A New Way to Create Miniature Landscapes

Hon Non Bo, then, generally represent a complete mountain scene, most often an island mountain scene, in a shallow concrete container with water to represent the sea. Bonsai is half design and half horticulture. Hon Non Bo require the artist to be a sculptor as well as a designer and grower. [page 84]

The remainder of the book details how to create these beautiful landscapes, avoid common errors, the use of trees and novelty items like boats, homes, etc. A chapter is also dedicated to necessary tools to create the concrete trays and maintain the landscape when it is finished.

Since I have no background that let me know if this book was good, I shared it with a Vietnamese man in my neighborhood who frequently discusses gardening and plants with me. He was quite excited when he saw a book about this topic published in America! Although spoken English is quite difficult for him, he told me about attending conventions in Vietnam to witness the many displays of this art. He really lit up to just see the pictures in the book because they so obviously reminded him of his homeland. I gathered from our conversation that this book was accurate in explaining the art form and how to create it. The one negative comment he made dealt with some illustrations being poor examples of the landscapes.

Who Should Buy This Book?

I strongly suggest you purchase this book if you want to be challenged to think about displaying your plant collection in a unique manner. You will want this book if you are bored with just growing indoor plants, or if you want to create an outdoor display that will astonish your neighbors. Applying the principles taught here will help you create something truly unique.

This is one of those books that makes you think about growing plants in alternative ways. Hmmmm, I wonder if I could create a scene depicting the Rockies, Big Horn, or Grand Teton mountain ranges. Perhaps we could create an Americanized version of Hon Non Bo. Like I said, this book makes you think!

Even if you don’t want to try something different, I can guarantee you having this book resting on your coffee table will give you and your Vietnamese neighbors and friends something to talk about.

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