Floral Design Arrangements - Your New Hobby

Ok. You are not yet convinced that growing a bonsai tree may bring you joy and pride after a couple of years (and will keep you busy in the meantime!) - in case you start off from a single seed, or sooner if you get a young bonsai and carefully follow the so-called masters' secrets.Whichever you choose, though, will surely be an accomplishment in your life.


Still, you are thinking that it is too much work, that it is not worth it. In this case, you may take up another hobby - floral arrangements - and maybe turn it into an extra income. Not only will you be surprised with your own talent, as you learn how to design the arrangements, but you will also add a positive pastime (or extra earnings) into your routine.

Bonsai Trees - How To Grow Them

After writing the post on bonsai trees, I felt compelled to grow my own bonsai. It's something I've always thought of doing but never accomplished. The reasons for this failure vary from procrastination itself (which is no good thing to do) to a feeling of being unable to properly grow and care for a bonsai tree. Unfounded excuses because, as long as you have the right information and follow the required steps, you are likely to succeed getting your bonsai.

While mine is still a seed to be sown in good soil, I admire ancient bonsai trees, carefully cultivated by Asian masters, such as the ones displayed on this page. They are all over 80 years old.

How To Grow Bonsai Trees

Originally from China, the art of bonsai was developed by the Japanese who have a special preference for bamboos (take), plum trees, cherry trees (sakura) and pine trees (matsu). The word bonsai literally means "tree in a pot" and, for the plant to be considered a bonsai it must represent the tree exactly as it is found in nature.

Growing bonsai trees may be a challenging task because it requires some special skills but, once you learn the basics and give your bonsai proper care, you will most likely feel extremely rewarded and proud of your accomplishment.

 Bonsai trees are usually more difficult to care for than the regular plants you have in your garden. This is because there are a few important details to be observed such as having the right bonsai soil (which is designed to dry out more easily than standard houseplant soil) and the right type of pot to match the size and shape of the bonsai. Besides these two, let's say, basic aspects to get started, you should be prepared to learn how to prune and when to prune your bonsai as pruning is crucial to achieving a perfected miniature. You will have to prune the roots and branches, wire the trunk and branches, and use other techniques to make the tree look like a mature tree.

Since bonsai trees are real trees, they should not be kept indoors in the winter because they need sunlight to grow, and, to keep them as healthy as possible, remember that bonsai trees require frequent small watering. Moreover, in the spring and fall, you must feed them with nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potash.

As said above, the art of bonsai may be a rewarding experience as long as you dedicate some time to learn the secrets behind successfully grown bonsai trees. Among the numerous publications on the issue, there is this one that may be just as handy to help you get started: Beautiful Bonsai Secrets.