Bonsai Sales & Services

Sections:

  1. Seeds + Bonsai-From-Seed Guide
  2. Trees
  3. Bonsai Pots - NEW
  4. Bonsai soil - NEW
  5. Services
    1. Bonsai Workshops - Up Next: 3/2/24-3/3/24, 12-5pm Free Repotting Study Group / Nursery Open House in Upper Arlington, OH (near Columbus)
    2. Artistic Landscape Tree Pruning, Styling, & Maintenance - Up to 50% off! Schedule your free consultation today.
    3. Bonsai Club Lectures
    4. Bonsai Lessons / Consultations (Virtual or In-Person)
    5. Other Bonsai Care and Maintenance Services

Seeds + 10-Year Bonsai From Seed Guide

As I said in my blog post, Making the "Glory to Ukraine, Peace to Ukraine! / Слава Україні, мир Україні!" Bonsai Display, I will be donating 10% of my bonsai seed sales to charities in Ukraine. At the links below you can also contribute directly to the National Bank of Ukraine in support of humanitarian aid or in support of their defense forces. 

Donate Directly

  1. National Bank of Ukraine Opens Fundraising Account for Humanitarian Assistance to Ukrainians Affected by Russia’s Aggression
        As regular readers know, I strongly believe a better bonsai seed kit needs to be made available for 
those interested in growing bonsai from scratch. Too many bonsai seed kits include seeds that never germinate, offer no support to new growers, and if you can get germination, they offer no instructions on how to turn this sapling into a mature, respectable bonsai. To that end, I've leveraged my experience as a bonsai apprentice at Elandan Gardens and my teacher's 60+ years of experience in growing bonsai from seed to compose a practical guide on seed-growing bonsai. My seed-growing guide is focused on foundational bonsai strategies for the first 10 years of growing like building your trunk, selecting and wiring branches, and creating good nebari (root flare). Every order of seeds comes with the growing guide at no additional charge! The physical guide and seeds will be mailed to you together.

My seeds are collected from a variety of locations including bonsai gardens, botanic gardens, public arboretums, and on occasion, city streets and wild locations. The specifics of each seed are listed in their Etsy listing.

Seeds require you to cold-stratify them yourself as dry storage for most species is critical to their longevity. In spring, some select varieties are available pre-stratified.

Etsy offerings as of Autumn 2022. (Some new species have since been added. See Etsy for the full list)

Available seeds (on Etsy)

Low on stock / available upon request:

  • Pidgeon Pea (tropical)
  • Avocado (tropical)
  • Lemon (tropical/subtropical)
  • Orange (tropical/subtropical)
  • Rain tree, Samanea saman (tropical, also not the same as Brazillian Raintree)
  • Clitoria ternata (tropical) (I'm low on this one and saving for myself but could be requested)
  • Western Larch (limited)
  • Subalpine fir (limited)
  • Douglas fir (limited)
  • Alaska Yellow Cedar (low on this one, probably saving the rest for myself)

Out of stock: 

  • Dwarf Japanese Maple
  • English Yew (will return in 2024)
  • Brewer Oak
  • Chestnut Oak
  • Chinkapin Oak

Fresh seeds coming in 2024 (and more not yet listed!)

  • Korean (Kousa) dogwood
  • Florida dogwood
  • Pitch pine
  • --
  • English Yew restock
  • American hornbeam restock
  • Northern Spicebush restock
  • Chinese Elm restock

Trees

I am officially a licensed nursery registered with the state of Ohio as of 2023! I specialize in growing native bonsai from seed, digging local wild bonsai from yards and forests, and propagating tropicals for beginner bonsai artists to enjoy. Contact me to see my nursery in person or inquire about anything in particular you are looking for. I am located now in northern Upper Arlington, near Columbus, OH. Occasionally I may update the links below with more details on what trees are currently available but generally, an in-person visit is the best way to see everything available at a given time. Contact me to arrange a visit appointment!

