New bonsai for my birthday

[checkerboard]

Hello all,
I think I signed up here a few months back but have never introduced myself. My name is Alison and I bought a bonsai many years ago at a Christmas market. At the end of last year the leaves began to droop and go crisp. We took it outside (it was previously stored in my bedroom) and stored it in our greenhouse, and the leaves got softer and less droopy but it lost its colour.

I'm not sure if this is normal or not. We were worried it was going to die on us so today is my birthday and my parents bought me a new bonsai (though I do hope my current bonsai sticks around and gets its colour back. Any tips or advise, i'm all ears!)

My new bonsai came from Dobbies and the ticket just says "Bonsai in ceramic with stones". I looked online at many sites to try and figure out what type it is and how to care for it. The compost is as dry as the desert, but I want to make sure I start caring for it as I am meant to.


Does anyone know what sort of tree this is, and how it would be cared for? My current tree just gets watered and mist sprayed twice a week, and 2 pellets of food placed into the soil once a month between April and September. Would the new tree be similar, and is it an indoor or outdoor plant? It was indoors at Dobbies.

 

[sorce]

Dobbie the house elf?

Just. Kidding.

Welcome,

You got a nice tree now! Don't know what it is.
All trees are outdoor trees.

Where are you located? Zone matters for advice.

Sorce

 

[checkerboard]

Thanks for the reply, Sorce!
If Dobbie the house elf had a garden centre, I think that'd be pretty cool. Unfortunately, all they share is the name.
I'm located in Scotland, UK.

 

[Eric Group]

Looks like a Boxwood or some sort of dwarf Holly. Not 100%, but that is my best guess from the pics.

Any idea what type of tree the first one is/ was? Looks like a goner I am sorry to say.

You keeping these INSIDE? Not the best plan for most species except the tropicals...

 

[checkerboard]

Thanks for the replies. Someone told me that the first bonsai in the photos looked like a Chinese Privet.
In regards to storing the new one inside, that's the plan. But as a newbie, i'm here to learn so really want to hear your suggestions on how to care for it best, and i'll try to do just that.

 

[BunjaeKorea]

The second pick really looks like boxwood, probably English Boxwood from your location. It seems to have small multi-sphered buds which are flower buds on boxwood. From the thickness of the trunk I would say it is a fairly old tree. If you ever trim it be sure to leave some growth on the branches you trim or they will die back. Boxwoods need to have some leaves on a branches to keep the sap flowing. The first thing you need to do is take it OUTSIDE! And don't overdo it with the fertiliser. Boxwoods have very dense root systems so they make good bonsai naturally but thicken slowly so the tree you have seems a fair age. (If indeed it is an English Boxwood then I ham told the flowers do smell unpleasantly odd. Let me know if it is true.) Thanks for posting it's a nice looking tree.

 

[Cypress187]

Ouchh, that first one is dead i think (unless is decidious and still asleep), but looking at that soil i think it drowned. And the other one looks like boxwood.