson donated 30 plants to the Arnold Arboretum with the rest of the trees added to the collection after Isabel’s death in 1949.

The jewels of the collection are the six Chabo-hiba (hinoki cypress) trees, ranging in age from 150 – 275 years old. These trees are the oldest still living bonsai trees in America.

Yamaki Pine
395 years old
Location: Washington D.C., USA

Source: National Geographic

In recent years, the Yamaki Pine has become one of the most famous bonsai trees in the world as its true history was uncovered in 2001. The bonsai tree, which has been residing in the U.S. National Arboretum, was donated to the United States by Masaru Yamaki in 1976 as a 53-specimen gift for the country’s bicentennial and is a survivor of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan during World War II.

The National Arboretum was unaware of the bonsai tree’s history until two of Yamaki’s grandchildren came to check up on the tree in 2001. Yamaki’s grandchildren provided the museum with the tree’s history and even told them that there was news footage taken at the Yamaki Nursery after the blast showing the tree unharmed in the background.

In 2015, the National Arboretum honored the tree’s history as it was the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing.

Sandai Shogun no Matsu
500 years old

Location: Tokyo, Japan

The Sandai Shogun no Matsu, which is a five-needle pine, is one of the National Treasures of Japan. The bonsai is thought to be over 500 years old and is named for Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. Iemitsu had the tree when it was already about 200 years old and since then, the bonsai has been passed down from emperor to emperor.

This bonsai tree has been cared for by Japan’s emperors for over 500 years and today, the Sandai Shogun no Matsu is displayed in the Tokyo Imperial Palace collection.

The Atami Red Pine Bonsai

600 years old

Location: Atami, Japan

Yes, Bonsai can be large trees too. The red pine bonsai located at the Akao Herb & Rose Garden is not only one of the oldest bonsai trees, but it is believed to be the largest bonsai in the world. The tree is over 16 feet tall and over 30 feet wide and while its size is atypical for a bonsai, the red pine still qualifies as a bonsai tree as it is contained in what can technically be considered a pot.

The tree is so massive that a support had to be added in order to hold up one of its main branches.

The Shunkaen Bonsai Tree

800 years old

Location: Shunkaen nursery, Tokyo, Japan

Source: Bonsai Empire

The Shunkaen Bonsai Musuem, which is owned and operated by Kunio Kobayashi, is home to two of the oldest bonsai trees in the world, both of which are estimated to be over 800 years old.

Kunio Kobayashi is a bonsai master who has been practicing the art for over 30 years. Kobayashi opened the Shunkaen Bonsai Museum in 2002 to help spread Japanese culture, especially the art of bonsai and to exhibit the work done by him and his apprentices.

The Mansei-en Juniper Bonsai 

1000 years old

Location: Omiya, Japan

Source: Bonsai Empire

The 1,000 year old Juniper bonsai tree is located in the Mansei-en bonsai nursery which is owned by the Kato family. The Juniper tree was collected from the wilds of Japan and tested to be over 1,000 years old.

Mansei-en is one of six famous bonsai gardens that make up the Omiya Bonsai Village – it is the oldest garden located in the village as the Kato family has owned this garden since the 19th century and it was officially opened to the public in 1925. The garden is also home to old bonsai trees, including a 700-year-old Shimpaku Juniper tree (which can be seen in a picture on the website linked in this paragraph).

The Ficus Bonsai 

1200 years old

Location: Parabiago, Italy

Source: Bonsai dilettante

The Ficus retusa Linn, which is found at the Crespi Bonsai Museum in Italy, is believed to be the oldest existing bonsai tree in the world at an estimated 1,000 years old. Luigi Crespi, the founder of the Crespi Bonsai Musuem, spent ten years trying to gain ownership of the bonsai tree and he succeeded in 1986.

The tree had previously been previously taken care of and shaped by Chinese masters and during its first years in Italy it was shaped by Japanese bonsai master Shotaro Kawahara. Crespi and Alberto Lavazza have since been taking care of the tree. Once the Crespi Bonsai Museum was founded in 1991, the tree was placed in a glass pagoda and became the centerpiece of the museum.

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

More Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Books Review

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback's or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

Hòn non bộ Bonsai for peace, happiness and tranquility in Vietnam

Please correct me if I am wrong, but this article tries to be as accurate as possible on how Bonsai culture was introduced to Vietnam. In fact, as a visitor you can admire Bonsais in almost every town Hòn non bộ. Your comments and suggestions on Bonsai culture in Vietnam are welcome in this blog!

