Linda and I were lucky enough to see Craig Coussins at Wildwood Gardens two years ago. He is from Scotland. So when I first saw this book, I had to have it; recently I saw it at the Half Price Book store and bought a copy for the Club. I read this book over a year ago and always meant to do a book report. I began to re-read the book and rediscovered what a valuable resource it is.

Mr. Coussins has organized his book into two parts. The first part, pages 6 through 77 provides guidance on keeping your trees alive, health and in shape. Then pages 78 – 120 is called the Bonsai School, showing a series of photos with instruction on various workshop projects that Mr. Coussins has conducted.

The first entry that caught my eye is a section called “Which species to start with”; I always find these lists interesting because bonsai authors never agree with each other. For “complete beginners” Coussins recommends cotoneasters and chamaecyparis, elms, zelkova, sagaretia, serrisa and Chinese elms. He says maples, conifers, pines, larches and cedars are fine too but grow slower. Well I think I’ve killed at least one of each, so don’t be discouraged if you do too. Of particular interest is the fact that this author spends time discussing the placement of trees indoors and out as it relates to light, watering and feeding. He recommends avoiding mid afternoon sun (I agree), or southern window exposures. He discusses the differences in watering indoor and outdoor trees, and even training your friends to water when you take a vacation. Coussins even discusses the effects of temperature.

Under a section titled “Keeping Your Bonsai Healthy” there is a fertilization chart that shows the different feeding schedules for very young trees, trees in training and established trees. In his section on “Troubleshooting” he deals with “Dehydration” and “Overwatering”. Next he deals with “Keeping you Bonsai in Shape”. This section includes Pruning and tells that the top of the tree needs to be pruned to the first set of buds and the second set on the sided on trees like elms, zelkova, privets and hemlock. Pinching is described for junipers and cryptomeria and plucking out for maples. He even discusses removing all but 10% of the leaves on an indoor tree.

Coussins then deals with pruning and the use of cut paste, jin and shari, and then wiring. He has an unorthodox method of wiring. He uses several wires together and drops then off at each branch as he wraps up the length of the trunk or branch. In his chapter on “Potting and Repotting a Bonsai” he gives different soil-formula mixes for young conifers, established conifers, lime hating species, deciduous, and indoor species. This chapter also has two other charts, Key Points to Remember, and Potting – Quick Reference Guide. Several repottings are shown in photographic case studies. Grafting and airlayering, then styles are covered before you get to the Bonsai School.

The Bonsai School section of this book is a must see. There are numerous photographs showing quick styling to projects that took over five years. Study 9 covers bud development in pines. Study 15 shows styling very large maples that had to be cut back to stumps just to get them into their pots, then over a period of 9 years the branches are developed. A number of the studies are of group and forest plantings, some material is small while others are planted in very large pots. One defied the imagination at 12 feet long. There is a special section on styling larches.

In the back of the book after the 33 case studies there are a series of 3 “Bonsai quick-reference Tables. These purport to be a brief guide to some of the main species – repotting, pruning, wiring, and special issues to watch out for.