I do a search for a bonsai seller near me and I get Brussels Bonsai Nursery only about 6 miles from my house. It says it has over 100,000 sq feet of greenhouse devoted to bonsai. Supposedly bonsai is all they do as far as plants go. They also have a yearly event where they bring in folks from all over the world to lecture on bonsai growing. [url=https://www.brusselsbonsai.com/about_us/rendezvous07.shtml//url]Brussels Rendezvous 2007 Memorial Day Weekend[/url]
Seems interesting but I wont make it this year but maybe in the future.
So the question is, have any of you done mail order or been there or know anything about them? I am interested before I spend money then find out they are not that good to deal with, or if you have and they are great to deal with?
I am sure they will tell me if I get a tree or two from them but do you have to do anything when taking an outdoor tree from a greenhouse to your yard to acclimate it?
-
Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Geek,
You are very lucky to be so close to Brussels. Although I have no direct knowledge of them they have a very good reputation. You should definitely check them out, if not the rendezvous then soon. You should be able to find something there that appeals to you and being exposed to some better trees can really be inspiring.
Norm
You are very lucky to be so close to Brussels. Although I have no direct knowledge of them they have a very good reputation. You should definitely check them out, if not the rendezvous then soon. You should be able to find something there that appeals to you and being exposed to some better trees can really be inspiring.
Norm
Yeah, I got out there. It was nice and somewhat disappointing at the same time.
The property is beautiful with great landscaping. They have a store where you can get just about anything they sell (if you can find someone to talk to you, not very user friendly). They have huge greenhouses full of trees to look at and buy.
I was kinda disillusioned with all the trees. It was like a cookie cutter outfit with thousands and thousands of identical trees. One of the guys mentioned they get them from china and just resell them. Kinda takes the image of the art form out of it for me. They did have a section of older, shaped trees that were interesting and grown/shaped on site.
They were getting ready for the big weekend event they have every year so it could be they were just busy doing other things and not watching the store.
The property is beautiful with great landscaping. They have a store where you can get just about anything they sell (if you can find someone to talk to you, not very user friendly). They have huge greenhouses full of trees to look at and buy.
I was kinda disillusioned with all the trees. It was like a cookie cutter outfit with thousands and thousands of identical trees. One of the guys mentioned they get them from china and just resell them. Kinda takes the image of the art form out of it for me. They did have a section of older, shaped trees that were interesting and grown/shaped on site.
They were getting ready for the big weekend event they have every year so it could be they were just busy doing other things and not watching the store.
-
Gnome
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: Wed Jul 05, 2006 12:17 am
- Location: Western PA USDA Zone 6A
Geek,
Norm
As you said later, they were probably very busy getting ready for the up-coming event. Give them another chance when things are not so hectic.They have a store where you can get just about anything they sell (if you can find someone to talk to you, not very user friendly).
Don't forget that they need to have products available that appeal to the masses. Most novices are not prepared to shell out hundreds of dollars for a quality tree and prefer to start with something more reasonably priced. I don't see this as a shortcoming on their part, just reality.I was kinda disillusioned with all the trees. It was like a cookie cutter outfit with thousands and thousands of identical trees. One of the guys mentioned they get them from china and just resell them. Kinda takes the image of the art form out of it for me.
Norm
Why? It is not all that realistic to go into a business expecting artistry It is the nature of the business that they do what they need to do to be profitable.I was kinda disillusioned with all the trees. It was like a cookie cutter outfit with thousands and thousands of identical trees.
One of the guys mentioned they get them from china and just resell them. Kinda takes the image of the art form out of it for me.
BTW It is not even the best of the best of the cuttings that become the cookie cutter trees that make it onto the boat and to our shores... We get the leftovers. lol
Try not to focus solely on the red part above, Those can be good to learn on and they have species that are not usually at the big box stores [Some of those mass produced trees can contain magic - It is up to you to find it (Or bring it with you;).]Geek wrote:They did have a section of older, shaped trees that were interesting and grown/shaped on site.
After all, Many places ONLY sell the malsai variety and do not even sell [or have available] trees they have actually put time into. [it is very easy to find places like this online...Too easy.]
ynot