Looking for recommendations from anyone around Austin TX area

I'm from Tallahassee, FL which isn't a real city. The nurseries here just have the run of the mill species that every garden center in the south has.

I'll be going to visit my brother in Austin, TX area just after Christmas and was hoping to pick up a trident maple, maybe a larch, shimpaku juniper...whatever else looks good for the price. Mainly looking for saplings/pre-bonsai less than 50 bucks each in 1 gallon pots. Anyone have any good sources for these types of trees at a reasonable price in the area?

Thanks,
Mike

Post deleted.

I found MBP Bonsai Studio, and Jade Garden online but I'm guessing they are going to be pretty proud (aka expensive) of their trees. Have you ever been to either of those nurseries?

Never been to MBP, but Jade Gardens is nice. Worth the visit for sure, I'll let you decide whether or not you agree with the prices though I think that ANY bonsai/pre-bonsai are too expensive (for me at least). I'd much rather wait and collect a fine specimen, or get some nursery stock with good character! Sorry I couldn't be of more help, I've been searching for the same "perfect" nursery here in Texas and have had no such luck! Hopefully yours is better.


G

I'm from Tallahassee, FL which isn't a real city. The nurseries here just have the run of the mill species that every garden center in the south has.

Hmm. You must really love it there. 285,000 people is a city in MY book -- considering that the nearest town to me now is 900 souls, plus or minus.

I can't imagine what you are looking for. I lived in Tallahassee for 40 years up to 5 years ago and know several nurseries that had excellent stock -- certainly better than what I find around here.

Tallahassee Nurseries on Thomasville Road has to be the equal of any nursery in Florida. They stock a large number of varieties and a big selection of each. In their large tree section they have many impressive beech (for example) that would make great bonsai. They were all much larger than the trees I grow, so I never got one. The crape myrtle selection is especially nice. They are not cheap, so if that is your criterion for a "good" nursery, you are out of luck, I guess. I've bought Trident maples from them. Last I saw, there were dozens of shimpaku to choose from. Larch will NOT survive in Tallahassee.

Espositos is smaller, but also has a good selection. Then there is one 10-15 miles east of town on US 90 that has an especially nice selection of azalea. I forget its name.

There was a small landscape nursery on Bannerman Road that often had very nice material.

Then, just across the Georgia line to the north are acres and acres of wholesale landscape nurseries which I've used to get nice plants. And don't forget TiTi Nursery in the Georgia town of the same name. It's just a few miles north of Thomasville.

Please say hello to everyone in the Tallahassee Bonsai Society.

JimLewis wrote:

Tallahassee Nurseries on Thomasville Road has to be the equal of any nursery in Florida. They stock a large number of varieties and a big selection of each. In their large tree section they have many impressive beech (for example) that would make great bonsai. They were all much larger than the trees I grow, so I never got one. The crape myrtle selection is especially nice. They are not cheap, so if that is your criterion for a "good" nursery, you are out of luck, I guess. I've bought Trident maples from them. Last I saw, there were dozens of shimpaku to choose from. Larch will NOT survive in Tallahassee.

Please say hello to everyone in the Tallahassee Bonsai Society.

Thanks for the insight Jim. I'll say hello to everyone for you there is a club meeting this Sunday. Yes, I don't consider Tallahassee a city. It's the only place I've ever lived so it's probably one of those "grass is greener on the other side" complexes. Not that I want to live in a big city but finding specialty items is near impossible.

I've been to Tallahasse Nurseries 3 or 4 times this year specifically looking for tridents and they have never had them just lots of Acer palmatum of different variants. Never saw any shimpaku's either just nana, the blue carpet varieties and some cedars. They do have a great selection of the more common stuff like you mentioned such as crepe myrtles some azalea species...etc. I've also seen a decent supply of JBP there too but they mostly have shrubs and not too many trees like elms, birches, beech. I've only been to espisito's once in 2011 but they didn't have any tridents either.

I knew the larch would be a stretch but figured if they had them in Austin TX and have survived the summer they would live in Tally too. I doubt there would be any in the Austin area but was going to look anyway.

Gentleman G, thanks for your experience with Jade Gardens. I didn't expect to buy anything with much of a trunk just looking for something relatively cheap that will be going in the ground for a few years anyway.

I have collected a few of the native species here and will collect more in mid January but was looking for a few of the traditional bonsai species that were harder to come by in my area. If my search falls through I can always get a cutting from the local club but of course would like to have a couple year old tree with the trunk about the size of a pencil and already rooted but as I mentioned it will be going in the ground anyway so I will not be too disappointed with a cutting if it comes to that.

Ah, a question for an Austinite. MBP is definitely much closer to Austin. The owner Mike and his wife have had Trident maple digs from their grow out field on a yearly basis. They are not too overly priced but the trick is to actually get them to let you buy one of their pre-bonsai, atleast the tridents. The owners are very into classes and they usually need many of the pre-bonsai, more affordable pieces, for classes. They have some amazing stuff as well, a good number of small black pines, small chinese elms, and some beautiful old mame tridents, etc. They definitely have larger ones too.

Jade Gardens is quite a different beast. First it is a drive but I have made it numerous times because it is worth it. Last time I saw he had more tridents available and affordable but about 1/2" - 3/4" thick trunks. Their not for sale collection is breath taking!!!!!!!!!!! I actually fell in love with Texas Persimmon bonsai since going there and they are now on my list of grow-outs. They also had a butt load of small pre-bonsai black pines. They have more native bonsai than MBP as far as I remember.

I don't know if I would get my hand slapped or shaken if the owners saw my comments and knew who I was so I mean no harm in case. I will continually go to both because they have fairly good prices for trees they have put work into and they are the only two I know around here so thats another thing.

I agree Texas Persimmon make good bonsai. Althou they are salt intolerant. I would try to find some Cedar Elms, they are usually easy to find and they grow like weeds. I think there is a small bonsai nursery called persimmon hill, I don't know if they will be close to where you are. There is a excellent bonsai artist by the name of Joe Day, he is in Mobile Alabama on the way to texas. He sells trident starters and sarrissas and pre Bonsai. Not to mention a hellva nice guy. I can PM you his # if you like.

Have a safe trip
Mitch

Thanks for the info guys. Mitch, if you don't mind passing along Joe Day's information I'd be greatful. I found this article about him. http://absbonsai.org/joe-day-portrait-of-a-bonsai-stylist-and-slab-maker

Mike

Pm sent

Mitch

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and help. I never got a response to the e-mail I sent Mr. Day so I didn't end up catching up with him.

I went to MBP Bonsai and they had 15 or so pre-bonsai tridents that had been trunk chopped a couple times. I got one of those for $25 so I got what I was looking for. They had some impressive trees but also had a lot of trees (mostly evergreens) that didn't look like they were in great health. They were pretty proud of everything in a bonsai pot but I expected as much.

I also collected a ceder elm that hopefully will recover and make a nice bonsai one day. Lots of cool native species there. Would have liked to collect an ebony too but when they were all over the place in the hill country I didn't have any collecting tools with me. Beautiful country out there.