Classic Bonsai Stamp, Ficus Glomerata

Hòn means Island, Non means Mountain, and Bô means a combination of water, mountain range and forest, or it can also mean "imitating the way the scenery looks in miniature" in Vietnam. North and South, both parts of Vietnam share the same passion of styling, modeling and taking care of wonderful Bonsai masterpieces. 

The Vietnamese version of Bonsai is called ''Hòn non bộ'' which mainly focuses on depicting landscapes of islands and mountains, usually in contact with water, and decorated with live trees and other plants. Like water and land penjing, hòn non bộ specimens can feature miniature figures, vehicles, and structures.

Growing bonsai trees (Japanese: tree in a pot) is very much a part of Vietnamese culture and as popular today as it ever was, particularly among the elderly. Many may wonder why a Japanese term is used to describe the art, but the word bonsai derived from the Chinese (pen zai). The art of planting trees in pots first began in China then spread to surrounding countries, including Vietnam and Korea. Vietnamese Bonsai are becoming more popular than ever, especially in todays modern times with countless information provided by the Internet and also free market access to Bonsai's.

How It Started

No official document explains when bonsai was introduced to Vietnam, but some researchers say that Fujian province somewhere in his paternal bloodline. How ever this fact remains to be officially proven. It all began in Ly Dynasty (1010-1225) and was flourishing in the ancient capital of Thang Long, now Ha Noi. In 1009, the Early Lê dynasty passed from flourish and downfall in 29 years with 3 Emperors Lê Đại Hành, Lê Trung Tông and Lê Ngọa Triều. During the Ly Dynasty, China had tremendous influence over Vietnam and both countries shared knowledge, traded goods and crafts skills and religious philosophies. In other words, China and Vietnam had an amicable relationship.

How ever, its known that the last emperor Lê Ngọa Triều died in 1009 after evil and brutal ruling in Đại Cồ Việt which made him and his dynasty becoming unpopular to civilians. The founder of the Lý Công Uan has been said to have had origins from China. Hòn Non Bộ, as well as miniature plants and rocks, are mentioned in Đoạn Truòng Tân Thanh, a thousand-page book by Nguyễn Du.

Hòn Non Bộ may be quite large and elaborate or small and simple. It was used to grace the courtyard entrance of the traditional Vietnamese home. Throughout Vietnam history, Hòn Non Bộ have been built for emperors, generals, and other important people as monuments, decorations, personal vistas, and as cultural icons. An example of Hòn Non Bộ scenery is on display at the Balboa Park, San Diego, California USA. To some, they can see the tenets of Confucianism. Others see Buddhist and Taoist beliefs. But more than that, bonsai trees and the scenes they depict are believed to bring good fortune, long life, strengthen family ties and even ensure fertility. They are magical, not just to behold, but in every sense of the word. They are the world in miniature, and all its mysteries and magic.

A classical Hon non bo Bonsai on display

The cousin of Hon non bo, a Chinese Penjing Bonsai master piece on display

Bonsai Ornaments, Chinese Shiwan (Shekwan) ware. These beautiful figurines are used to enhance landscaping

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

More Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!

The Harmony of Feng Shui & Bonsai

Bonsai and Feng Shui are two ancient practices that both represent prosperity, harmony and peace. In recent years, people have begun to combine the two practices in an effort to bring balance and beauty to the home. The history of Feng Shui dates back on 12th century and I think that this blog post would be endless writing about the entire history of Feng Shui. There are unlimited tree species that can fit perfectly in a modern style living room. The tree species can be found in following blog post --> Tree species used for Bonsai 

What Is Feng Shui?

Basically Feng Shui isn't rocket science, dont be afraid to ask questions. Any Feng Shui master that studied its principles and understands Feng Shui philosophy will be more than happy to offer guidance. 

Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that concentrates on the placement of items and arrangement of space to achieve environmental harmony. Feng, meaning wind, and shui, water, are two elements used in the practice. There is as much talk about feng shui as there is confusion about it. The range of feng shui stereotypes is very wide – from easy tips on how to move your furniture and instantly change your life to complex and often contradicting calculations for every area of your house and every action you take in life.

People turn to feng shui for all sorts of reasons – to find their life mate, attract wealth, improve health

Famous Feng Shui Book by Lillian Too

or get the winning lottery ticket.

Does all this confusion mean that feng shui is a new age fad with no power? I mean, if feng shui were a serious science and art, why there is so much confusion and contradiction about it?

Starting with 2 baguas (why on earth there are 2 baguas and which one is better?) to very different answers you’ll get to the same question; I understand why feng shui is often equated to new age mumbo jumbo and something a serious person would not even look into.

