First Bonsai Gift

DesertPanda

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I was hoping to get some suggestions. In August of this year, my niece will turn three. She has shown (as much as a three-year-old can) an interest in gardening. Starting in March, we will be planting some really basic flowers and vegetables in a area at her house. I would like to get her a bonsai for her birthday (providing she sticks to the gardening and doesn’t let mommy take care of it) that she can water and “take care of” (I will do most of the care with her helping with things like repotting when it comes, etc.).
Now, I know most of the basic and simplest “first bonsai” but I was wondering if anyone or everyone had suggestion on what to get her. I figure that if I get it as pre-bonsai in the next month or so, I can take care of it until August, make sure it is going to survive (with care at least), and get it ready. My thoughts so far are:

• Something evergreen (conifer or otherwise)-I figure this will make it more interesting for her in the long run

• Something fairly cheap-I am willing to spend money to spoil and teach my niece bonsai but I do not think that the chances that it might die warrant spending hundreds of dollars

• Nothing that is poisonous to people or pets-I am pretty sure she cannot take the precautions necessary

• Something that will do good in zones 8a or 8b naturally and is fairly hardy.

• Possibly something that has a flowering season-This is not necessary but once again, I am trying to capture the interest of a three year old.

Please anyone chime in on this. Thank you.
 

Poink88

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Yaupon holly or winterberry might fit that bill. Just make sure you get the fruiting one. They can be evergreen or deciduous though depending on your temps.
 
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DesertPanda

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I was thinking about yaupon, it does fairly well in the area and I have a supplier that I can get some very nice fairly cheap trees from.
 

rockm

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Believe me, I understand. I raised my own three year old, but FWIW, given the analogy to pets, keeping a bonsai might be a bit too much of a challenge.

The garden itself is probably going to be a lot more interesting since there is much more to do there. A bonsai, I'm afraid, probably isn't going to hold much interest for long, especially if it gets dropped and broken (and a broken pot really isn't something a three year old should be handling).

It could also mean more work for the child's parents.
 

DesertPanda

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I was most defiantly thinking about using a plastic training pot instead of anything ceramic. I am a Safety Engineer and I think I might get my decoder ring taken away if I gave her a ceramic pot.
 

Si Nguyen

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Nice thoughts! I got my little kids to make bonsai as presents for other people and they had a lot of fun. Mine were 5 and 6 at the time when they started. I have taught a few cub scouts ( my kids' dens) how to do bonsai too, but afterward, they had to give the tree to their moms for Mother's Day. I think the key thing is to give the tree away so it will have at least a chance to survive , and in the process, infect others with the bonsai love. Your 3 year old is bit too young though. I like Dario's suggestion of a Yaupon holly too. Those things are indestructible! They were my first bonsai and I still have some after 15-20 years. Cheap Nana junipers from Home Depot are good first trees too. Give her a pair of scissors and let her do the trimming. You will be pleasantly surprised how nice of a tree they can make. One more thing I would add is use a larger more colorful pot for the tree. Kids like blue and red pots. Take her too a nursery and let her pick out a pot for herself. In fact, let her pick out her own tree too.
Have fun and good luck!
 

GrimLore

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At 3 years of age I would lean towards something that could be in a mini-terrarium which could be decorated in a fashion that holds the childs interest. ;)
 

berobinson82

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My 4 year old has her own bonsai tree. A little boxwood. I take care of it, she just gets to call it hers. She also gets to hack away at the thing with safety scissors while daddy works on his big trees. I doubt your 3 gives a rat's ass about bonsai. She just wants to spend time with you and be like you. No reason to overthink the tree/pot.
 

lordy

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I doubt your 3 gives a rat's ass about bonsai. She just wants to spend time with you and be like you.
I would tend to agree with this last statement. I believe (after raising 3 thru grad school) that even now they would be challenged to care for a potted plant that needs attention several times a week. I think a 3 yr old MIGHT be better off trying to tend to a small veggie garden. At least the young gardener might be able to see some "fruits" of their labor in a relatively short (compared to bonsai) period of time. A 3 yr old has the attention span of a flashlight.
 

rockm

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I would definitely ask the child's parents before you give up the plant. Its care will fall on them, regardless of what the three year old promises. The may not want to do it, may wind up being a bit peeved at being forced to...voila, a can of worms you might not want to open.
 

JudyB

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Starting vegee seeds for a vegetable garden no matter how small will plant the horticulture bug in any child. I would start with that personally. But as long as you both enjoy the tree that you take care of for her, then I say go for that too.
 

augustine

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Dwarf jade plant is very hardy, non-toxic, can withstand being dry, can be pruned/pinched with fingers and can be acquired inexpensively. Can be brought in if weather gets cold.
 

GrimLore

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Dwarf jade plant is very hardy, non-toxic, can withstand being dry, can be pruned/pinched with fingers and can be acquired inexpensively. Can be brought in if weather gets cold.

And could be in an inexpesive "child" type terrarium like a Finding Nemo or Barbie type ;)
 

Tieball

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A duck too.

If my kid...I'd think about get an indoor ficus...medium size and have it in a half soil half water container. A small floating boat or a duck would add fun for that age. I wouldn't get to caught up in precise scale. I'd have it kept under an energy saving light bulb. That way there can be year-round care and duty to turn the light on and off everyday...a nice night-time chore before bedtime.

More practical would be just work with the youngster on one of your not-so-prized trees. It's time "with you" that is most important. My daughter helped in my workshop (bonsai was not around me back then)...she had her own screwdriver and hammer. She would walk around with pride just helping pretend to tighten screws. Piling up small pieces of wood...and she had glue to make stuff. It was all about being around dad...doing something together. She is still "Daddy'd Little Girl" today and remembers all that fun. That's what's important.

More fun for a youngster is probably growing an Avacado pit in a jar of water with toothpicks stuck into the side....
 
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