There are many ways to grow a Bonsai. You can grow them from a seed, from a cutting, from a sapling or from a ready made Bonsai that you can purchase. Here are the different options that you have when growing a Bonsai tree.

From a Seed This is the slowest way to grow a Bonsai. It involves planting a tree in some rich soil and then letting it grow. It takes a very long time as you might expect! You will need to wait 5-10 years for your seed to grow into the Bonsai that you want it to be. However, for some people this is an ideal option. Letting the tree grow from a seed adds such a personal element to it that it can have so much meaning to you. I suggest though that this isn't your only option and that you grow some other, faster Bonsai alongside your seeds. And don't forget about the seeds once you've planted them!

From a Cutting This isn't really much faster then growing a Bonsai from a seed. Personally I would avoid this as if it's going to take much the same length as a seed, I'd want to do it properly. That said, it the tree you take a cutting from has a lot of meaning to it, for example you got married under it (proposed under it, had a memorable picnic etc) then a cutting would be an ideal memory of that tree. If you had a picture, you could even go and model it after that tree if you like.

From a Sapling This is my favourite method. It involves heading down to the nursery and choose a tree that you like the look of, and working from there. There is enough creativity in the process that will mean the tree is distinctly yours yet it won't take nearly as long as growing from a seed or a cutting as I wrote about above.

From a pre-made Bonsai This can be a good option for people who want to get the feeling of Bonsai without going and committing to one of the above options. You can buy pre grown Bonsai from the internet and there might be some specialists that grow them in your town or country you can get some from. These trees are certainly more expensive then the above options, however they offer that instantaneous result that some people want. They will come in a pre-set style (informal upright, formal, cascade etc) and there won't be much you can do with that. You can change the branch and foliage appearance over time if you really want to though.

Growing a Bonsai is an excellent way to connect and enjoy nature in your back garden. I love Bonsai creation, and I'm sure you will as well.