However, here is the thing – serious people do look into it, and they do get results. I have many clients who are anything but “new age junkies” and they achieved great results by applying feng shui. So what is feng shui and why is it so difficult to understand it?

Well, for one, feng shui is a very, very old art and science. Its history goes back thousands of years. That is really, really old, which means really, really easy to misinterpret.

Because feng shui is such an ancient body of knowledge, it has also been fully “steeped” in cultural stereotypes. This makes it very important to distinguish between the culturally specific expressions of energy and the very essence of any given form of energy.

For example, when I think of a lifelong love partnership, I can come up with many images, none of them being the Mandarin ducks (the traditional feng shui representation of love & marriage). This is because I have no cultural or emotional connections to this image.

However, for many Chinese people the image of Mandarin ducks will genuinely speak of devoted love because there is strong cultural lore connected to this image. So, approaching feng shui in an intelligent way and with a good dose of healthy discrimination is the cornerstone of successful feng shui work.

Ok, so what is feng shui?

Feng shui is part of the complex Taoist body of knowledge that includes the field of traditional Chinese medicine (acupuncture, use of herbs, etc), energy work such as Qi Gong, Tai Chi; Chinese astrology and other disciplines from the wide field of philosophical knowledge related to the I Ching, Tao Te Ching and other ancient Taoist works.

In itself, feng shui is composed of many schools. It started with the Landscape School (which studies the landforms and their influence on human health and well-being) and then branched out into many different schools – the Flying Star (Xuan Kong), the Eight Mansions (East/West), the Four pillars (Ba Zhi), etc.

Basically, various feng shui schools that deal with either the time or the space dimensions (or both). The youngest feng shui school is the Western school based on the BTB feng shui school brought to US in mid-eighties.

History aside (if you are curious, you can read my articles on how feng shui started) – what is feng shui in a nutshell and why should you care? Let’s stay with this question for a bit.

Feng shui is, first and foremost, energy work. The most accurate definition of feng shui I have ever came across is of feng shui as acupuncture of the space.

Feng shui opens up powerful energy channels in your home to help it get stronger, more harmonious and powerful. This, in turns, nourishes and strengthens your own energy.

Ancient feng shui masters knew what quantum physics is telling us today – that everything around us is composed of endless energy fields connecting everything you see, feel and touch (as well as millions of things we do not see with our physical eyes).

There is really no separation between you and everything that surrounds you (that sure includes your home).

So if you want to stay healthy, happy, enjoy love and success (or whatever your definition of happy life is); your space has to support and nourish you. It has to be well suited for your energy.

Just like being in a company of a happy person makes your own energy happy, the same happens with your living (or working) space. If your space has good feng shui vibes – healthy, uplifting, loving and nourishing, you will feel supported and happy.

Everything will flow easier for you just because this is the energy you are surrounded by and nourished most often.

Compare a good feng shui house to a piece of clothing that is really wonderful in all aspects – beautiful, comfortable, made of exquisite materials, etc.

By the same token, a bad feng shui house is like wearing ill suited clothing day in, day out – imagine how this feels.

It definitely makes you feel restricted, unhappy, angry, and your energy becomes stagnant and blocked. (The reason I use the example with clothing is because houses are often called “your third skin” in feng shui, with clothing being your second skin).

Of course, it is much easier to see this dynamic with clothing than with your living or working spaces! A house can look beautiful and have really awful feng shui; and a house can also look pretty modest but have very harmonious, healthy feng shui energy.

History Of Feng Shui in brief

Evidence shows that the practice dates back to around 4000 BC, when the doors of many Chinese homes were aligned to certain patterns of stars that appeared following the winter solstice. Early practitioners of Feng Shui used astronomy in this manner to identify correlations between the universe and humans. Other ancient sites confirm that the practice was used throughout the country in building construction.

Feng Shui became more popular during the 12th century, when China was ruled by the Song Dynasty. Historians believe the practice surged at the time due to its connections with Confucianism, the era’s dominant philosophy. The practice saw resurgence in the 19th century when the Chinese government published official charts and diagrams to promote Feng Shui.

Some aspects of Feng Shui inspired environment

Bonsai is displayed at the right hand corner of the open space room

Modern style meeting room with Bonsai tree in full display

Small living room with Bonsai placed in the middle. Some may like it, some may not.

The kind of bathroom I would love to have

Theories Of Feng Shui

Feng shui theories today mainly work with the goal to arrange the environment made by humans in certain spots known to have good Qi. In order to find this spot, it should be the right location and an axis in time-based on the accepted theories. In order to understand it better, here are some of the theories that feng shui has been known to uphold in its practice.

