Bonsai Oasis

Different Bonsai Styles

When just getting started, you need to keep in mind that there is no one “right” bonsai style. The goal when a shaping and creating your bonsai is trying to fashion a representation of a tree in its natural environment. How YOU visualize that tree is most important determining element in creating a bonsai masterpiece. To create your own bonsai, you just need a little simple instruction – it doesn’t require lessons from a bonsai master. You just need to follow your instincts to bring the bonsai you mentally picture to realization.

Making your bonsai tree look as natural as you can should be your main goal. When shaping your bonsai, let yourself be guided by the tree itself. If your bonsai seems to want to bend to the right, let the trunk do just that. Let the stand-out features of your bonsai guide your work. In order to hear what the tree is trying to tell you, just simply listen closely. Pay careful attention to the bonsai’s softly whispered suggestions – it will lead you to create a breath-taking work of art!

The best bonsais look like ancient trees.  Though it’s miniature in form, your bonsai tree should appear strong and mature. With the proper grooming techniques, even the youngest of bonsais can be made to look as if it has majestically weathered many seasons.

The diameter and the degree of taper of the tree trunk are the two distinguishing features that help a bonsai tree to appear developed and aged. The base of the trunk is usually very wide with the majority of bonsai styles, and the it will generally lead to a smooth taper as it reaches the tree’s top.

Bonsai trees are generally seen in one of two general styles, either the koten (classic) or the bunjin (comic or informal). The koten style displays a trunk that is wide at the base which tapers off at the top – the more difficult style is the bunjin which has a trunk characterized by a narrow, tapered foundation that widens as it climbs.

You need to bare in mind that you are working with a living plant when you begin your bonsai. You may find that your bonsai’s natural characteristics invite a certain style or styles, if you pay attention.   Whether your tree is slender and elegant like a maple or essentially upright like a beech, you can often train a bonsai into growing in several styles. Even bonsais that are particular suited to a certain style can be interpreted and cultivated in countless ways.

However, one thing you should never do is to try and force a style on a bonsai tree that is unaccustomed to it. Simple enhance and enrich the natural shape intended by your tree by carefully analyzing its natural growth patterns. There are five basic styles of bonsai trees: cascade, semi-cascade, formal upright, informal upright and slanting (a/k/a windswept). There is a unique beauty and peacefulness inherent in each of these styles.

What follows is a more complete description of the styles of bonsai…