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Bonsai requires a deeper understanding than just bonsai styles and design
principles, it also involves a significant understanding of horticulture - looking at things such as how to identify different plants,
how to care for them and fix any problems they might have. The books below will help you with this,
whether it be with what type of plants to choose and how to care for them or identifying what type of bonsai you have.
Review : An excellent book. I use this all the time. The pure fact that it contains over 10,000 plants is more than enough. It includes detailed descriptions and colored photos for almost every plant you can think of, along with helpful guides on care, maintenance and propagation. Along with this, this 1008 page guide also includes a hardiness zone map, analysis of major plant groups, explanation of plant names, 10 page glossary, and a table of plant families and related genera. It may be a bit pricey, but this strong, steadily-bound book is certain to last you for the duration of your gardening life
Review : This book is a comprehensive guide for either amateur or professional horticulturalists. Subtitled as 'The Definitive Practical Guide to Gardening Techniques, Planning, and Maintenance', this book consists of nearly 700 pages and more than 3,000 color photographs. It has sections which look at creating a garden, garden planning and major plant groups. The second half of the book, on maintaining the garden, covers tools and equipment, greenhouses and frames, structures and surfaces, climate, soils and fertilizers, plant problems, and propagation.
Review : This is a complete guide to Japanese maples, popular because of its authoritative treatment of the subject. It will identify any A. palmatum you will find at a local wholesale or retail nursery. The character, history, taxonomy, nomenclature, culture, and propagation of these trees are thoroughly discussed, followed by a complete listing of cultivars with color photos on every page. Acer palmatums are becoming increasingly popular in their use as a landscape plant and more and more cultivars are becoming available at a retail level every day. The book was thoroughly updated in 1987, and now includes information on significant new cultivars, nomenclatural changes, and landscape uses. Includes information about hundreds of different types of Japanese Maples. Excellent photos and technical descriptions.
Review : Much has changed in the role and use of ornamental grasses over the past 100 years, there are now hundreds of different grasses to choose from, all of which can contribute immensely to the overall look of a garden (or bonsai arrangement for that matter). Ornamental grasses now cover a huge array of textures, forms, sizes, colors, flowering times, and cultural adaptations. This encyclopedia is intended for gardeners in a wide range of situations and climates around the world. The book provides a detailed treatment of perennial grasses, rushes, and cat-tails, as well as selected bamboos, devoting some 170 pages to grasses both common and rare
Review : This is the most complete photographic guide to conifers compiled by two of the world's authorities on the subject, Gelderen and Smith, and illustrated throughout in full color. This encyclopedia is well set out and very accessible with its many attractive color photographs. It is probably most useful for those with some knowledge of the taxonomy and structure of conifers gardeners, landscape designers, and nursery professionals. Also included are maps of the hardiness zones of Europe, North America, and China, as well as an index of synonyms and common names. Conifers are great subjects for bonsai, so why not explore the countless number of conifers available to you and learn how to care for them with this fantastic book
Review : A practical step-by-step reference on the art of reproducing garden plants. Each chapter is devoted to an individual plant group, including trees, shrubs, alpines, and water plants. Written in an accessible style by a team of experts, this essential gardening guide is illustrated with more than 600 color photos and drawings. If you have any queries, you can email The Bonsai Site . 
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