I attended a Bonsai class and had a lot of fun learning about these beautiful miniature trees and the art of creating Bonsai. Bonsai are basically small trees or shrubs that are planted in tabletop size containers and pruned into beautiful shapes. The idea is to be in a zen state while shaping your fledgling into the desired shape and to create a visually stunning miniature tree.
Last time I tried my hand at Bonsai it was not very Zen like for me, because the whole thing ended up dying on me and looked nothing like these lovely trees. Thus the class and tons of resources for future reference.
I heard that people who are successful at keeping their first Bonsai alive tend to fall in love with Bonsai and quickly graduate from the run of the mill varieties to blooming bonsai and more exotic varieties.
At Bonsai Boy of New York you can find a section that recommends trees for beginners and Bonsai Trees Under $30
Bonsai Resources:
Web sites General Information:
Bonsai Site and Bonsai Community of Bonsai Nut
Bonsai Boy of New York
Recommended Books:
The Bonsai Workshop (Herb Gustafson) * Practical Bonsai Projects: Create 23 Superb Trees Step-by-Step (Ken Norman) * The Bonsai Art of Kimura (volume I)
Bonsai Nurseries in the Los Angeles Area:
* House of Bonsai 5214 Palo Verde Ave Lakewood, CA 90713 (562) 804-6888
* Chikugo-En (310) 323-4011 18110 S Western Ave Gardena, CA 90248
* Marumiya Bonsai Nursery 16819 So. Normandie Ave. Gardena, California 90247-5435
* Yamaguchi Bonsai Nursery 1905 Sawtelle Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90025 Neighborhood: West Los Angeles (310) 473-5444
17230 Roscoe Blvd Northridge, CA
Other ways to experience Bonsai
Take a Bonsai class/workshop
Go to a Bonsai Convention
Join a Bonsai Club
