Bonsai trees and the art of bonsai is a hobby enjoyed by many people the world over. It is a fascinating pastime which provides years of enjoyment. The only problem with this though, is the amount of time, hard work and patience that is involved.
Imagine being able to enjoy a lovely looking tree without all the trouble and worry of watering correctly, feeding, trimming, shaping and the general lavishing with love and care that is usually involved.
Step forward the artificial bonsai.
If you think that artificial means cheap, tacky and unrealistic think again. Artificial bonsai can be almost indistinguishable from the real thing these days.
Another area that may surprise you a little, is the cost. Artificial trees are sometimes just as expensive as the real thing. The major difference of course being that it won't die if you neglect it.
If you have made the decision to go for it, and buy yourself a beautiful imitation tree, you still have the hard decision to make about which type and shape you would like.
There are trees that mimic the real ones on any variety, but it may take a bit of searching to find one that has the shape and authentic appearance that you are looking for.
Buy a cheap one and you may end up with a specimen that wouldn't look at out of place in a cheap and tacky restaurant.
As with a lot of things, you get what you pay for, so if you find a good one that looks very real, it will probably be expensive. Bear in mind though that real trees are also expensive, but you won't need to worry about pruning, fertilizing or repotting your artificial example.
For your very precious and expensive artificial bonsai to continue to look its best, you must dust it. This is the only upkeep that is necessary. Clean the dust from your tree just as you would dust your furniture and other ornaments.
It may be more difficult though, as the leaves may be very delicate and there may be grooves and channels that are difficult to get into. If this is the case, try using a can of compressed air, the type that is used to clean computer keyboards.
If you are successful in sourcing a pretty and convincing artificial bonsai tree, the benefits are many.