While the origins of how to create and nurture a bonsai tree come from China the actual name of these potted trees comes from Japan, in fact the word bonsai refers to a small potted tree. The cultivation of such beautiful trees was actually started by wealthy Chinese people who lived during the Han Dynasty which was famous because it lasted for about 400 years in many of the arts flourished during this period. The Art of miniaturizing this beautiful trees was passed on from generation to generation and continued in other countries such as Korea, Japan and Vietnam. The process of miniaturizing these plans is actually very intricate due to the fact that they are not naturally small, in other words the seeds and plants used to create bonsai trees are not genetically dwarf, instead their size is modified through pruning and what they use of wires. Literature which describes the entire principle of a miniature garden was developed by the Japanese monk Kokan Shiren, these principles included what is called bonseki which is the principle of creating miniature landscapes on black lacquer with the use of stones, pebbles and other materials. The stick and yet beautiful shapes of traditional bonsai trees are actually achieved through techniques applied during the process of cultivation, the two most popular techniques used to create beautiful bonsai trees are called jin and shari. The first method which is known as "jin" consists of removing the bark from an entire tree branch in order to create the illusion of a snag of deadwood, the physical appearance of the tree changes as this technique is applied. This technique which is called "shari" involves stripping bark from areas of the trunk which emulates the look of natural scarring which is normally acquired by trees after it loses one of its limbs or its stroke by a lightning. Not every type of seed can be used in order to create a beautiful looking bonsai tree, the best seeds used to create these trees are: Trident maple seed, hedge maple, field maple, Japanese maple, vine maple, red maple, Barberry, strawberry tree, Bougainvillea, Cedar, Hinoki Cypress, Fig, ginkgo, olive tree, etc. The list shown above only includes a few of the many types of seed and trees which are actually perfect for bonsai tree cultivation and the appearance will obviously change from one type of tree to another. Due to the many physical differences between one tree to another those who have adopted the creation of bonsai trees as a pastime have also decided to create entire miniature gardens using different types of bonsai trees.
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