Every year well over one million bonsai are bought throughout the western world, most of them by or for people with no previous experience in the care or maintenance of miniature trees. The vast majority of them do not survive more than a few months; not because bonsai is difficult to care for, but because they are given the wrong kind of attention. This manual is tailored to meet the needs of the first-time owner by explaining in detail all the techniques needed to keep a bonsai plant in good shape. It covers every major bonsai type, both indoor and outdoor, and there are step-by-step illustrations and photographs, and easy-to-use care symbols. It also features a directory of the 40 most common species of bonsai.