You are hereBonsai noob looking for some guidance.
Bonsai noob looking for some guidance.
Hi, I'm currently near Polaris and looking for some helpful info. I've always been fascinated with the art of Bonsai and up until now haven't been in a house with any sort of good outdoor or even a indoor environment to use. Now that I'm out of a apartment and finished with college I'd like to give Bonsai a dedicated go. The last time I planned to do it I went to the library and took out a bunch of books. I plan to do the same this time around as well as go to Barnes and Noble and pick up a good starter book.
First and foremost I need a good starter plant for the area. I'm actually from Pittsburgh and do plan to go back soon but the climates are the same so the plant choice should be in line with both areas. Am i better off seeking out a Bonsai nursery and buying a trained plant or can I go to a local nursery like Oakland Nurseries for example and pick up a plant to train?
Either way I'm obviously new to all this and even after picking up the books from the library my time was limited so I didn't get a ton of reading done anyway. Soooo basically I'm looking for a few good plant selections and maybe a book suggestion or two. I registered at "The Bonsai Site" Bonsaisite.com last year when I was going to give this a serious go so I'm now posting over that way again as well. ANY help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. Rory.
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$20 can get you a basic starter tree.
$50 can get you a nice tree.
$500 can get you a very nice tree.
Thank you for the response. I've been there a few times so I know how to get there I just wanted to make sure it was the correct conservatory, if there is even another one in the area. What should I expect to spend one a solid starter specimen at the show? I'm assuming that's a better way to go than stopping by oakland nursery and making one of my own.
Yes, the Franklin Park Conservatory, on Broad St in Columbus.
There is a map on our About Us page.
Thanks for the reply. Now when you say conservatory is that the Franklin Conservatory? I've been in the area for a little under a year but my gf is from Delaware Ohio and I've been to the Franklin Conservatory a few times. The Bonsai trees there are actually what really turned me on to the art. I'll definitely make it a point to try and make the show and thank you for the plant suggestion. If i didn't buy from a reputable vendor I was going to go with a cotoneaster via the suggestion of a friend who did a lot of research but never dove headlong in to the hobby. Thanks again for the info and I hope to make the show.
Honestly, I wouldn't even worry about buying a book.
I would get some from your local library. Also, our club has a library that is open to all members.
Books tend to be vague and not specific to our region. You can learn so much more, and up-to-date information, online.
I would recommend coming to the June 20th show at the Conservatory and buying a tree from one of our vendors. There will be 3 vendors there who all sell nice, low priced trees.
You can always go to a local nursery and pick up something, but you should not repot it until next early spring. You can repot trees now, but you will have to protect them from the sun and wind for a month or so. Most references say that it is too late to repot now.
I would recommend a juniper, ficus, mugo pine, or cotoneaster. All of these are easily obtainable from local nurseries, are resistant to abuse, and are typically used for bonsai.
Again, I would come to our show, or the Dawes Arboretum show the weekend before our show.