Golden Arrow Bonsai???

[mrchips1952]

Have any of the members here purchased collected trees from Andy Smith at Golden Arrow Bonsai in SOuth Dakota and what luck, good or bad have you had with the trees. I have been lookig at his website and just needed some feedback before making a purchase. Thanks, Dave in Colo. Spgs.

 

[fredtruck]

I bought a ponderosa from Andy 3 years ago. It's doing very well, and Andy, himself, is a very nice guy.

 

[mrchips1952]

Golde Arrow

Thanks Fred. I am not a very patient person which I am trying to get a handle on and bonsai requires a lot of patience. I went collecting this weekend by myself and found either the trees were lodged in rock that I couldn't budge or soil that was almost like concrete. I will go out again in the next couple of weeks with a couple of knowledgable collectors from the club I belong to and see if my luck is any better. In the meantime I am looking for retailers of collected pines. Thanks again...Dave.

 

[mcpesq817]

I've got three ponderosas that I bought from Andy. He's a really nice guy and a class act. You can't go wrong purchasing from him.

 

[rockm]

I bought my first Ponderosa from Andy this spring during the "Burlap bonanza." I was bowled over by the quality of the tree for the price and Andy's service.

The tree, even though collected this past Feb. or March, is pushing new growth vigorously and is very healthy. It arrived undamaged packed very well. Andy also provided a shipping tracking number so I could see the tree's progress along its route and estimate its arrival to within a couple of hours at my door.

I will definitely be buying another. Andy is indeed, a first class supplier who knows what he's doing.

 

[BrianBay9]

..... In the meantime I am looking for retailers of collected pines. Thanks again...Dave.

Another source (N. Colorado) you might check out is here:

http://www.baldbonsaiguy.com/

Paul Gilbert is either the current or past president of the Denver club - nice guy, knowledgeable, and only sells healthy trees.

Brian

 

[mrchips1952]

Retailers of collected material

Paul is only a two hour drive so I need to schedule a trip in the near future.

 

[treebeard55]

... I went collecting this weekend by myself and found either the trees were lodged in rock that I couldn't budge or soil that was almost like concrete....

I think I've heard Andy say that only 10% of the trees he finds can be collected; most of them he leaves where they are.

I too will give him a big thumbs-up. Knows the trees, knows bonsai, and very good to deal with.

I've bought two ponderosas from him so far. The first I killed by my own ignorance, and I now know exactly what I did wrong. The second I got a year ago, and it's thriving nicely!

Within a year or two, I expect to be ready to buy another, and it will be Andy to whom I go first.

 

[monza]

I've only bought his non tree items (cd's, book) because I can't import his trees. He is my 'guru' and has been very helpful on my bonsai path. We have very similar weather patterns and almost the same in collectable material.
Andy is extremely knowledgeable about his trees, how to collect and keep them alive. If I could I would not hesitate to buy his collected material. So another big thumbs up.

 

[bonsaiTOM]

Another big Andy Smith fan here. First met him and purchased Ponderosa Pine at the ABS conference in Saratoga Springs a few years back. More recently got another at last years bonsai symposium in Rochester. A 3rd is in shipment right now. And, yes, he's got Rocky Mt. junipers too.

Satisfied repeat customers are said to be 'sacred'. I expect to be a life-long fan and customer.

PS - I just love www.goldenarrowbonsai.com AND the fact that he's in DEADWOOD, SD. SO

 

[mrchips1952]

Golden Arrow Bonsai

I just received my first tree from Golden Arrow and it's GREAT. It was one of the last Burlap Bonanza specials that Andy offers every spring on newly collected material. It's a Ponderosa that is about 2 feet above the soil line and appears VERY healthy. It was packaged extremely well and the root ball contained in plastic wrap. I'll pot it up tonight and hopefully post a photo tomorrow. If this tree works out I'll be a customer of his for life. Dave in Colorado

 

[Dwight]

Since no one else mentioned the RMJ's I bought one from him last month and it's fantastic , better than expected. Another + for Andy is that he doesn't use those damn styrofoam peanuts. He uses smushed up paper which goes directly from the more than adequate box the tree came in directly into the city's recycle hopper.