Where can I buy 'Asian style' root-over-rock rocks?

You know how mallsai and other mass produced bonsai sometimes come with a textured grey rock stuck on the soil? Well, I'm looking to get hold of some to make a ROR tree. You often see them in bonsai and penjing from Vietnam, Japan, China etc. The reason I ask is that in the past I've had trouble locating rocks that are gnarled or textured enough to look convincing for ROR bonsai. Can you buy them from anywhere? I'd probably be looking for something around 30cm (12") high more or less.

Failing that, is there a way to make your own ROR rocks? Perhaps something you could mould out of cement, or cementing smaller stones together.

Cheers and merry Christmas!

Hello Rich. Have you ever tried Thermalite blocks? They are extremely light and very easy to carve. You can also stick them together to make very tall or large plantings.

In the US the "Big Box" building supply stores such as Lowe's and Home Depot, will have a pile of stones that they sell for construction/landscape use.

Also in the US there are stone yard that just sell stones of all sizes for landscape/construction use.

Thankyou Gentlemen for your replies!

I'll have to check out Thermalite, and have a look around a couple of box stores for nice rocks. I always had a feeling that slate would do quite well, as long as you could find a piece that was rough enough. Shouldn't be a problem in my native Wales..once the snow clears of course.

I actually have a small cedar and a couple of pines which I was planning to use for ROR. They're being left to grow at the moment so there really is no rush to develop them.

Cheers and merry turkey-eating!