Whats the difference between bonsai and topiary?
Humans have been manipulating plants since the dawn of agriculture, but in many instances, these activities were done for the sake of art and beauty as opposed to food cultivation. Two notable examples are bonsai and topiary. While these may seem like similar types of plant management, their historic and cultural roots — and sculpted appearances — are actually the result of distinct forms of horticultural styling and artistic expression. Although it’s known that bonsai originated in China, authorities on the subject differ as to when the development of this miniaturized arboreal art form and related decorative arts occurred. Many place the advent of bonsai about 1,700 to 2,100 years ago, while some believe it started nearly 4,000 years ago [source: Elias]. While similar for
