Good Bonsai Nursery.

Hello all

After having a truly awful experience buying a tree through an Ebay vendor (never do that again) I'm wondering if anyone could recommend any internet Bonsai nurseries, or rather Bonsai nurseries that also sell trees online, in the United states from whom they have bought trees successfully. I have already had good results with Dave Lowman at Dasu Bonsai and Fred Janson at Hollow Creek just up the road from me in Lima NY. NE Bonsai and Bonsai West are already known to me, they are both excellent as well I'm sure though I have never ordered a tree online from them.

Who else is out there I wonder?
best
-Jay

I've been very satisfied with Jason Schley at www.schleysbonsai.com. And also with Meehans Miniatures, which is only an hours drive from me, located in Rohrersville, MD.

Thanks Ryan I've not heard of schleys so that just got a bookmark and Meehans looks like a treat, especially if your able to go in person.

drgonzo wrote:Thanks Ryan I've not heard of schleys so that just got a bookmark and Meehans looks like a treat, especially if your able to go in person.

Schleys is great. They have great stock and even better prices. I was fortunate enough to visit Meehans in person and I was blown away 3 greenhouses stocked full from floor to ceiling of tropical species. I bought 2 trees from there for a total of $100.

Meehan's is fine for mail order, & her shipping charge is ridiculously low. She also sells at the major bonsai shows in the East, such as MidAtlantic and Philadelphia Flower Show.
Iris

I have bought from Brussel's Bonsai numerous times and have always been satisfied.

For Tropicals I would look at Wigert's in North Fort Myers, FL. Erik grows some of his own stock but buys a lot from some of the best wholesale outlets here in Florida.

Hi Adam
I'm glad you've had luck with them.

My one experience with that "establishment" was horrible, I'm nursing this poor Maple back to health as we speak, and the staff or at least the staffer I was working with became very combative once a problem was brought to their attention. Their reviews are certainly mixed, especially if you look them up on Amazon, Lots of sentences like "buyer beware"... I would be forced to concur.

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:For Tropicals I would look at Wigert's in North Fort Myers, FL. Erik grows some of his own stock but buys a lot from some of the best wholesale outlets here in Florida.

I COMPLETELY agree with Billy on this. I have never been disappointed with what I've bought from Wigert's. He has great stock and extremely reasonable prices.

Have a great weekend!!!!
Sam

Perhaps you should try visiting Bill Valavanis's INTERNATIONAL Bonsai Arboretum located in Rochester New York?
Bill is holding an Open House next weekend (September 3&4) with free demos and Suiseki Exhibition by the members of the Suiseki Study Group of Upstate New York. You will have Bonsai of all types and price ranges to choose from as well as pots, books, magazines, tools all discounted! It is also Bill's 60th Birthday on Saturday!
Bill has been involved with Bonsai for a few years now...like 50! I think you might want to meet him.

Mark

Mark-

I have had that day marked on my calendar for WEEKS now! I have already been in touch with Bill about a hotel room so I could go for both days without having to drive home..OH I can't wait to go see his collection and meet him! OH YES!

I think Eric Wigert has sources in Puerto Rico for some uncommon tropical trees, such as Bloodwood. Campeche

The problem (and I don't mean it in a bad way) Is that Erics 'what you see is what you get' Trees, though stunning, are certainly out of my price range.

BUT...I have noticed his pre-bonsai trees are reasonable and he has some VERY unusual species available. I'm the kinda guy who likes to be able to pick out the exact tree I will receive, If Eric were to ever offer that sort of service on his website with some of his pre-bonsai, the way say, New England bonsai or Bonsai West does, he and I would be in business!

I doubt I'll ever make it down that way to see him in person, though I'm sure it would be quite the field trip!

Billy M. Rhodes wrote:I doubt I'll ever make it down that way to see him in person, though I'm sure it would be quite the field trip!

The secret is to take the family to Disney World and make a side trip to Eric's.

Ahahahha Billy's comment is hilarious. I'm sure Erik would do that for you. Him and Andrea (his wife and partner in crime) could probably send you pictures of trees that might be what you're looking for. I know one of the things they do is they don't ship during cold weather. If you wanted something say in December they would probably hold it for you until a safe shipping time. I don't know if he charges for that, but his baby-sitting charges are extremely reasonable.

