review by Ken Schultz

There were three things that caught my eye and caused me to add it to my collection of books: 1) It has a nice balance of photos to illustrations, 2) The trees in the photos are not little twigs, nor are they show stoppers, that are out of the average hobbyist's reach, and 3) There is a chart of 16 popular bonsai species listing; pruning of branches and shoots, wiring, repotting, watering needs, fertilizing, and other care tips.

In the chapter on Bonsai Styles, specimens suitable to the style are listed. There is an illustration and a verbal description along with some training tips. Group bonsai styles are well covered such as clumps and rafts. There are eight rules listed for developing "Clinging to Rock Style Bonsai".

The Pruning chapter covers tips for pomegranate, eleagnus, and carmona. There are illustrations showing how to direct branch growth through pruning. There are a few pages dedicated to conifer shoots and how to thicken a trunk. One caution that the author provides is wire should not be applied in the same year as the tree was repotted. He feels that it is difficult for a plant to withstand two closely occurring procedures that require an enormous expenditure of energy. After wiring the author suggests that the tree be placed in a shaded area protected from drafts and it should be well watered. The Chapter on repotting is also well done. A small chart provides tips on the shape of the pot and the tree style for which it is suited.

As with all books, remember to check where the author lives (Verona, Italy), sometimes it effects the type of advice given. I mention this, because pomegranate is listed with other outdoor species in this book.