Our reviews include most of the very best of bonsai books available. If you have a favourite book that is not mentioned, please email us and we will do our best to review it.

At the foot of this page are links to more book sections.

INDOOR BONSAI

Bonsai for Indoors, a Handbook (C. Derderian Ed.) Brooklyn Botanic Record 1976. Paperback, 77 pages,

A compilation of 23 essays on various bonsai subjects by leading American growers of Indoor bonsai (e.g. Derderian, Stowell, Alstadt, Okamura, Naka, Ballard). Topics range from Mame bonsai, to wiring, Light Gardens, Kingsville Box, Ficus, Myrtle, Camellias and Gardenias, and Herbs and Succulents. Has a suggested list of plants suitable for Indoor bonsai. Inexpensive. Good range of topics covered by leading American Indoor bonsai growers. Worth having for Indoor bonsai fans. Essays are short but complete.

Indoor Bonsai (Paul Lesniewicz) Blandford Press 1985. Paperback, 208 pages. 14 chapters.

Concise, well written book on Indoor bonsai. List of Indoor bonsai species gives 1-2 pages of cultural information on 29 plants commonly grown as Indoor bonsai. Good color photos of some nice Indoor bonsai. Some bonsai pictured are of inferior quality. Short but clear sections on watering, potting, etc. Good reference for Indoor bonsai species cultural information.

Indoor Bonsai for Beginners: Selection Care Training Werner M Busch, Ward Locke, 1998. 110 Pages, 94 Color Photos, 30 Color Drawings.

47 Pages of Training, Propagation and Care. 44 Species from A to Z. Werner M Busch has written a book that compresses a large amount of data into a small and comprehensive space. It will not be the last book you buy on the subject but it will be one that you can refer to quickly for basic tips on Bonsai care. It touches on all aspects of Bonsai training and care, from propagation to pest control. The later and larger part of the book is devoted to 44 species of indoor Bonsai. Each one is broken down into Position, Soil, Watering, Feeding, Training, Acquiring a Plant and Pests. The part of the book I like most is the example trees. They are truly trees within a beginner’s reach. So many beginner books show trees that are way beyond the normal beginner’s price and abilities. This book on the other hand is much more realistic. If you’re looking for a definitive, end all, book on Bonsai, this is not it. If you looking for a neat compact reference with beginners and intermediate Bonsai enthusiasts in mind, this book is for you.

The Art of Indoor Bonsai J. Ainsworth, Trafalgar Square Publishing 1988. Hard Cover, 128 pages,

This book is in 2 parts. Part I: Cultivation, Care, and Training has 8 chapters on the History, Care, Propagation, Training, Repotting, Special Effects, and Pests and Diseases. Part II: A - Z Selection of Tropical, Subtropical, and Temperate bonsai species used as bonsai. Part I contains a guide to the different cultural requirements of Tropical vs. Subtropical vs. Temperate bonsai. Fairly well written and illustrated. Part II is a species guide to plants grown indoors as Bonsai with a description of the plant, a training guide, and watering, feeding, repotting, light positioning, and disease and pest advice. Specific advice on the cultural needs of some commonly grown Indoor bonsai. Some of the poorest examples of any type of bonsai anywhere - many are badly wire scarred and poorly pruned and potted. Should not be used as a design guide.

Beginners Books & DVD’s 

Intermediate and Advanced Books

Mame and Shohin Books

.