How do you explain bonsai to someone who knows nothing about it?

justBonsai

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I do enjoy sharing my passion with others and on occasion I have friends who ask me what it's all about. I try my best to look sane and not like a crazy dude who fiddles with trees. Hell, I don't even fully understand why I got so hooked. I remember my parents were briefly interested when I was very young and asked me about it. I told my dad something along these lines, "are bonsai just glorified bushes in pots?" But after near 10 years it looks like I'm the sucker.

I have a few Japanese friends too and they told me they know nothing about it, but it seems interesting. Is the appeal something you can show to people or is it something they just have to "get" themselves?
 

Wires_Guy_wires

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The gardening art of making a good, real life looking, visual 2d sculpture in the 3d world.
Manipulating trees into shapes that you find interesting and knowing how to do so. It's the ultimate long term puppet mastery.
To me it's also a way of recreating the things I love seeing in the woods, but without having to leave the yard.
That isn't necessarily bonsai, but gardening as a whole.
 

just.wing.it

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Most people I know already thought I was boarder line crazy, so bonsai is not a stretch...

In my experience with others who come over, mostly family and wife's friends, people seem to show interest and they seem to like it....but like most art, they would never even attempt it....they assume that they are incapable for some reason.

After 4 years I have one friend who is beginning to dabble in keeping plants in pots....he's quite stubborn and wants to follow his own path, which is fine....but I'm not convinced, at this point, that he'll ever get serious about it.

I do have at least one family member who is also an artist, she does drawing, painting and she used to love making pottery...she is the only one who seems to understand the art side of it....but she is one of those who says, "I don't have a green thumb"....

Most people who know me, know that I've always been involved with creating art, of many kinds, since childhood...I never had a green thumb before...but the intrigue of the art of Bonsai sucked me right in, and now when I explain it to others, I usually say that it is the most satisfying artistic outlet I've ever found, since playing the drums (and that is the most important part for me)....I say that it brings me peace, as much as possible, and being a nature lover, it enables me to be closer to nature and more aware of all things natural, than I otherwise would be.

Peace to my Bonsai Brethren!
 

A. Gorilla

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You get to train a tree to look mature in miniature, with the added benefit of making it look how you think a tree SHOULD look.

Why should anyone like that? If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand. Raise your hand if you ever convinced someone to give a damn who previously did not.

Didn’t think so.

I thought it was special even as a child. Intuitively.
 

Solaris

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Either they can understand it intuitively, or they won't even if you try to understand it to them. At best, you can show them - but most people will get too hung up on making excuses like "I don't have a green thumb" or "I don't have the patience for that" to bother trying to learn anything.
 

justBonsai

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Either they can understand it intuitively, or they won't even if you try to understand it to them. At best, you can show them - but most people will get too hung up on making excuses like "I don't have a green thumb" or "I don't have the patience for that" to bother trying to learn anything.
I don't buy into the whole green thumb deal. Growing plants is just a lot of common sense that you can figure out.

I understand that bonsai is something hard to get into though. You need time, space with adequate sun, some life stability, and a degree of patience. I was just thinking is there nothing on the surface that acts as an incentive to pull people in?
 

Cadillactaste

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I don't try to explain it...it's just something I do. A few think I am a horticultural genius (Which is a HUGE stretch) with my landscaping...the bonsai doesn't surprise them at all. They feel my hardscape has an Asian feel. I don't see Asian when I look at my landscape especially seeing ones places here and such... I see just a relaxing place. Which is why I have garden bench tables instead of what ones do here. It fits into my country scheme of things. But...my hobby doesn't surprise anyone...makes some husband's nervous...that I will get their wives interested. Lol all have their favorites when it comes to my trees.
 

just.wing.it

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is there nothing on the surface that acts as an incentive to pull people in?
What pulled me in was stumbling across Google Images of Azalea Bonsai while doing research on Azalea info for landscape purposes...
Pictures like these...was all it took to light the flame for me.
02-flowering-azalea-bonsai.jpgsat5.jpgc7a267874124c0ca7199d420e5930cd2.jpg
 

River's Edge

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I do enjoy sharing my passion with others and on occasion I have friends who ask me what it's all about. I try my best to look sane and not like a crazy dude who fiddles with trees. Hell, I don't even fully understand why I got so hooked. I remember my parents were briefly interested when I was very young and asked me about it. I told my dad something along these lines, "are bonsai just glorified bushes in pots?" But after near 10 years it looks like I'm the sucker.

I have a few Japanese friends too and they told me they know nothing about it, but it seems interesting. Is the appeal something you can show to people or is it something they just have to "get" themselves?
I like the words of Masakuni ll . Bonsai is the Art of cultivating trees/or shrubs in a pot in a natural style that evokes a feeling in the viewer. The essence of Bonsai is the expression of Wabi ( quiet refinement) and Sabi ( timeworn elegance).
Or in a humorous way the only hobby i have that cherishes character and age. ( my words not Masakuni)
 

AZbonsai

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I stumbled in to bonsai while in search of different gardening techniques I could share with my garden club kids at school. I taught them square foot gardening, hydroponics, aquaponics, bag gardening, raised bed, three sisters gardens and now I am teaching them about bonsai. Some people garden to grow great tomatoes, peppers, or orchids I try to create bonsai. Most people can relate to that.
 

Shima

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Is it gardening? I don't think so. A USDA plant pathologist at the local extension said according to everything he learned about horticulture I'm doing everything wrong, but he said he likes what I do. ;) What hooked me was standing in front of a JBP older than this country that had been attended to every day. It belonged to Mas Imazumi who was to become my first sensei. That, and going to a public presentation In Santa Rosa by John Naka.
 

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just.wing.it

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Is it gardening? I don't think so. A USDA plant pathologist at the local extension said according to everything he learned about horticulture I'm doing everything wrong, but he said he likes what I do. ;) What hooked me was standing in front of a JBP older than this country that had been attended to every day. It belonged to Mas Imazumi who was to become my first sensei. That, and going to a public presentation In Santa Rosa by John Naka.
Yeah...
It funny how many things we do differently than gardeners...
 
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