Just a few of my favorite trees on the bench...

[Cadillactaste]

My first bonsai...the bougainvillea


More bougainvillea...recovering nicely after repot/angle change

My reminder of my earlier days...hot tangle mess of roots a double blooming bougainvillea called a cherry blossom. (Deemed now, a fairy garden tree)


My Satsuki Azalea...thanks to Don Blackmond for this one


My shimpaku from BlueRiver Bonsai/Scott


Lastly, my wisteria from Plant City Bonsai...a huge THANKS to Adair who gave me the lead.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I encourage others...if you have a few that just "stick out" as your favorite...even if it changes from day to day...create a new thread and share with us your "favorite on the bench" photos of today.

 

[Cypress187]

I like the shimpaku and i dislike the compound leaves wisteria (for bonsai).

 

[Cadillactaste]

I like the shimpaku and i dislike the compound leaves wisteria (for bonsai).

Thanks that shimpaku is a dream...2D photos just don't do it justice...and I can appreciate your honesty. It's not for everyone. That's what is so grand about bonsai if you think about it..."There are many styles of bonsai...some aren't for everyone...but there are some for everyone." That's my philosophy anyways.

 

[Alain]

I like the 'elegance' of your trees a lot!
And the shimpaku is awesome!

 

[Cadillactaste]

I like the 'elegance' of your trees a lot!
And the shimpaku is awesome!

Thank you! That shimpaku I got for a steal if you ask me...$82 including shipping. Not bad if I have to say so myself. If your on Facebook...look up BlueRiver Bonsai. He doesn't have a website...but, does sell on FB auctions...and if your looking for something particular. As I was...contact him via PM. Very pleased with his material...and after I found out about him. I see more and more commenting and sharing photos of their purchases. All were happy customers.

 

[Alain]

Thank you! That shimpaku I got for a steal if you ask me...$82 including shipping. Not bad if I have to say so myself. If your on Facebook...look up BlueRiver Bonsai. He doesn't have a website...but, does sell on FB auctions...and if your looking for something particular. As I was...contact him via PM. Very pleased with his material...and after I found out about him. I see more and more commenting and sharing photos of their purchases. All were happy customers.

Unfortunately my pocket money budget is far from this kind of $...
Also I'm saving for a trip in Fl for Thanksgiving, I'll try to find a nice willow leaves ficus there.
But thanks for the tip anyway!

 

[Cadillactaste]

Unfortunately my pocket money budget is far from this kind of $...
Also I'm saving for a trip in Fl for Thanksgiving, I'll try to find a nice willow leaves ficus there.
But thanks for the tip anyway!

Your quite welcome...
How about that...a trip! How cool is that...by all means, memories from that will far exceed another tree at this time. But, maybe something to make a mental note of possibly...for, I thought it a sound price. Good luck on the hunt of a willow leaf ficus!

 

[Alain]

Actually my mother in law leaves in Miami so I've already been several times there but at this time I wasn't doing bonsai.

This time I signed a 'compromise agreement contract' with my wife: we'll do whatever she wants there during the week but I'll have 1 trip to 1 nursery, unless there are several nurseries in the same area in this case I could visit more than one. In any case the nurseries must be located close to a Starbucks...
As you could see the terms are tight.
That's why before our travel there I plan to post a thread here to pin-point the best possible nurseries, I won't have too many bullets to spare, it will have to be a 'one shoot, one kill' kind of deal

 

[Cadillactaste]

Actually my mother in law leaves in Miami so I've already been several times there but at this time I wasn't doing bonsai.

This time I signed a 'compromise agreement contract' with my wife: we'll do whatever she wants there during the week but I'll have 1 trip to 1 nursery, unless there are several nurseries in the same area in this case I could visit more than one. In any case the nurseries must be located close to a Starbucks...
As you could see the terms are tight.
That's why before our travel there I plan to post a thread here to pin-point the best possible nurseries, I won't have too many bullets to spare, it will have to be a 'one shoot, one kill' kind of deal

That's rather cool! Love the stipulations...would you believe it or not...I've banned myself from Starbucks as well as those Keurig machines. Because...where I live, there is no Starbucks. So I don't want to find I enjoy theirs more than the corner Speedway. (Which is found in other locations as well) I do an instant cappuccino because it travels well with me to Honduras. Not sure a Keurig would...so yes, I limit myself to my own means. By choice.

