Bonsai is a Japanese word that means “container planted.” It is the art of aesthetic miniaturization. Like Feng Shui, the art of Bonsai originated in China where it was called penjing. In Western culture, the word “bonsai” is used as an umbrella term to describe most forms of bonsai.

In Japan, bonsai began thousands of years ago when growing miniature azalea and maple trees was a pastime of the wealthy. The Japanese bonsai aesthetic is centered on the principle of “heaven and earth in one container.” A bonsai is also not a true work of art unless it has been trained to grown in a way that symbolizes the virtues of truth, essence and beauty. Furthermore Japanese bonsai must look natural and as if human hands have not touched it.

Plants that are traditionally used for bonsai include pine, maple, elm, flowering apricot, Japanese wisteria, juniper, flowering cherry, azalea and larch. The plants are grown outdoors and put on display during special occasions to evoke the spiritual blessings from the forces of nature that govern the current season.

There are many different styles of bonsai cultivation –

A miniaturized tree with a straight, upright tapering trunk and the body of the foliage is always located directly over the roots, characterizes the formal style.

Slanted bonsai features a trunk that emerges from the soil at an angle.
Cascade style bonsai are modeled after trees that grow over water or on the sides of mountains and cascade over the side of the pot.
Raft style bonsai imitates a natural phenomenon that occurs when a tree that has been toppled (typically due to erosion or another natural force) forms new trunks. The roots are exposed. These all give the illusion of a group of trees, but are actually the branches of a tree planted on its side.

The literati bonsai style is characterized by an emphasis on the bare trunk line, with branches reduced to a minimum, typically placed higher up on a long, contorted trunk.

The forest bonsai style comprises a number of trees (typically an odd number if you want to be truly Japanese) planted together in a pot. The trees are usually the same species, but a variety of heights are employed to add visual interest and to reflect the age differences encountered in mature forests.

Remember that to be truly Japanese, bonsai trees should be planted in odd numbers and you should also not be afraid of the beauty of bare branches.