yoru sanpo
Seedling
I'm new here and a second-time beginner to bonsai. I first became interested in bonsai around thirty years ago, but drifted away because of too many competing demands for my time. Using the pandemic lockdown to catch up on a couple things I wish I hadn't set aside for so long, I restarted bonsai. Hirose's The Ultimate Bonsai Handbook looked like a good bet, so I ordered it. I wasn't expecting it to focus on smaller-size bonsai, but I don't see it as a deal breaker. The more difficult part was the lack of translation Japanese tree names into English. I was surprised, because Tuttle Publishing has been publishing books about Japanese culture for decades. Maybe they're more used to history and culture and were overwhelmed by the horticultural nature of this book - although I don't think that would be much of an excuse. Did they really think lists of Japanese tree names wouldn't need to be translated? Other than that, the book is quite a helpful guide. The majority of the book is a how-to reference that categorizes trees into the major types, then gives instructions on pruning, wiring, and general care for different times of the year. Overall, I'm happy with it despite tree names not being translated into English.
