What is a bonsai?
Bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is the ancient oriental art of growing and cultivating miniature trees. This art form originated in China as far back as the late years of the Han dynasty, and the early years of the Ming dynasty approximately 220 A.D. These dwarfed (Ming) trees basically resembled their larger counterparts grown in nature. Most likely, it was the Buddhist monks that were the first to bring and expose the idea of dwarfed trees to Japan. Then the Japanese spent centuries developing the many artistic styles and shapes refining this unique art form we now call bonsai. The word “bonsai” originates from the combination of Japanese written characters. “bon” meaning a small pot, and “sai” meaning a tree or plant. Therefore its translation is a tree growing in a small pot. The bonsai is considered to be a very unique piece of artwork, because it is a living tree, and it can never be a finished work of art. It will always be a living piece of nature, being cared for and passed down