*$15 minimum for delivery within 15 miles of OSU campus in Columbus. Beyond that, we can negotiate based on the order. No shipping at this time, but maybe in the future.

Available Bonsai & Prebonsai
  • Tropicals (indoor-friendly)
  • Deciduous
    • Privet yamadori
    • Barberry yamadori
    • Catalpa
    • Thundercloud plum
    • Redbud
    • Virginia creeper
    • Gray bark grape
    • Mulberry
    • Silky dogwood
    • Azalea
    • Hackberry
    • Black locust
    • Red maple
    • Honey locust
    • Amur maple
    • Quaking aspen
    • Northern Spicebush
    • Sweetgum
    • Apple
    • Chinese elm
    • American elm
    • Native ash spp.
    • Sugar maple
    • Black walnut
    • And more...
  • Broadleaf evergreens
    • Boxwood yamadori
    • And more...
  • Coniferous
    • Japanese black pine
    • Yew yardadori
    • Monterey Cypress (semi-tropical)
    • Juniper spp.
    • And more...

Bonsai Pots - NEW

I now sell pots! I received a special shipment to sell on behalf of Blue Nose Trading. See the pieces of her work I have available here or schedule an appointment to visit my nursery in Columbus, OH via the contact form here. These are mainly for local pickup/delivery only but shipping can be requested.

Bonsai Soil

This year in 2024 I ordered wholesale pumice to package and sell at my nursery. If you like or want to try this highly durable and drainage-improving soil substrate in your bonsai, I sell it both as pure 3/16-1/4" pumice or mixed with pine bark at ratios of 50/50 or 33/66 depending on your preference. The 50/50 mix is cheaper and holds a bit more water but both of these mixes are modified from the soil mix of my bonsai teacher, Dan Robinson of Elandan Gardens. Together we have nearly 70 years of experience using this particular soil mix in a variety of climates. 

See more details on my bonsai soil available here. It is mostly for pickup in Central, Ohio but delivery to other nearby states may be possible in upcoming road trips I will take this year. Shipping is also possible. Contact me for inquiries here.

Services

Bonsai Workshops

Up Next: 

  • Free Bonsai Repotting Study Group / Nursery Open House - Saturday 3/2/24 and Sunday 3/3/24 from 12-5pm at my nursery in Upper Arlington, OH (near Columbus). I'll be repotting trees anyways so come bring something to work on or just learn through observing others! Contact me here to RSVP and get the address.
Other workshops available on demand are:
  • Yew Phoenix grafting ($100/person for a 3-hour workshop). I provide carved juniper deadwood, yew whips, training pots, and bonsai soil for slip-pot. This workshop was first hosted in the spring of 2023 and was well-received by all who attended. Participants should bring their own pruners, pliers, and bonsai wire, but some recycled wire and small loaner pruners are available also.
  • Beginner repotting and initial styling ($50/person for a 2-hour workshop) where we take young stock (participants receive either tropical/indoor suitable material or stock intended for outdoor growing; inquire about exact species availability as it varies over time), repot them into training pots and perform initial wiring and pruning to set an initial shape. Loaner pruners, soil, and recycled bonsai wire are provided.
  • Intro to kintsugi repair. If you have a broken pot, inquire here. I'll be happy to source and supply the necessary tools for the 2-in-1 step technique I have written about. I will provide you the epoxy, gold, silver, or copper-colored mica powder, parchment paper, and toothpicks for application. I will show you how to begin sealing the pot together here in person in this 1-hour workshop but for a pot with many pieces broken you will have to let segments dry completely for about 1 day before adding the next piece, so much of it will need to be completed at home which is why I provide the supplies for you to take home. $75/person.
  • Carving workshop ... my priciest workshop as especially for using power tools, I will need to get liability insurance for this and you will be expected to sign a liability waiver. I am most proficient in mechanical deadwood carving via Dremel and Die Grinder. I have been instructed in both the Dan Robinson and the Will Baddeley styles of carving. I also have limited but expanding experience in Si Dao manual carving techniques, especially with the use of bark scrapers, trunk splitters, and jin pliers, and will be happy to demonstrate all of these methods (these are lower risk, so it could be done without the liability insurance). The main area I do not have experience in is carving via chisels. Contact me if interested.
    • We can combine this with a privet wiring and styling workshop. I have a few privets left over from my CBS workshop. Again, this workshop was well received by all who attended!
  • Wiring and Clip and grow workshops for primary branch lines and foliage pad development
    • For $50 I will provide a 2-hour workshop where you will practice wiring and pruning on honeysuckle bonsai. I have several which I saved with permission from Columbus Parks from our latest invasive removal event in spring 2023. These trees are intended explicitly for beginners to practice bonsai techniques. Participants who take this workshop can take home the tree to continue their long-term practice, just make sure to pick off flowers once they are done blooming in future years to prevent the plant from producing seeds.
    • Other material is available to teach this subject area if you have a different species preference (price may vary).

