Best nurseries for shohin bonsai?

[raydomz]

Bnuts...
I am looking for a new shohin trident/j. maple/azalea/firethorn(I'm not too particular) but am having trouble finding anything decent close to home. Are there any nurseries that anyone may recommend for such material/potted trees?



Thanks!

 

[Bill S]

Try New England bonsai assuming you mean for an on line choice, they have some. If really interested see if you can get John Romano to pull one of the Satsukis off the sale bench, they have some Kaeyko(sp?)or some such that have really small leaves and flowers, but they have some stock available. I think there was a recent thread re. a shohin association gone under, relating that shohin and big ones all start the same, so to speak.

http://www.nebonsai.com/

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I've always found NEBS' prices to be absolutely ridiculous. I don't want to offend anyone, but looking at the prices they set for the trees they're offering really turns me away from their website. It looks like they import a lot, so I imagine much of the cost is associated with the quarantine process...but if this is the case, I don't understand why they continue to import.

That being said, I believe Nature's Way might be an option, but I don't think they ship stuff. However, Mr. Doyle said before that they can bring purchased trees to exhibitions and you can meet him to pick up your tree. You could also drive to Pennsylvania, which wouldn't be a terribly long drive from Detroit -- I think it was like 8 hours from Grand Rapids.

Also, Japan is a good place to get shohin from if you know the right people.

Ryan Bell is selling some of his shohin as well: http://japanesebonsaipots.net/for-sale/

 

[Poink88]

Alex,

I had to check NEBS after reading your comment and I have to agree with you. I think the price is way over for the quality you get but that is only MHO.

 

[Bill S]

They import because there is a market for it, they also travel to cal and bring a lot back from there, overhead is overhead.

Alex how much do you figure it would cost to drive for 16 hours?

 

[Redwood Ryan]

I've always found NEBS' prices to be absolutely ridiculous. I don't want to offend anyone, but looking at the prices they set for the trees they're offering really turns me away from their website. It looks like they import a lot, so I imagine much of the cost is associated with the quarantine process...but if this is the case, I don't understand why they continue to import.

I agree with you for the most part, and I really don't agree with what they charge for their large imported Chinese Elms:

http://www.nebonsai.com/mm5/merchan...e=NEBG&Product_Code=PRE_CEL&Category_Code=PRE

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

I understand that they've got overhead that they have to adjust their prices for. And yeah, there's definitely a market for imported trees, but have you seen some of the trees that Bill Valavanis or Bjorn Bjorholm import? Granted most of those trees go for thousands instead of hundreds, there's still a significant difference. However, I must admit that I've never actually been to NEBS and have never seen the trees they likely do not list on their website.

That all depends: what kind of vehicle am I driving in? I'm already calling myself a smart@ss so you don't have to. haha

 

[Bill S]

No problem Alex, I don't work there. You hit on a good point too, most places I have been are close, and tend to have better trees than what thier web pages show, and will deal with regulars differently, thier members get a 10% dicount right off the bat.

The mention of thier sale table was to point in a direction, I got a cool twisty azelea a couple weeks ago that was reg price $115, paid 30% of that. I'll try to post it today.

 

[AboveBeyond]

I agree with you for the most part, and I really don't agree with what they charge for their large imported Chinese Elms:

http://www.nebonsai.com/mm5/merchan...e=NEBG&Product_Code=PRE_CEL&Category_Code=PRE

I find that they have better trees in person than the ones they photograph.

 

[Alex DeRuiter]

That's the thing...a lot of these places cut you a discount if you're a member. Now, that's still a genius idea for them because it ensures return customers and balances the cost/discount issue. Sales seem to be the way to go, and auctions are my favorite. I'd like to see your azaleas...I do remember looking at their site last year sometime and seeing some pretty nice satsukis they had imported.

Just for fun, here are a couple places you can get nice trees. Now, these are probably two more expensive nurseries (from what I've been told), but the trees appear to be of a higher caliber. The first website I believe is the nursery that Bjorn can import from...but please correct me if I'm wrong.

http://bonsaiart.jp/shop/index.html
http://taishoen.org/

 

[Bill S]

Alex, You start gettin cheap trees such as that here, and you better let me know

Ya like a lot of places, it's better to visit, but they have good stuff there, membership is only $10. Worth it for sure, although I tend to go twice a year usually, i have been in the buy for quality rather than quantity of late so not so many visits.

 

[Bill S]

new trees from NEBGS

Here is the Satsuki, and a boxwood I grabbed same day, about 20 for the boxwood, and I think it is Kingsville, the leaves sure are small enough, and the satsuki(kakuo) was about 35, they were on sale at 70% off.

 

[John Romano]

Hi Bill,
That is a Taiwan Boxwood (Buxus Harlandii) - very nice for shohin and I personally think better than Kingsville as they get nice fissured bark and grow faster than Kingsville. They are somewhat hard to find - nice grab!
John

 

[tmmason10]

The selection IS better in person, though I have bought some trees that were offered online and the price was fair. The summer sell down table can't be beat, you can really get a steal. It will be at 80% off when I get there this weekend.