A Beginner's Guide to Bonsai Appreciation: Learn to Appreciate the Beauty of Bonsai from Scratch

1. Root spread

The primary requirement of an excellent bonsai is the root spread. The root spread can be said to be essential and very important in creating the natural tree form of the entire bonsai. Whether the root spread is beautiful or not has a decisive influence on the artistic value and appreciation value of the work. The beautiful root spread referred to in bonsai is the ground-level roots below the trunk base, extending in all directions, sometimes curving, sometimes hidden in the soil, clinging tightly to the ground surface, so as to keep the potted tree from wobbling in any way. The commonly mentioned "four-sided root spread" is precisely the most beautiful root spread.

2. Trunk base

Under normal growth conditions, the extension of the trunk toward the top of the tree, at its junction with the root section, should generally form a natural trunk base, with few exceptions. Specifically, it is the thick trunk section measuring about three cun in length starting from the root spread. Trees used for making bonsai originally grew in mountain forests or beside rivers and streams, exposed to wind and rain, so their trunks inevitably develop some curvature, especially trees growing on cliff edges and precipices, where the degree of trunk curvature can sometimes be extremely large, but the trunk base is not affected by external forces. Generally, the trunk of a potted tree is upright. Sometimes, to meet the needs of the tree form, when changing the curvature of the trunk base, an appropriate degree should be maintained, so that there is no obvious sense of unnaturalness. This is because the trunk base, like the root spread, is one of the indispensable and important conditions for displaying the beauty of a bonsai.

3. Trunk

If a bonsai is compared to a person, then the trunk is the body of the bonsai, and it is the basic condition for shaping the tree form. In a naturally normal large tree, the closer the trunk is to the roots, the thicker it is, and the closer it is to the top of the tree, the thinner it becomes. This naturally tapering round trunk is the most ideal. Whether a trunk is more beautiful when thick or more elegant when thin varies greatly according to individual differences in appreciation. However, whether the trunk should be thick or thin should depend on the structure of the overall tree form and must be coordinated with the root spread, trunk base, branches, leaves, and so on. Regardless of whether the trunk is thick or thin, as long as it can be matched and harmonized with the overall tree posture, it can naturally produce a sense of balanced beauty. Generally speaking, the thickness of the trunk should be in harmony with the age of the tree being expressed, so that the depth of beauty of the bonsai can be displayed.

4. Branches

Branches, like the trunk, are also one of the constituent elements of the bonsai tree form. The greatest function of branches is to provide the beauty of form of the potted tree, and they also serve to make up for the shortcomings of the trunk. Good branches must be appropriately thick and thin and grow normally (meaning strong tree vigor). After the trunk grows its first branch, along with