Artistic Landscape Tree Styling, Pruning, and Maintenance

40% OFF TOTAL PRICE if you schedule a consultation by 3/31/2024 
10% Off your next pruning session if you refer a friend!

          For those near Columbus, OH, I offer my experience in styling small landscape trees (<15 ft tall, called Niwaki in Japanese) in the style of bonsai. See the before & after gallery section of my blog to get a better idea of my abilities. A few selected examples of my work are included below for convenience. Contact me if you would like to discuss this option to schedule a free consultation.

Example: Cleanup & Cutback on a Laceleaf Japanese Maple Landscape Tree (Niwaki)

Old Japanese Maples are a pleasure to prune! They just need their regular maintenance, otherwise, it is a much more involved process to reset their structure. This was a tree I pruned for a client. Due to the major reset, further years of monitored growth are needed.

Example: Pruning Japanese Black Pine Landscape Trees (Niwaki)

I have extensive experience in pruning landscape pines as well. All learned from his bonsai teacher Dan Robinson at Elandan Gardens.

Bonsai Club Lectures

Here are lectures I have given to the Columbus Bonsai Society or other local plant organizations/events to date. If you're interested, I can update one of these to give a lecture to your local bonsai society or we could brainstorm new topics as well. Contact me to inquire on dates and rates. For 2024, weekend dates are most preferred.
  • Time-Saving Tools to Grow Healthy Bonsai Indoors
    • Upcoming in April 2024 for Ann Arbor Bonsai Society
  • Introduction to Traditional and Modern Takes on Formal Bonsai Displays
  • Essential Steps to Grow Bonsai From Seed
  • Science for Successfully Growing Cacti and Succulents Indoors
  • Introduction to Yamadori (Wild-Bonsai) in Ohio and Beyond
  • Basics of Growing and Assessing Bonsai
  • Fundamentals for Outdoor Bonsai Care and Styling
  • Techniques and Philosophies for Styling Bonsai
  • Fundamentals for Indoor Bonsai Care and Styling
  • Experimental Results in Bonsai
    • Upcoming in August 2024 for Columbus Bonsai Society

Bonsai Lessons

          In the post-Covid age, I now offer both in-person and virtual bonsai consultations. I can help pass on basic horticulture information and formulate design ideas. Those who do not have a bonsai club in your local area may find this especially useful. Contact me if interested.

Other Bonsai Care and Maintenance Services

I offer my bonsai skills in digging trees, repotting, pruning, wiring, unwiring, carving, treating deadwood. watering, fertilizing, etc. See the before & after gallery section of my blog to get a better idea of my abilities. Bonsai boarding is also possible for brief or extended vacations. Contact me if interested.

Example: Decandling Japanese Red Pine

An example of my work as an apprentice at Elandan Gardens. 4 years of decandling pines... it changes you. Luckily all the holes in my hands have now healed!

Example: Thinning Alaska Yellow Cedar

Thinning Alaska Yellow Cedars and related Thujas are very time-consuming tasks. The perfect job for an apprentice! Pruning fronds in this way results in the regeneration of smaller fronds as well as backbudding for ramification.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)