Bonsai basics key to success

After Christmas, I always wonder what becomes of the bonsai plants that people get for friends and family as gifts. Do they go to happy homes in the company of gardeners, or arrive in an environment where the new owners have few clues about what to do with them?
Bonsai doesn't have to be a mysterious or difficult thing that just a trained and talented person can undertake. In the simplest sense, bonsai is a miniature landscape of a single or several plants.
The art of bonsai is keeping it happy and helping it develop into the desired configuration. Before one gets into the art of it, there are basics that must be observed.
Basic questions
If you are the recipient of a bonsai, the important question of, 'Where should it live?' should be preceded by, 'What kind of plant is it?'
Many gift bonsai are made from junipers, and most homes don't have enough light to keep a juniper happy. Just because a plant is trimmed into a certain shape doesn't necessarily make it a 'house plant.' If you received a juniper bonsai, it can be happy outside on a patio or balcony. On the other hand, if the bonsai is made from a ficus species, then it could live quite well in a bright indoor window.

Once you have covered the basics for life, you can determine how much time and effort to put into the art. Get a book, read up on the Internet or just follow your instincts. If you find that you love it, there is a local bonsai society to join to learn more.

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