Bonsai trees are dwarf trees that can be a fun and creative hobby. These miniature trees are grown in containers and training and nurturing them is an artistic endeavor that can be enjoyed by most anyone.

One favorite type of bonsai is the Hawaiian umbrella tree. This tree has thick leaves that form a lush canopy. In spring it blooms with red flowers in a wonderful show of color. This bonsai is very hardy and adaptable, and therefore quite easy to maintain.

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The first river rafting adventure involved four of us. I told my friends to be ready for an adventure-disaster, sure to get them wet and cold. Three took the bait. We took only a hatchet, a small saw, snacks, water, and whatever scraps of rope we could find - all in one small backpack.

We parked at a bridge and hiked up river until we were a few miles from the car. We would build a raft, using dead trees and our scraps of rope. Then we would then get on it and float back to the car. That is sort of what we did - but that is another story. This is a how-to guide.

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Trees that are used for bonsai are very different in their needs, and each tree reacts to indoor conditions differently. When we say that Bonsai is grown up indoor that means that it is grown outside of its usual location. For example: a tree from cold area would have a lot of troubles to adapt to conditions in warm area that is why we would need to create artificial conditions that would suit that tree. A lot of trees can grow better in good artificial conditions but all of them have special needs that have to be maintained for a tree to stay in good health.

Many great gardeners grow their bonsai inside. For example a lot of different types of pines can easily be grown up inside and will survive without a problem because they can tolerate slight change of condition as difference in lighting, temperature, pressure and others. A lot of people try to make special indoor circumstances and use different technique to make their bonsai adapt to new environment as good as possible. That is why some people have special rooms with refrigerators or heating devices and machines that can regulate the moisture in the air. Growing bonsai indoor will force you to create as natural environment as possible that is why you will need to create seasons which are essential for a tree to survive. The best position for a room with bonsai is the one that has a window facing east, because an open window will give bonsai full spectrum of light which will mimic the natural circumstances.

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Bonsai trees were originally outdoor plants. Only with the recent advent of climate control, indoor techniques have made it possible to grow it indoors. Today however, even oldtimers who keep traditional concepts about bonsai growing mostly agree that growing bonsai plants indoors are fine.

Here are some of the considerations for raising bonsai plants inside.

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People take their Christmas trees very seriously. When they choose a Christmas tree it has to be just right. It has to be just the right shape and size, it cant be too tall or too short and it cant be too fat or skinny. However, for many, the perfect Christmas tree is determined by whether it is a real tree or an artificial tree… This begs the question of whether one is better than the other. Is a real Christmas tree better than an artificial tree or vice versa?

There are several reasons why one could argue that one is better than the other. For instance, obtaining a real Christmas tree requires cutting down a live tree. Many will argue that it is unhealthy for the environment to cut down a live tree. On the other hand, it can also be argued that the manufacturing process used to create artificial trees combined with the fact that they are not recyclable or biodegradable, makes artificial trees detrimental to the environment.

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Why not create a corner of your garden or home to express peace and harmony by combining two ancient arts forms. Feng shui and bonsai.

Feng shui is an ancient Chinese practice as old as Chinese culture itself (believed to utilize the Laws of both heaven and earth to help one improve life by receiving positive “spiritual energy” that is part of every living thing.

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Whoever made that poem on trees knew very well the essence of these God-given creatures. Tree is life, and this is a globally accepted truth. Once deforestation occurs, the dreadful effects are out to get lives. This is a disturbing thought but the effects of deforestation do not occur on trees only but on us, humans, too.

Trees were given to mankind as a resource. It, the tree, is there for several purposes. It could be to provide man his most basic and most important need - food; it could also be a source for his many other needs such as shelter, medicine and clothing; trees also help make the soil become more compact (a compact soil is a prevention against erosion). Seeing all these needs, do you now see the need for mankind to fight deforestation?

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