Just bought another bougainvillea...

Cadillactaste

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I am a sucker...I had been leaning towards giving one as a gift to one of our youth in our youth group. She seems so interested in my own bonsai. Always asking about them. Asking if my Honduras one has bloomed. (She forgets the name but asks about the bougainvillea...knowing that they hold special meaning because of our mission trips to Honduras and it the first time I seen them)

So...I looked on eBay at the seller I purchased mine from. Having done business with him in the past. Picked up a bougainvillea Cherry Blossom. Double blooming bracts!

Now...the question is...will my good intentions...fall to the backside when I see it. Or...also my thoughts on ones giving bonsai as a gift.:confused: She is a freshman in high school. No mother in her life...so I want to be a good influence.

The tree isn't hugely impressive...for if it is a gift I don't want to spend big dollars and her kill it. But, it did draw my attention for a "cheap" tree to work with for a beginner. The double blooms are amazing...
 

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lordy

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A nice thought, but...
A buddy of mine used to be the one who got phone call inquiries from website visitors. They wanted to know what kind of bonsai they should choose as a gift for someone who was not into bonsai. His patented response was "Would you give that person a puppy?" The point was that each of those items required non-stop care and feeding to keep it alive and thriving. Maybe for a freshman in HS perhaps a book on bonsai might be a more appropriate first step on the journey we know as bonsai care.
 

Cadillactaste

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A nice thought, but...
A buddy of mine used to be the one who got phone call inquiries from website visitors. They wanted to know what kind of bonsai they should choose as a gift for someone who was not into bonsai. His patented response was "Would you give that person a puppy?" The point was that each of those items required non-stop care and feeding to keep it alive and thriving. Maybe for a freshman in HS perhaps a book on bonsai might be a more appropriate first step on the journey we know as bonsai care.

You do make a good point! Though...twist my arm...I may have to keep this for myself. I frown on ones giving them as gifts.
 

DougB

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Darlene you actually have another option to explore. You can further mentor her by having her help you with your trees. As you work together and discuss "things" from a Christian perspective you will know if you can give her the tree, but keep it at your home. You as a mentor and her future may just be more important than a tree that seems to facilitate things. God Bless
 

Cadillactaste

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Darlene you actually have another option to explore. You can further mentor her by having her help you with your trees. As you work together and discuss "things" from a Christian perspective you will know if you can give her the tree, but keep it at your home. You as a mentor and her future may just be more important than a tree that seems to facilitate things. God Bless

(((Hugs))) Thanks Doug, good points you bring out. Trying to bridge the gap with her...I will open the door to her assisting. If she finds joy in it...then I will pass along the tree when the time is right. Until then keeping it in my care and allowing her to tend to it when she can.
 

Jester217300

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I would allow her to be the caretaker of the tree. Have her come over and do things like prune and wire. It will be "hers" but you will keep it alive at your house. She can learn the art and choose to take on the time intensive aspects of it or not. Win-win!
 

Cadillactaste

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Thanks for the suggestion Doug! She was beyond ecstatic when I asked her if she would like to help me with my bonsai come spring...root pruning...and such. Wish my gerbil was running faster, he seemed to have fallen off the wheel on that one...or I might have thought of that. It surely was a fantastic idea!
 

Steve C

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I love bougies, can't wait till mine get older. I've looked at that seller many times on ebay and always wondered how his/her trees were. Seems they always have a number of bougies for sale on ebay and the prices are never that bad.
 

Cadillactaste

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I love bougies, can't wait till mine get older. I've looked at that seller many times on ebay and always wondered how his/her trees were. Seems they always have a number of bougies for sale on ebay and the prices are never that bad.

He has a really unique one right now, but I didn't want to pay that for a first time tree for this girl. Have you seen it? I agree...his prices are reasonable as well.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pink-Pixie-...610?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item23407d114a

I was very pleased with my first bonsai bougainvillea from that seller. The tree didn't drop leaves from shipping that I could see either. The pot arrived broken and the seller replaced it in a very timely manor apologizing (though I don't feel it was his fault). But, I chose to slip pot it into something else that I had found. But, from how well the tree thrived...and how well he handled the little bump in shipping. I would not hesitate to recommend him.
 
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