So you or the misses into Starbucks?

A week...surely the misses will be off doing something with the family where you can maybe sneak away on a mini excursion if you will...if there are more nurseries that don't have that Starbucks feature.

 

[Alain]

That's rather cool! Love the stipulations...would you believe it or not...I've banned myself from Starbucks as well as those Keurig machines. Because...where I live, there is no Starbucks. So I don't want to find I enjoy theirs more than the corner Speedway. (Which is found in other locations as well) I do an instant cappuccino because it travels well with me to Honduras. Not sure a Keurig would...so yes, I limit myself to my own means. By choice.

So you or the misses into Starbucks?

A week...surely the misses will be off doing something with the family where you can maybe sneak away on a mini excursion if you will...if there are more nurseries that don't have that Starbucks feature.

My wife is into Starbucks, me I'm into coffee, whatever the provenance is.
Actually just her mother leaves in Miami, her family is in Lima, Perou, my wife is Peruvian. You are from Honduras or travel there frequently?

Oops, I meant 'lives' not 'leaves', in all my posts actually

 

[Cadillactaste]

My wife is into Starbucks, me I'm into coffee, whatever the provenance is.
Actually just her mother leaves in Miami, her family is in Lima, Perou, my wife is Peruvian. You are from Honduras or travel there frequently?

Oops, I meant 'lives' not 'leaves', in all my posts actually

Cool...yes, my dad doesn't call Flavored coffee...coffee. He would agree he's a coffee drinker as well.

That's cool your wife is Peruvian! How did you come to meet?

No...not Honduran...

As for us...full time/part time missionaries through WGM (World Gospel Missions) we go back each year. Scheduled for early June again next year. Already planning our trip. Adding an extra day with the children of the frontier. (We have children brought into us as well...from outer laying areas around the village of Magdalena) Planning an activity day, with a school size parachute that I think all children have fond memories of, along with other games. As well as the VBS during the week we are there.

My Spanish is iffy, but I'm trying...their dialect is even hard sometimes for our team leaders to follow. But, not often...my youngest plans to take four years of Spanish...his dream is to eventually visit Paris...but, his intellectual self understand Spanish is a better choice for him with our missionary work.

Finally now that we are full time/part time missionaries...we are able to send things through a channel...to the city for someone from the village to come retrieve. Which is such a huge blessing. With no missionary building yet finished...we are it. No other group/missionary teams visits that remote village that takes 8-12 hours to arrive from the main city. (Depending on roads being washed out...sometimes a two day trek) Such a lovely country side...and the people are so dear to my heart.

Small world, but it's how my love of bonsai began...being able to have a bougainvillea tree...which I seen the first time in Honduras. Reminds me of all our time there...and our purpose...and seeing our project completed.

 

[Alain]

Cool...yes, my dad doesn't call Flavored coffee...coffee. He would agree he's a coffee drinker as well.

That's cool your wife is Peruvian! How did you come to meet?

No...not Honduran...

As for us...full time/part time missionaries through WGM (World Gospel Missions) we go back each year. Scheduled for early June again next year. Already planning our trip. Adding an extra day with the children of the frontier. (We have children brought into us as well...from outer laying areas around the village of Magdalena) Planning an activity day, with a school size parachute that I think all children have fond memories of, along with other games. As well as the VBS during the week we are there.

My Spanish is iffy, but I'm trying...their dialect is even hard sometimes for our team leaders to follow. But, not often...my youngest plans to take four years of Spanish...his dream is to eventually visit Paris...but, his intellectual self understand Spanish is a better choice for him with our missionary work.

Finally now that we are full time/part time missionaries...we are able to send things through a channel...to the city for someone from the village to come retrieve. Which is such a huge blessing. With no missionary building yet finished...we are it. No other group/missionary teams visits that remote village that takes 8-12 hours to arrive from the main city. (Depending on roads being washed out...sometimes a two day trek) Such a lovely country side...and the people are so dear to my heart.

