The Bonsai Handbook — David Prescott

A practical, beautifully illustrated guide to understanding, growing, and caring for bonsai.

The Bonsai Handbook by award-winning bonsai practitioner David Prescott takes readers from the fundamentals of bonsai through the techniques needed to develop and maintain healthy, well-designed trees. Designed to be useful for both beginners and enthusiasts with some experience, this book combines the horticultural science of keeping a tree healthy with the artistic principles that make bonsai unique.

Readers will explore essential topics including bonsai styles and aesthetics, tree anatomy, watering and feeding, soil, pruning, pinching, wiring, repotting, propagation, pest management, tools, and long-term maintenance.

Clear step-by-step illustrations and detailed photographs help make techniques easier to understand and apply. Prescott also explains the traditional rules of bonsai design, and how those rules can sometimes be broken to create a more convincing and individual tree.

The book includes a photographic directory of 24 popular indoor and outdoor bonsai species, providing readers with another useful reference as they build and develop their own collection.

Great for: Beginners purchasing their first comprehensive bonsai reference, newer enthusiasts looking to strengthen their fundamentals, and experienced growers wanting a convenient handbook to keep within reach.

Whether you're learning how to keep your first bonsai healthy or beginning to explore pruning, wiring, propagation, and styling, The Bonsai Handbook provides a strong foundation for continuing your bonsai journey.

160 pages | Paperback | Step-by-step illustrations & color photography