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Bonsai Life Histories

by Martin Treasure

ISBN 1-55209-615-7
144 pages, 8 3/4" x 9 1/2" x 1/2"; 300 full color photos, 25 line drawings, index; Paperback.

Bonsai Life Histories is a detailed absorbing insight into the transformation of original plant material into exquisite bonsai trees. These 50 dramatic stories show how one bonsai expert has created "something out of nothing," recording the life histories of over 50 trees, both in photographs and descriptions that reveal the rewarding process of tending bonsai to maturity.

• This instructive and useful book also includes information on:
• origins of bonsai
• getting started
• what makes a good/bad bonsai
• bonsai style
• styling, pruning, refinement
• tools, repotting, watering, feeding
• training techniques
• finding suitable plants
• seasonal planner
• guide to pruning and maintenance tasks through the year
• bonsai in the garden
• displaying bonsai
• exhibiting bonsai
• pests and diseases
• glossary of terms

Bonsai expert Martin Treasure reveals a wealth of technical and horticultural knowledge and demonstrates his technique in bringing out the personalities of individual trees. Even non-enthusiasts will be intrigued by the stories.

About the author
Martin Treasure has been interested in bonsai since his teens, when he joined several bonsai societies and began attending exhibitions, specialists nurseries and gatherings of bonsai devotees. He was encouraged by many of the eminent names in the bonsai world, who recognized his talent, vision and individuality. Soon, his trees were to be seen at national and international exhibitions and at the Chelsea Flower Show, where in 1995 and 1996 he had a total of 12 trees on the Federation of British Bonsai Societies stand, which won a Silver Gilt Medal. He began giving lectures, all the while building a unique photographic record of the development of the trees in his collection, spanning over 15 years.