I also know that all the eBay trees they sell are the ones you see a picture of. I completely agree with you, I would want the trees whose picture I see.
Have a great weekend and good luck in your Bonsai Journey.
Sam

ahhh...... Disneyworld...rrrrrriiiiiight....."Of course honey it's just a family vacation".....

drgonzo wrote:ahhh...... Disneyworld...rrrrrriiiiiight....."Of course honey it's just a family vacation".....

And as the weather cools off it is a great time to visit. Make reservations now for Thangsgiving weekend.

drgonzo wrote:The problem (and I don't mean it in a bad way) Is that Erics 'what you see is what you get' Trees, though stunning, are certainly out of my price range.

BUT...I have noticed his pre-bonsai trees are reasonable and he has some VERY unusual species available. I'm the kinda guy who likes to be able to pick out the exact tree I will receive, If Eric were to ever offer that sort of service on his website with some of his pre-bonsai, the way say, New England bonsai or Bonsai West does, he and I would be in business!

I doubt I'll ever make it down that way to see him in person, though I'm sure it would be quite the field trip!

Just send Erik and Andrea an email of exactly what you are looking for, with your price range, and they will send you pictures of what they have available.
I have done this with my Buttonwoods, Brazilian Raintrees, Acacias, Ficus, etc. and have never been disappointed, mostly delighted !

Gandalf...Thank you

I will do exactly that!
Its such a joy to find good reputable folks to work with!!
-jay

I have had great results from Brussel and many ebay vendors. Always read the ads in full and ask questions. If you get quick responses chances are that you will have satisfactory (or better) results. I would never buy a tree unseen (i.e. when they say "you will receive a tree like the one in the picture). However, I have probably bought 10 trees on ebay and have been at least 80% satisfied. I called Brussels on the phone and told them what I was looking for. The tree they sent me was better than I imagined. I also bought a beautiful white pine from"Happy Bonsai" shipped from Shanghi China. It too is awesome and was packaged such that it would survive a trip over Niagra Falls; no joke!!! It took me 30 minutes to unpack but well worth it. But they are no longer selling trees on the Internet.

Since you are going to Bill Valavanis's you will probably find a tree to dream for! Martha and Hugh Meehan are some of the nicest people you will ever meet in Bonsai.

I just order two trees from different vendors on eBay this week. I hope the trees are nice. One is a Scot Pine described as 5 inches tall with a one inch thick trunk. The photo showed lots of branches. The other is a 28 inch Fukien Tea with tiny leaves and thick trunk and lots of branching. The price seemed fair for a small leaved tea tree. We'll see ... as the saying goes!
Happy buying!
Best,
Todd

I'm holding off on a further purchase until after I make my pilgrimage to see Bills trees. I feel so silly having lived within an hour and a half of him and having not visited yet. The Trident I just purchased on Ebay through a "large nursery in Misssissippi" was very sickly and I'm trying hard to keep it in health at this point, the fellow I was dealing with was not terribly nice. Wasn't a "cheap" tree either! Oh well lesson learned.

Actually I've just been poking around at Wigerts Ebay store and those are some very funky and reasonably priced trees. I enjoy tropicals. They give me something to enjoy and play with while I stare out my window at 2 feet of snow! A large south window full of tropical Bonsai is one of my tricks to making it through Upstate NY winters.

FYI,
There is a vendor on ebay who I believe is selling many Brussel Bonsai trees at a substantial mark-up. I looked at the trees he was selling and compared them to many trees on Brussel's web site and they look like the same trees. I guess he is acting like a broker and has a large ebay store.

Did you find anything at Bill's this weekend?

Hi Todd

Oh yes indeed. Bills material was really outstanding, not just variety but health and price wise as well!

walked out on Saturday with a 40 year old Shohin Japanese Beech, Twisted trunk pomegranate with a nice heavy trunk and root flare, and a good sized Crepe Myrtle pre-bonsai.

Walked out on Sunday with a beautiful undulating Larch in a drum pot and a curvy heavy trunked Kurume Azalea Shohin.

Probably went a bit overboard and I could have kept going easily but I've learned over the last few years that GOOD material is HARD to find, and when you find it, go for it! Had an amazing time up there with Bill and the folks from the Upstate Bonsai Society.
thanks for asking and for remembering
-Jay