Thank you, Aklister.

It's good to connect with other tenders online, brought together from such diverse locations as South Africa and Missouri. Here in Rochester the snowy season appears to have come at last, and I've brought Eustace-himesama inside since I doubt this tree is dormant.

It would be fun to go to a bonsai club, but while I'm in Zen training its more practical to meet other tenders online (than if I had a car and lots of free time).

Hello everyone, my name is Valerie. I'm 28 and also from western NY. Apparently there are at least three of us on the forum!
Ive been interested in bonsai for years. When I was in junior high I had a lemon tree and a hibiscus. I tried growing my own trees. For various reasons I put bonsai away in my head until last year when my friend was given a huge juniper by the new local hydroponics store. I went and dug up a lot of little maple trees growing around. Then I bought a large juniper, then my husband and I went tree collecting, then I went nuts. I now have many Japanese black and white pines, two small junipers, two trident maples, some dawn redwoods, chinese dogwood, two japanese maples, a sequoia, some collected pine trees, two larger pines i bought from nursery, two baobabs, an azalea, many collected maple trees, some collected trees I haven't identified, and am trying to sprout some oaks (which are sprouting!) shellbark hickory, lead tree, horseflesh mahogany, mugo pine, silk tree, locust tree, larch, banyan, more sequoias and redwoods, orange trees, and a few others. I just bought some weeping Hinoki cypress, poinciana and silk cotton tree seeds as well as three acer maple and three Electra blue cedars. I'm lucky because I live in an area where I'm sure there are lots of yamadori. We have very pine-loving soil and massive limestone and conglomerate boulders.

My name is Valerie and I admit that I have a problem, haha .

Bonsai and trees are addictive! My sister was just in Yosemite and sent us so many photos of the beautiful sequoias. I'm glad to hear from so many areas of the world on here. Each place has its own beautiful and exciting trees.


In my "off" time I study accounting, work at the family business and my other job, sing in a band, learn to play the drums, spoil my cats, watch tv with my husband, and read.

Anyway, I find growing trees soothing and bonsai fascinating. I'd love to go to Japan and want to make it up to the bonsai club in buffalo.

One day I'd love to have my own nursery and raise trees and bonsai for a living.

I'm glad to be part of the forum! Thank you all for your community and for your help.

Welcome Valerie.
I too am an addict. I have a problem. I started just 3 years ago with a privet. I now have something in the neighborhood of 25 trees with no plans of stopping any time soon. haha
You're in good company here.
Lance

Pinkham wrote:

Welcome Valerie.
I too am an addict. I have a problem. I started just 3 years ago with a privet. I now have something in the neighborhood of 25 trees with no plans of stopping any time soon. haha
You're in good company here.
Lance

How dare you say you have a problem? Only (!) 25 trees you say? Only last night I got another 6 (crateagus) from a hedgerow that had to go. Nooo.. with 25 in 3 years you are doing fine. A good bonsai startup collection has at least 50 plants to keep you from playing too much with the plants

Hello Valerie, wow you have so many different tree species, im really jealous.

Dam leatherback.. I thought i had a good little collecting going. I probably only have like 20 plants growing.. Many of them not great bonsai material

I think this year I'm going to seriously look at all of my existing trees and get rid of the ones that don't really have potential. .I'll replace them....one...at..a..time. Very slowly so nobody notices (but me)...I don't need the hassle Haha.
I think it's a great plan.

Pinkham wrote:

I think this year I'm going to seriously look at all of my existing trees and get rid of the ones that don't really have potential. .I'll replace them....one...at..a..time. Very slowly so nobody notices (but me)...I don't need the hassle Haha.
I think it's a great plan.

yup, that is what I am doing but in a more natural way: My wife sees me come home with a new tree, walks into the garden: "Which one are you giving away dear?"

So all my ficus startups are off to the compost now. I am dropping half of my linde trees (To be honest: I gave some 10 of them away over winter already, so I could add some crapapple seedlings). I now have over 100 tree-lings, and I want that number to be under 70 by the end of the year.

I wish i lived near you leatherback, i could do with the extra trees to play around with

MWid wrote:

I wish i lived near you leatherback, i could do with the extra trees to play around with

Instead, find a second-hand traders website and flip through the trees / gardening / shrubs / plants sections. I have had some nice plants that way

cool, going to have a look now. I dont think that kind of thing is very popular in SA, but I will have to find out.