In Training is a book of bonsai photos, a fresh look at an ancient art form. The National Arboretum, which houses the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum, feels improbable a sea of green bordered by what was once one of Washington, DC s most violent neighborhoods. I first visited the collection seventeen years ago while in college and have returned again and again, with my girlfriend who is now my wife and, more recently, with our children in the weeks after they were born. While this vast, open space surrounded by city has always felt special, it was the bonsai collection that felt sacred. I began making the photos of each tree as a sort of respite, an excuse to be near something beautiful and to appraise it fully, without the usual time constraints I had grown accustomed to in my professional work. The bonsai, themselves, seemed the very opposite of the subjects I usually photographed they stood before me fully present, their sense of time measured in decades, even centuries.

Go beneath the soil with this hand-drawn guide! This book is sure to become your go-to reference for all things bonsai. Beautifully illustrated with details and views a camera simply can't show, Introduction to Bonsai offers a unique and insightful look at these mini ecosystems. This complete guide contains all the information you need to create and maintain your own bonsai: Handy monthly bonsai maintenance schedules detail proper watering, pruning, wiring, transplanting and other upkeep activities throughout the year Leaves, fruits, flowers, and processes are presented up-close to help make growing and upkeep as successful and simple as possible Diagrams show where, how much, and in what direction pruning, wiring, watering and other maintenance should be performed Clear, detailed illustrations of every part of the bonsai ensure that you'll see everything you need to see, exactly as you need to see it--making this a great resource for collectors and enthusiasts at all levels Learn the specific ways to care for more than 40 types of popular bonsai trees, including: Flowering Bonsai--cherry blossom, dogwood, azalea and lilac Fruiting Bonsai--crab apple, persimmon, Chinese quince and burning bush Coniferous and Deciduous Bonsai--maple, Japanese beech, black pine and salt cedar Prepared by the editors of Japan's popular Bonsai Sekai (Bonsai World) magazine,this handbook is designed to make care and maintenance easy for bonsai beginners--from seeds to root systems and from basic watering to your first transplant.