. ▁ ▁B ons ai ▁and ▁related ▁practices , ▁like ▁pen j ing , ▁h ò n ▁non ▁b ộ , ▁and ▁sa ike i , ▁involve ▁the ▁long - term ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁small ▁trees ▁and ▁land sc apes ▁in ▁containers . ▁The ▁term ▁b ons ai ▁is ▁generally ▁used ▁in ▁English ▁as ▁an ▁um bre lla ▁term ▁for ▁all ▁mini ature ▁trees ▁in ▁containers ▁or ▁p ots . ▁ ▁Ind oor ▁vs . ▁traditional ▁b ons ai ▁ ▁Ind oor ▁b ons ai ▁is ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁an ▁attract ive , ▁health y ▁plant ▁in ▁the ▁artificial ▁environment ▁of ▁ind o ors ▁rather ▁than ▁using ▁an ▁out door ▁climate , ▁as ▁may ▁occur ▁in ▁traditional ▁b ons ai . ▁Ind oor ▁pen j ing ▁is ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁mini ature ▁land sc apes ▁in ▁a ▁pot ▁or ▁t ray , ▁possibly ▁with ▁rocks , ▁b ons ai ▁trees , ▁and ▁ground ▁covers , ▁and ▁sometimes ▁with ▁small ▁objects ▁or ▁figur ines . ▁ ▁B ons ai ▁vs . ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁house ▁plant ▁ ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁the ▁usual ▁p otted ▁house ▁plant , ▁b ons ai ▁are ▁root ed ▁in ▁a ▁much ▁smaller ▁amount ▁of ▁soil . ▁Con sequently , ▁they ▁require ▁more ▁frequent ▁water ing ▁and ▁feed ing . ▁This ▁form ▁is ▁therefore ▁best ▁su ited ▁for ▁dr ought - res istant ▁species . ▁Comp ared ▁to ▁usual ▁house ▁garden ing , ▁b ons ais ▁require ▁a ▁lot ▁more ▁pr uning , ▁both ▁of ▁branches ▁and ▁roots