Page 18 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2017Q2

Up Your Bonsai Game!

Bonsai Empire and

Bonsai Mirai

Online Bonsai Education

Growing Strong

By Joe Grande, Canada

In some f you think your bonsai trees are not good enough Bonsai Empire and Bonsai Mirai, two websites that
ways, the to show or if you enter competitions and don’t link intent to science to technique to results, are going
even get an honorable mention, read on. Learn-
to change this.
two websites ing how to develop better bonsai has never been In some ways, these two websites are now offering
we discuss Ieasier thanks to bonsai artists Michael Hagedorn an experience reminiscent of the master/student, one-
on-one relationship that has dominated bonsai since
and Ryan Neil.
here, are now Immigration, books and magazines, along with the beginning. Students can watch in real time and
offering an conventions, have helped spread the art of bonsai all interact with the teacher or play back recorded lessons
over the world. This activity was fuelled by bonsai whenever they wish.
experience pioneers from many countries who travelled to and Bonsai Empire and Bonsai Mirai are taking different
reminiscent from Japan. Some studied with Japanese masters, approaches but both are delivering top-tier bonsai
attended bonsai conventions in Japan or created education in formats that offer students a rich learning
of the master/ opportunities for Japanese masters to visit their home experience. The people behind these initiatives are
student, country and teach there. young bonsai professionals, keen to teach bonsai
The advent of the Internet has energized bonsai to the next generation and help others advance to
one-on-one even further. Websites and blogs allow for direct the next level. These teachers have served long and
relationship interaction with the author, helping readers engage formal apprenticeships with Japanese bonsai masters
in two-way conversations. High definition videos on and have a direct connection to a knowledge base
that has the Internet are now commonplace and many bonsai that spans centuries. They couple this with the latest
dominated artists have produced excellent programs on many technology to reach a virtually unlimited audience,
bonsai subjects.
one person at a time.
bonsai since Along with this wealth of information and Although both websites offer free content, you’ll
the beginning. knowledge, comes the challenge and difficulty of need to pay to truly benefit from what you can learn
separating fact from fiction and turning theoretical there. Bonsai Empire features a one-time course
knowledge into successful process. The guidelines we fee. Pay once, watch many times. Bonsai Mirai has
were taught are correct and they work, but without three levels of monthly subscriptions. The cost is
an understanding of the internal workings of plants very reasonable when compared to other educational
as well as an appreciation of the aesthetics of bonsai, options, but as you’ll see for yourself, what they offer
we will eventually hit a point where our bonsai skills is priceless.
stagnate.

16 | BCI | April/May/June 2017