David--

How about recommending a couple of good resources for someone who is very interested in bonsai and is looking for good starting points for learning?

Bert

David here - Bert, I'm just a beginner myself. John Naka has written apparently the definitive reference in the U.S. for bonsai - two volumes. And believe it or not, the Sunset bonsai book is a great intro. I've ordered several books from the bonsai sources just from a big Web surf, but haven't really read them yet. The kick-start for me was Kathryn buying me three small but very nice ones a couple of years ago, and then slowly starting to play in that sandbox. You'll need to make sure you can have daily water (I've got a screen house set up with auto irrigation) - otherwise don't bother, because they'll die on you fast if they dry out. It seems to be a rather young field in the U.S., in terms of mentors, classes, and structured materials. Lots of chat and little clubs on the web it seems, so hop on in...

I would strongly suggest going to your local public library.

Hello,

When you are in Seattle later this month, if you have time, head down to the Weyerhauser Bonsai Garden. It's incredible.

Hello all, and a special hello to David Allen. Mr. Allen, you don't know me but in a very real sense your book saved my life. I was in a special kind of hell 3 years ago, with two full time careers (one of which is bonsai), father duties, grad school, and a myriad of sports & fitness goals and schedules all of which were falling apart. Reading your book led to my epiphany, and I haven't looked back since. So thank you! And what a delight to see you standing in front of one of my favorite trees in the National Collection. I'd like to humbly invite anyone interested in learning more about bonsai to read a short essay of mine titled simply 'Bonsai- An Overview' here: http://bunabayashi.com/intro.htm There are also links to other valuable resources on my site. David, I'd be happy to give a tour of the entire collection next time you're in the area.

Hello all, and a special hello to David Allen. Mr. Allen, you don't know me but in a very real sense your book saved my life. I was in a special kind of hell 3 years ago, with two full time careers (one of which is bonsai), father duties, grad school, and a myriad of sports & fitness goals and schedules all of which were falling apart. Reading your book led to my epiphany, and I haven't looked back since. So thank you! And what a delight to see you standing in front of one of my favorite trees in the National Collection. I'd like to humbly invite anyone interested in learning more about bonsai to read a short essay of mine titled simply 'Bonsai- An Overview' here: http://bunabayashi.com/intro.htm There are also links to other valuable resources on my site. David, I'd be happy to give a tour of the entire collection next time you're in the area.