I wasn't quite sure where exactly to put this opinion, but I saw another one about houseplants in this section so I guess this will have to do.

So, Bonsai trees, I love em. Well actually I've only got one, so I'm no kind of expert on the matter but it does make a good houseplant. I've had it for a while now and haven't managed to kill it (so they must be robust) and it adds a bit (ok, the only bit) of colour to my room.

Bonsai trees are like no other plant in your house, and its not just the fact that they are trees that makes them different. I don't know what it is about them that I like, but ever since I saw the Karate Kid movie as a kid I wanted one. Be it their mysterious nature, their rugged looks or oriental connections most people find them nice to look at, and being not all that common many people take an interest in them, asking what they are etc. There are loads of different types of bonsai tree
you can buy, and they basically mirror every type of real tree you can see from around the world. Personally I prefer the one that has pine needle style leaves but has the shape of a normal tree (sorry I can't describe it any better!).

Whatever type of tree you want (it basically depends what your tastes are) there seems to be three ways to buy a bonsai tree. First of all you can buy your tree ready grown, just like you would buy any other plant, secondly you can buy a ready packaged bonsai tree kit which contains everything you need to grow your own Bonsai (seeds, soil, pot etc) or thirdly you can simply buy the seeds, nothing more, nothing less and go on a bonsai tree growing discovery. The advantage of buying the ready grown tree is that it is there, alive and well. It could take years for a bonsai tree to grow, and buying one ready grown means you are guaranteed a well tree that could be years old. The disadvantage of buying these trees is the cost, depending on type and size of your tree it could cos
t anywhere from £5 to £50. Buying the kit is a good idea for the beginner, but both the kit and the seed routes while cheaper, do not guarantee that your bonsai tree will actually grow. Infact some of the kit boxes I have seen state a 90% germination rate, not too good when you consider 1 in every 10 people who but it will fail to get a tree to grow.

A bonsai tree is no harder to maintain than any other house plant, granted you can trim yours manically in a bid to create the perfect tree, but for Joe Average simply a bit of water and food will suffice. All trees have different likes and dislikes, but most trees wouldn't complain at being put in a location which while not receiving loads of direct sunlight, does get a fair bit of light, basically just don't put in a dark place. Potting isn't too bad, as by their nature bonsai trees don't mind being restricted. Bonsai trees are meant to be small, so don't make yours turn in to a real tree!

Here are a few links which may be helpful

For buying a bonsai tree

http://www.mountainlaurelshopping.com/page81.h tml
http://www.gifttree.com/giftshoppgs/giftshopbo nsaipg.html
http://www.tinytreebonsai.com/index.html

Bonsai tree care

http://www.concrete-jungle.co.uk/care.htm
http://www.bonsai-ko.co.uk/Maintanence.htm

Hope that helps.

Happy bonsai-ing!!