A bonsai is, in Chinese, a plant in a pot. The Chinese were the first to create ornamental trees in miniature in the 2nd century BCE – 2nd century CE during the Han period, where the art of landscaping was perfected, and trees are known to have been planted in containers. A vibrant legend describes how Jiang-feng had such great magical powers that he could conjure up intricate landscapes in dishes –they were complete in every sense and had rocks, mountains, lakes, rivers, people, as well as trees. From here the practice reached Japan during the 11th-13th century, along with the spread of Zen Buddhism.
In Japan, the art of bonsai was perfected and then taken to the rest of the world. Today, however, bonsai trees are recognised as a Japanese system of growing stunted plants. Bonsai plants are not genetically modified or cruelly treated in any way.
Bonsai are just plants that are around two inches to three feet in height, grown from seeds or cuttings. The trees are grown in decorative pots and kept small by expert pruning of branches and roots. The trees are wired on the branches and trunks to produce the desired shapes. The plants live very long and are prized possessions in many families. The common varieties are pine, azalea, camellia, bamboo, and plum. Over time different techniques were used and five main styles emerged: formal upright, informal upright, slanting style, cascade, and semi-cascade.
