The practice involves a lot of pruning and wiring to help shape the miniature tree, and bonsai trees also need to be kept in specific pots to stunt their growth.

Pruning: Trim the tops and branches to control height and encourage ramification (fine branching). Don't prune off too much of the tree at one time because this promotes a flush of growth.

Darren George shows us how he restores a bonsai tree by removing branches, repositioning the tree with wire, and trimming it to the desired shape.

The art of bonsai involves pruning branches and roots in a way that keeps the tree healthy, but in miniature. “That’s how you get a tree to be 500 years old,” Geisinger said.

Bonsai artists prune and train their small plants—which can be anything from bald cypress to juniper trees—with the help of specific bonsai scissors and years of expertise.

There’s something about growing bonsai trees that makes big problems seem smaller. “That tree to me is not just a lone tree; it’s connected to all the other trees in the world,” said Wayne ...