Beyond just the weekly Bonsai progression posts and the sharing of my personal Bonsai journey, one of my goals of PeaceLoveBonsai is to promote the people and places that make American Bonsai special. Bonsai in America is becoming a vibrant and thriving community and I look forward to promoting it as such. Whether it's potters or books or gardens, I look forward to exploring and introducing American Bonsai to my readers.
If you ever searched online for information relating to Japanese Black pine Bonsai, I'm sure you've run across "Bonsai Tonight". The author of that blog, Jonas Dupuich is one of the best producers of Bonsai related content in the United States today. I highlighted "Bonsai Tonight" recently in a post about online sources for black pine Bonsai content, check it out if you need help developing your black pines. Needless to say, I'm a big fan of his site and his work. So, when I heard he had a new book, I knew I would need to get a copy.
Even though I no longer consider myself a "beginner", I knew I would learn something and that Jonas would produce a great book. I wasn't disappointed! Here are 4 key takeaways from Jonas' "The Little Book of Bonsai"
1. Pest & Fungus Control
You will find other books and online resources discuss pests & fungus, but Jonas really does a nice job of identify common issues and explaining in a way that is easy to understand. He also includes great photos of pest and fungus on actual leaves and needles. I will use that section often when trying to diagnose issues with my trees.
2. A Real Discussion of Watering
If you've done Bonsai for more than a hot minute, you will hear someone say, "there's nothing more important to bonsai than learning to water". Which, at first, sounds nonsensical. I mean, just water it, right? But, after time, you begin to understand how important watering becomes to producing high quality trees, and just how difficult it can often be. With that said, we don't often find good materiel or training on how to water and what signs to look for when watering. Jonas goes as in depth on this topic as I've seen, especially for a beginner book.
3. A Detailed Look at a Restlying
All you long time readers of the PLB blog will know that I love progressions and initial stylings. Jonas has a great example of a restlyed juniper in his book. Including a detailed look at the wiring, which is always a difficult aspect. The material he uses, while good, is not an "out-of-reach" type of material costing thousands of dollars. I've read and re-read that section several times already.
4. The book is Organized & Carefully Planned
"The Little Book of Bonsai" touches on so many topics with just the right amount of information. Jonas' years of producing high quality content is on full display as he moves from styles, to Bonsai care, to containers to ending with concrete steps for the new Bonsai enthusiast. Throw in scores of super high quality photos, and you have yourself one of the best beginner books on the market!
You can purchase "The Little Book of Bonsai" here. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!