Small world, but it's how my love of bonsai began...being able to have a bougainvillea tree...which I seen the first time in Honduras. Reminds me of all our time there...and our purpose...and seeing our project completed.

Cool story about the Honduras and Hondurans!
Don't know the regulation on bringing back living plants to the States (picky I guess) but some local species must be incredible in term of bonsai potential

I met my wife 20 years ago in Peru, we were working for a Peruvian gold mine company (we are both geologists).
I stayed 5 months in Peru (at this time I became fluent in Spanish but a Spanish learned in a mine, a lot of words would have been R rated ) than I left and we didn't have contact for more than 10 years.
8 years ago she found me on the web via a friend I was having an art exhibit with and who advertised the show on his website.
She contacted me and we are married since (we got married in Vegas, in a drive thru, may be not the most recommended way in term of classical wedding but so 'Vegas' we couldn't resist )

 

[aml1014]

Actually my mother in law leaves in Miami so I've already been several times there but at this time I wasn't doing bonsai.

This time I signed a 'compromise agreement contract' with my wife: we'll do whatever she wants there during the week but I'll have 1 trip to 1 nursery, unless there are several nurseries in the same area in this case I could visit more than one. In any case the nurseries must be located close to a Starbucks...
As you could see the terms are tight.
That's why before our travel there I plan to post a thread here to pin-point the best possible nurseries, I won't have too many bullets to spare, it will have to be a 'one shoot, one kill' kind of deal

I want in on that list I'll be headed to Orlando and fort Meyers next may so I'm saving all the money I can to buy a few trees when I'm there.

 

[mat]

I want in on that list I'll be headed to Orlando and fort Meyers next may so I'm saving all the money I can to buy a few trees when I'm there.

If you're in Orlando towards the end of May, you'll want to stop by the vendor area at the annual state convention. There's always tons of good stuff there (& free admission). Locally, Adam Lavigne has trees for sale. Jason Schley is about an hour North. Ft Myers has Wigert's of course - can't beat that. Robert Pinder's place (Dragontree) in Palm City is great too, though a bit of a drive from here.

 

[aml1014]

I'm

If you're in Orlando towards the end of May, you'll want to stop by the vendor area at the annual state convention. There's always tons of good stuff there (& free admission). Locally, Adam Lavigne has trees for sale. Jason Schley is about an hour North. Ft Myers has Wigert's of course - can't beat that. Robert Pinder's place (Dragontree) in Palm City is great too, though a bit of a drive from here.

I'm already making an appointment to visit adams nursery (he's a bit of my idol and reason I truly got into bonsai )

 

[Cadillactaste]

Cool story about the Honduras and Hondurans!
Don't know the regulation on bringing back living plants to the States (picky I guess) but some local species must be incredible in term of bonsai potential

I met my wife 20 years ago in Peru, we were working for a Peruvian gold mine company (we are both geologists).
I stayed 5 months in Peru (at this time I became fluent in Spanish but a Spanish learned in a mine, a lot of words would have been R rated ) than I left and we didn't have contact for more than 10 years.
8 years ago she found me on the web via a friend I was having an art exhibit with and who advertised the show on his website.
She contacted me and we are married since (we got married in Vegas, in a drive thru, may be not the most recommended way in term of classical wedding but so 'Vegas' we couldn't resist )

Gotta love a woman who knows what she wants...and goes after it. My brother's wife chased him to another state and brought him home and married him. She's the sweetest and best thing that has ever happened to him.

As for where one is married...my oldest son put it like this...the location isn't important...it's the one beside you that is. As long as you love her...it doesn't matter. (He went to a wedding where the bride and groom were married at a bowling alley) Very wise words for an 18 yr. old...

As for bringing back something with me...not going to happen. One has to fill out forms...and they go through a very harsh process...and can't even come into the states for a long while. Looked into it. Thought a bougainvillea tree or something from there might be rather cool. But not happening. Oh well...it is what it is. Just glad I stumbled upon being able to have a bougainvillea bonsai. For I find this hobby quite enjoyable...and rewarding.