About Bonsai

Welcome to the world of nature in miniature!

The word bonsai (pronounced "bone-sigh," with equal accent) is the combination of two expressions which translate to "tray planting." From its origins in China and earlier, the art has been developed over the centuries to its present state by the Japanese, and today finds practitioners throughout the world.

Many Western observers expect all bonsai to be hundreds of years old, and they are often disappointed when they learn a tree is not. The objective in bonsai is to create an illusion of a mature tree. This is accomplished through careful selection of material, followed by the design, development and care process. The result becomes a forest giant in miniature.

That a tree survives in a pot, grows leaves or needles, produces fruit and flowers, and maintains all of the other characteristics of a tree in nature are wonders in themselves. They need not be ancient. They are trees in containers, miniaturized through artful horticultural techniques.

While almost any suitable species of tree or shrub can be cultivated in a container, it is the art of bonsai which attempts to make a masterpiece of a small tree. It is shaped, trimmed and trained, often using wire to set branches and trunk into the desired design. The wires are removed after training is completed. Designs follow aesthetic rules which have been developed and refined over the years by the Masters.

If you would like to learn more about bonsai we invite you to join the Yama Ki Bonsai Society, where members study and learn the fundamentals of selection, potting, wiring, training and care, as well as programs designed to appeal to the advanced grower.

Meetings are held monthly, usually on the second Saturday, at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, Connecticut and occasionally at other locations. If you would like to join us, please print out and return the application form available on this site.

Please feel free to attend any meeting or outing listed in our newsletter, even before you join.