"What not to believe......6 of the best!"

1. "It is an act of cruelty to reduce the natural size of trees, put them in a pot and give them strange Far Eastern names"

Have you ever heard a Bonsai scream? Of course not and anyone who says they have are probably hearing other voices as well.

2. "In order to grow a Bonsai tree you need to be an expert gardener and fluent in Japanese"

I can barely cut the grass and I'm definitely not Japanese, so again this rule is barmy.

3. "If you place a smalll tree or a twig in a pot it immediately becomes a priceless Bonsai"

Only if you intend to sell them on E Bay with a starting price of £100 and then of course it becomes a coveted heirloom!

4. "Bonsai which are kept outdoors are for gardeners. Indoor Bonsai are real Bonsai"

Who writes this rubbish. Oh its me....anyway, it is true that indoor Bonsai are great for beginners, but of course outside Bonsai are "real bonsai".

5. "If someone calls themselves a Bonsai Artist they are actually being serious"

How can they take themselves THAT seriously? A true Bonsai expert would not even consider describing themselves as an "artist". Controversial but true in the writers humble opinion.....

6. "Size is important. The smaller the tree the greater the Bonsai"

Partly true - size is important, but only because of the need to reflect nature in an appropriate fashion within the constraints imposed by the size of the pot. Small Bonsai, however, are not necessarily "better" Bonsai than larger ones.

Article written by Adrian Spencer of Living Bonsai