Bonsai is a
living practice.
Stories, field notes and informed perspectives on bonsai cultivation, species, design and the people behind the trees.
Understand what the tree needs. Then decide what to do.
Bonsai is horticulture shaped by intention. Light, water, roots and seasonal growth determine what is possible; design gives those possibilities direction.
BlogBonsai brings those parts together with practical guidance for choosing material, developing structure and keeping trees healthy. The advice is specific to species and growing conditions, not a list of rules to apply blindly.
Start with the tree in front of you. Its health, history and response matter more than a preset styling formula.
Form is made in the details.
Trunk movement, root flare, foliage and deadwood tell the story of a tree and the decisions made over time.
Bonsai photographs by Andrea Melloni. View all 74 bonsai photographs ↗
Where would you like to begin?
Choose the decision in front of you. Each path connects practical care with the reasons behind it.
Keep a bonsai healthy
Light, water, temperature and seasonal care, starting with the species.
Find a tree for your conditions
Match climate, growing space and time to the plant you want to develop.
Understand form and structure
Learn how trunk, roots, branches and empty space work together.
Ideas for the work bonsai asks of us.
Posts on recurring questions in cultivation, repotting, choosing material and developing a tree over time.
Water thoroughly. Judge the next watering by the tree.
Learn to read substrate, weather and root-ball moisture instead of following a fixed schedule.
Read the post ↗ ROOTS & REPOTTINGKnow when roots need room, and when they need less disturbance.
Separate potting up from root pruning, and plan repotting around the actual tree.
Read the post ↗ BUYING A BONSAILook past the foliage. Assess health, roots and future options.
A practical way to choose material that suits your conditions and your plans.
Read the post ↗ FOR BEGINNERSYour first bonsai should teach you how a tree responds.
Start with manageable care and learn before making irreversible changes.
Read the post ↗ DEVELOPMENTBuild a trunk with growth, taper and a plan for the next cut.
Understand sacrifice growth, development containers and the cost of refinement.
Read the post ↗ WIRINGMove a branch carefully. Remove wire before it leaves a mark.
Plan the bend, support the branch and inspect as the tree grows.
Read the post ↗Every species brings a different bonsai.
Climate, growth habit and response to pruning shape the work. Start with species whose needs fit your growing space.
The historical archive.
Browse the original collection by topic, species or source title. Rebuilt pages keep their historical addresses; source captures remain available for comparison and research.
Bonsai is a practice with many voices.
BlogBonsai is an independent publication about the living practice of bonsai: trees and species, cultivation and design, people and culture. Its identity belongs to the publication, not to a single author.
Different contributors can bring distinct experience and perspectives. Where a post draws on practical work, that experience should be attributed to the person who actually did it; technical claims should be supported and placed in their species, climate and horticultural context.
The restored archive remains part of the blog’s history. Historical posts are presented at their original addresses, with known publication dates and transparent credit for translation, adaptation and editing by the BlogBonsai Editorial Team.
Read about the publication and its editorial approach ↗ · About Andrea
Good work starts with a closer look.
Read field notes, explore species and follow the decisions that shape a tree over time.