"An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," so said the great American think-tank Benjamin Franklin. With the rise in technology and the explosion of the internet, the plethora of information about bonsai that is currently available online isquite overwhelming. Therefore, a conundrum presents itself: "Where can one get quality bonsai information?"Since bonsai is a practice, much like yoga or martial arts, the best way to learn bonsai is by doing bonsai. The bonsai professional dedicates years of study in the form of an apprenticeship to learn bonsai by living bonsai, but this is not the path forthe average American hobbyist who has the typical nine-to-five job, which ironically supports the hobby. The second best way to learn bonsai is by going and spending time with a bonsai professional, someone who has completed an apprenticeship themselves, by studying with them in their garden. Many professionals have programs for students to study a few days long, for a few times a year, such as Boon Manaki-tivipart's Intensives or Michael Hagedorn's Seasonals.
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