Is this privet(?) worth it?

[EshDunn]

I only got one pic as I was in a bit of a rush.
It's £27.99 (which is roughly $35), is this a reasonable price?

I have zero idea about bonsai, I'm still just lurking around the forum trying learn the basics.

 

[rockm]

Hard to tell. I'd lean towards no...Can't see the trunks or much else. The soil is a complete mess, though and the pot sucks. You might be able to do better. The only reason those trees are still alive is that they're privets and tough. Most any other species in that crap soil would be dead by now.

 

[AshleyMammal]

I'd say no, I'd avoid anything labelled as a bonsai in a garden centre and instead look at their trees/shrubs.

Cotoneasters are in every garden centre and can be picked up for about £8, fuji cherries are also great little trees (albeit it very slow growing), hornbeam hedging is another good option. You'll likely spend more than the £30 the privets cost but end up with better potential.

When I was first starting out I tried to get my hands on as much cheap material as possible - this included ebay bare-rooted trees such as japanese larch and again, hornbeam.

All depends on how much you want to spend, how dirty you want your hands to get, how much space you've got and how much time you want to wait.

 

[stevewill12]

I agree with avoiding bonsai labeled in garden centers. Opting for cheaper trees and shrubs like cotoneasters or fuji cherries offers better potential. It's all about the journey, whether you're willing to wait and get your hands dirty with nurturing them.

 

[EshDunn]

OK, they are some fair points.
Tbh, my eyes were drawn to it because of the exposed roots.

Also, I think I'm a bit daunted by selecting stock that isn't already in a sort of bonsai form, so don't tend to look at them.
I was going to swing by the garden center on my way home, will have a look at what they have.
Thank you

 

[AshleyMammal]

Here's a little cotoneaster i picked up for £11.99, i'm intending to keep it as a tiny little mame/shohin so have been pretty rough hacking it back. The joy, for me anyway, is taking a completely unworked bit of material and 'finding' a bonsai in it, there will be many difficult choices and this one could easily have been a totally different style entirely.



and two bonus cotoneasters I dug from my garden a couple of years ago:

 

[Bonsai Nut]

That doesn't look like a privet to me... perhaps sageretia? (Chinese sweet plum) Chinese privet has opposite leaves without teeth on the margins. Sweet plum has slightly alternating leaves with toothed margins. Regardless, it is clearly three potted plants that were tossed in a larger pot together. You might be able to do three exposed root sweet plums, but as a group planting I would pass.

 

[jeremy_norbury]

That doesn't look like a privet to me... perhaps sageretia? (Chinese sweet plum) Chinese privet has opposite leaves without teeth on the margins. Sweet plum has slightly alternating leaves with toothed margins. Regardless, it is clearly three potted plants that were tossed in a larger pot together. You might be able to do three exposed root sweet plums, but as a group planting I would pass.

Agreed - it is.