Bonsai is an art form that requires years of training and centuries of dedication. At the 2012 international bonsai convention, a tree was on sale for 100 million yen, just under a million dollars.

“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now,” or so goes the Chinese proverb. If you’ve ever basked under the cathedral-like canopy of a magnificent old shade tree on a ...