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Bonsai Inspirations, by Harry Harrington

Review by Phil Joslin, Bonsai Basho 13th April 2011

"I don't know if you are like most people when you pick up a Bonsai book you have come to expect certain things. You get the gallery book, a set of perfect images of trees many of which have taken a lifetime or many lifetimes to grow; trees which have taken countless hours of dedication, time and the personal secrets of the many people who have lived with the tree through its life. These jewels are remarkable to see but are be beyond the knowledge or experience of many in terms of their creation.
 
Then we find the introductory books which show you the basic techniques alongside a finished tree. It's that 'and here's one I made earlier'  kind of thing. Its informative but for most people the reader is still have no clue as to how it really all works or comes together.
 
Lastly there are the 'reputation books'. Books written by people to sit alongside their status in the world of - usually western bonsai. These are the kind of books you buy when you start out and leave on the shelf when you realise it was just a book sale. Harsh perhaps but true.
 
So why say all this in the review of an English guy's first book?

 

The reason is simple, when I read through 'Bonsai Inspirations' by Harry Harrington I was stumped. It just doesn't fit any of the established categories. There are no pictures of Harry standing with the Royal family, posing beside the late & great John Naka. There are no stunning 200 year old trees to leave you in awe and wonder. There is simply none of the fuss which accompanies so many other bonsai publications.

  

So what is this book about?

ITS ABOUT MAKING BONSAI  - SIMPLE. For me its an invitation to join Harry's world. A place in which Harry does what he does without pomp or ceremony, without being a founder member of the association or doing the demonstration circuit. You will also not see Harry recanting how he climbed the north face of the Eiger and climbed down a sheer drop with a 200Kg tree strapped to his back and another between his teeth. In short Harry is one of us - substance without the drama. However, he is one of us with a good couple of decades of taking raw domestic and humble English trees and making them into damn good bonsai. None of Harry's trees are 200 years old but that's because neither is Harry. Reading Harry's book you can be pretty sure that if he makes it to 200 he'll still be making bonsai.

So to the book itself. Harry has taken a series of case histories from his bonsai of the last decade and has shown them right from the shot of the tree growing in the field, its preparation, through collection, reduction, root development, growing on, grafting, ramification and development.

 
There are very few books which give you an honest window into the process of bonsai creation in the way that Harry's book does. Harry lives in England so he works with indigenous English trees such as Hawthorn, Oak, Beech, Privet and other similar species.  The techniques, methods and processes he uses are the same for most trees and his execution of these techniques is shown clearly throughout. This is a helpful book. Its true to say that the presentation is perhaps not as polished as some others but that detracts nothing from the content.

The book is a series of case histories, each laid out from start to current completion and comes with a species guide and any techniques actually used on the tree. The book is not a beginners book in a conventional sense but its the kind of book that you wish someone had written before. It is the kind of book that someone coming up through the learning process can go back to again and again - its also something that more experienced bonsai keepers will want to look at to strengthen their understanding of bonsai creation.

 

It reminds me of that straightforward 'this is how you do it' style that you find in Bonsai Techniques 1&2 by John Naka. Now I think Harry would be embarrassed by the comparison but there is a similarity in the honest style of this book which I am glad to see and which is refreshing. How many times have we met a skilled Bonsai person and you just wish they would tell you how they do it, no messing around, no mystical nonsense just this is it. Well now someone has. I'm sure that Harry isn't telling everything but you can be sure that he will.

 

 

Now there will be some out there that say that Harry isn't showing high grade finished show class trees in this book but that's not what this book is about. I'd wager that most people of that view couldn't do what Harry does and if they did, they would be keeping it to themselves. That's the pleasure of this book its for people to learn by seeing for themselves.
 

So in conclusion Harry stands out not only for his contribution to access to clear and straightforward information through his website www.bonsai4me.co.uk but now through carrying on and being one of us who was brave enough to publish. Well done Harry - I'm with you.

 

So what are you waiting for  - go buy the mans book..........

Phil Joslin (http://www.bonsaibasho.com/micromarket/#/library/library/a323)

Buy your copy of Bonsai Inspirations here