Qi

The Qi, pronounce as “chi”, is a difficult word to understand and is usually left as it is, without translation. In the most literal sense, the word means “air”. In today’s feng shui, Qi is similar to the word “energy”. A more traditional explanation of Qi as it relates to an understanding of local environments, the orientation of buildings, and the interaction between the land the vegetation and the soil quality. An instrument that is used to determine the flow of Qi is the luopan.

The theory of Qi stems from the different beliefs from the Axial Age. One such belief holds that the heavens influence life on Earth. This may seem outrageous to some people, but scientists today now know that space weather exists and can affect some technology such as GPS, power grids, communication and navigation systems, etc. and the internal orienting faculties of even birds and other creatures.

Polarity

Polarity is another theory used in the practice of feng shui. It is expressed in feng shui as the Yin and Yang Theory. Polarity that is expressed through yin and yang can be compared to a bipolar magnetic field. It is made up of two forces- one creating a force and one receiving it. Yang is the force acting and yin is receiving. This interaction is considered as an early understanding of Qirality. The Yin Yang Theory and connected to another theory called the Five Phase Theory or Five Element Theory.

The so-called “five elements” of feng shui are water, wood, fire, earth or soil, and metal. These elements are said to be composed of yin and yang in precise amounts. The interaction between the two forces became the foundation for the practice of feng shui and how it is said to strive to achieve balance.

Bagua

The two ancient diagrams that are known as the Bagua are common fixtures in the practice in feng shui. They can be compared to the cardinal points of the compass today. The bagua diagrams are also linked with the sifang or “four directions” method of divination that was popularly used during the Shang dynasty although the sifang is considered to be much older.

It was also known to be used at Niuheliang as well as a big fixture in the Hongshan culture’s practice of astronomy. And it is in this area of China that can be connected to Huangdi, who was also known as the Yellow Emperor. It was Huangdi who was known to have invented the south-pointing spoon.

The cardinal directions that contained in the bagua diagram are said to be determined by the marker-stars of the mega-constellations known as the Four Celestial Animals. The East is considered to be the Blue Green Dragon. The South is the Red Bird. The West is also known to be the White Tiger while the North stood for the Dark Turtle.

These feng shui theories also loom large even in today’s practice of trying to achieve a good balance in the environment as well as the lives of people.

An Introduction To Feng Shui’s Guidelines

The following guidelines represent basic foundational aspects of Feng Shui and can be applied to any dwelling, landscape, or environment.

Clutter should be eliminated as much as possible.

There should be a clear line of sight from chair positions to door entrances.

Straight lines and sharp corners should be avoided where people rest.

Curved and twisted roads are often used to confuse and eliminate evil spirits.

The power of reflection and redirection can be harnessed by strategically placing crystals, wind chimes, and mirrors around the home.

What Is Bonsai?

Bonsai is an ancient Asian practice that involves creating miniature tree specimens. Both an art and a science, Bonsai combines aesthetic beauty with natural plants. To successfully grow and care for a Bonsai, growers must have patience and appreciate the plant’s essential spirit.

What Is The Connection Between Bonsai And Feng Shui?

Feng Shui is all about fostering harmony and balance. In a similar manner, Bonsai trees are trained to

grow in shapes that represent natural balance. The trees can be grown in many styles, including cascading, upright, group and forest styles. Each of these styles brings a certain harmony to the tree.

Feng Shui supports the addition of plants in the home, including Bonsai trees. When placed in an office setting, the trees are believed to bring luck. This is especially true of plants placed in the room’s east, south-east or south corners. Bonsai trees can also be used to soften sharp lines and promote air flow through dead spaces.

Bonsai trees also bring the important element of wood into the home in a natural way. According to Feng Shui, wood is one of the five elements of life. As such, wood influences the flow of qi and is believed to have healing properties.

Plants, including Bonsai trees, can be a good indicator of the type of energy present in a certain environment. Plants are far more sensitive than humans when it comes to environmental energy. If your Bonsai tree dies, replace it with another tree in the same space. The death of the second tree usually indicated negative energy in the area.

When the principles of Feng Shui are applied to Bonsai, the result is a balanced natural landscape that in turn can bring balance to the surrounding environment. Bonsai trees are a practical way to bring both nature and the positive energy associated with Feng Shui into the home.

More Bonsai articles can be found here:

Please click here for more information on --> Chinese Penjing Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Origins of Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> The Art of Saikei Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Japanese Tanuki Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> How to Water a Bonsai

Please click here for more information on --> Bonsai Healing Methods

Thank you for visiting my blog and feel free to subscribe or leave your message at the comment section below. Please always remember, good feedback's or bad remarks, it doesn't matter!