BONSAI

This was at one time, the most commonly ask of all questions, but, since the Karate Kid was first shown, the frequency with which this question gets asked has decreased a little bit..Bonsai is literally a plant, (usually a tree or shrub) grown in a tray, or dish. The first plants grown in pots were in Egypt about  4000 years ago, mostly for practical reasons, mobility, and  convenience. The Greeks, Babylonians, Persians, and Hindus  copied the technique. The Chinese were the first to plant  trees in pots for aesthetic purposes about 200 AD. It then  moved to Japan with the monks that also brought Buddhism in the 6th and 7th centuries. This data is supported in essence  by a scroll from Japan's Kamakura period (1192-1333), in a   scroll describing life in the Heian period (794-1191).

Bonsai as we now know it was perfected in Japan. The original bonsai trees were usually collected, dwarfed  by nature. Today, however, it is probably better to allow such   specimens to stay where they are. In many locations collecting them in the wild is against the law. In others the chance of  finding a suitable specimen is almost zero. Over the years, techniques have evolved which allow the  grower to change the height and direction of growth, and in  some cases to dwarf the foliage as well as the plant. Today,  bonsai is an art form, a living sculpture. There are certain classic or traditional forms that can be found and followed,  but the basic rule of thumb for personal bonsai is 'If you  like the way it looks, it's a good bonsai'.

Main Page -  What is Bonsai? - Dictionary of Japanese bonsai terms - Dictionary of Latin Botanical Terms