connecticut nursery owners

So I've come to the conclusion that many people, nursery owners mostly that I've seen, have a very distorted image of what a bonsai tree is/consists of. Over the past week I stopped at a couple nurseries and talked to the owners asking if that had different species/cultivars. They had asked what exactly I was looking to do with them. I said simply looking for some bonsai material and they all had the same answer. "oh I dont have anything like that". And I'd ask "what do you mean?". "I dont have a miniature plants or tiny Japanese maples". I was pretty amazed at how many of them gave me that answer, especially being in the horticulture business. It kinda bothered me to be honest. Many of them seemed to give off the impression that it was "childs play" to be involved with bonsai. Maybe I'm just venting - who knows? Take it how you want guys.

I belive you. And here in Canada is even worst. Bonsai art is still covered by myths. Nursery business is differently oriented than our relation to the nature, dendrology, art and mainly I think still bonsai has to be hobby than business. That's my 2 cents

hahahhah in Mexico it is even worse!!
Bonsai is a barely unknown art.
People think that just pines can be bonsai, and if it is not a pine then it is not a Bonsai.
and of course they think that Bonsais are just small trees.

Yeah, we have a lovely little garden shop here with tons of hard to find species and cultivars of plants that would be ideal for bonsai, so I stopped in to check it out..... to my surprise at the front gate they had a sign that said new special on bonsai trees, I thought okay maybe they carry some little chinese elms in the shape of an "s". Then I walked around the corner to find a table of what was obviously nothing more than recently rooted cuttings no more than pencil thick planted in tiny little flower pots being sold for upwards of 20 bucks each as "own your own complete bonsai today" gotta love that lol

How odd. I would have thought Connecticut was a more sophisticated state. Here in Central NY when I mention that I am picking a plant for bonsai, most garden center people at least have a ball-park idea what I mean. Have you been to Shanti Bithi? That is the big Connecticut bonsai nursery. You will have to develop your own practiced eye to sift through garden center trees and find the suitable bonsai material.
Iris

Perhaps its my proximity to Bill Valavanis but the nurseries out here are well aware of Bonsai culture and in fact often have bonsai pots for sale along with their regular terra cotta offerings and such..

My funny story regards how one local nursery up my way has stopped asking me if I need help when they see me crawling around on hands an knees eying down rows of plants looking for a good trunk...

Another was aghast when I crammed and smashed an 80 dollar variegated birch into my truck bed, offering me wrapping and tie up services for all the stray branches I was destroying, until I told them I do bonsai and only need the bottom ten inches or so..one guy understood, his younger assistant clearly didn't.

-Jay

Haha, seems like it is the same all over..

I spent a good few hours walking a growers field before the assistent got annoyed and asked what I was doing, pushing aside all the branches of all the trees. Only when the owner stopped by -who knew a little about bonsai- was I getting closer to the aim (And went home with 2 plants the owner thought were no good for regular sale, because they were so irregularly shaped

I think Bonsai have had the gut punched out of it by all the mallsai stock in nurseries / hardware stores. Those trees have set a standard image of what a bonsai should look like.

I have two nurseries near me in Springfield, Illinois. When I go there to look for material they know I'm not looking for starts and they know I'm not going to pay the big bucks for a thirty foot tree to cut back. They both have nursery areas where they have odds and ends stashed because they were damaged, "defective: (based on standard nursery criteria), but they don't want to just shred them. I have picked up several nice boxwoods from these areas.

I also like to go to Lowes, Menards and Home Depot at the tail end of the plant season. They usually have some nice "experimental" stock I can work on for cheap. I still have some evergreens left over from these sales.

Another "city" expedition I like to go on is up and down alleys looking for elm volunteers. I have 15 or 20 that measure from 6 inches to 2.5 feet. Many of these I plan of placing in a forest planting.

"When living in the prairie, it is difficult to find yamadori, which is why I prefer "yama-storey"

Jay

bonsaisr- yes i have gone to shanti bithi, many times. theyre about 40 min away sometimes shorter depending on how fast i hit the merrit parkway. i like it there, nice people, good atmosphere, but their prices are outrageoussss. i mean i understand theyre located in stamford(a ritzy area) but its pretty bad at how much they mark up tools, supplies and especially trees. though the lady Saeko that runs the nursery is very helpful and a great lady.

i also check everywhere i possibly can like some of you, lowes, home depot, nurseries, etc. theres not much for yamadori at all in my area other than the massive amount of mountain laurel. it is 90% of the forrest around here

stagz wrote:itheres not much for yamadori at all in my area other than the massive amount of mountain laurel. it is 90% of the forrest around here

If I/m correct, as the Illinois State tree, flower, plant ... whatever, isn't it stillillegal to go out and harvest Mountain Laurel?

if its on private property you can dig all the mountain laurel you can shake a stick at. (here in CT)

stagz wrote:if its on private property you can dig all the mountain laurel you can shake a stick at. (here in CT)

It's been a few decades since I lived in Connecticut. All I knew when growing up was don't dig the laurel!
Thanks for the update!

It doesn't matter where you live, in ordinary plant Garden Centers, the owners no very little at all about Bonsai.

The last Garden Center I worked at I had to explain what a bonsai was. As was the case with most of the Garden centers, nurseries I have been to in the last

30 some years.

Garden Centers are run to sell plants period.

gary-completely understood, and i dont expect them to know and have the knowledge of every aspect of everything. i was just simply pointing out the misconceptions and stereotypes attained by many

stagz,

Yes I was talking generally. You can find stuff to work with at most Garden Centers, and unless you live near a true

Bonsai Nursery, in California or Bill Valvanis, etc., most "Garden center owners don't sell bonsai. You know what I mean.