What's the difference between “bonsai,” “horticulture,” and ‘gardening’? What is the definition of “BONSAI”?

Bonsai is profound. It's deeply satisfying. That's the image we have, right?
Even if you're interested, you might feel the barrier to taking it up as a hobby is quite high, don't you think?

What exactly is “bonsai” in the first place?
In a journal from a while back, we briefly covered the history of bonsai. This time, let's consider the definition of bonsai itself.

Similar to “bonsai,” there are also terms like ‘horticulture’ and “gardening.”
Do you know the difference between these and “bonsai”?

First, while “horticulture” and “gardening” are sometimes considered the same, their meanings are strictly different.
‘Horticulture’ refers to cultivating plants like fruit trees and vegetables, while “gardening,” as the term suggests, means creating an entire garden as a single landscape. It involves carefully arranging plants and tending to them so they can grow in the best possible condition.
While the goal of “horticulture” is to cultivate a single plant beautifully, vigorously, and for a long time, the key point of “gardening” is how beautifully the entire garden can be presented as a single landscape.

And “bonsai” refers primarily to plants cultivated in shallow containers—shallow pots—allowing one to savor the essence of expressing natural landscapes atop a small pot.
It involves training trees that would naturally grow large into compact forms, condensing and expressing the grandeur and beauty inherent in plants.
The plant itself and the pot together form the entire bonsai, and appreciating this whole is the way to enjoy bonsai.

Yes, bonsai values not only the plant but also the harmony with its pot.
The “盆 -bon- ” in bonsai means vessel, that is, pot. The “栽 -sai- ” in bonsai refers to the plant.
Even from the name, we can understand that it is an object of appreciation that includes the pot.

Additionally, when a tree and its pot complement each other well, it is considered to have a “good pot appearance” and is highly valued.
Since the tree and pot form a unified whole, a pot suited to the tree-shaping process is necessary. Even for a completed “bonsai,” a pot selection that highlights its form is essential.
Furthermore, even when a tree and pot seem perfectly harmonized, re-pot selection may become necessary as the tree grows and changes.

While specific pot shapes suit different tree species in bonsai, generally speaking, unglazed earthenware pots like unglazed or hard-fired clay pots are suitable for conifers, while glazed pots in various colors are better for deciduous trees.
Beyond species, there are also pot shapes suited to specific tree forms.
Shallow, rounded pots suit trees with slender, delicate forms. Square, angular pots with some depth suit trees with thick, vigorous trunks. For the cascading form (kengai), where branches are trained to cascade below the rim, dish-shaped pots, square, hexagonal, or octagonal pots with a deep base are considered suitable.

This time we discussed the definition of “bonsai,” its differences from ‘horticulture’ and “gardening,” and bonsai pots.
There is still much more to share, so we will continue to guide you through the rich world of bonsai in this journal.
Until then, please look forward to it.

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