Trip to local high end garden in Chicago

Slickrick773

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Most recent trip, selection seemed scarce, but there's a few interesting ones. The super expensive bonsai is fun to look at, but I dont ever seeing myself spending over a couple hundred for a bonsai. Anyways, here's some pics, interested in hearing the feedback, specifically if any of them look like a good buy. Tried including prices on the nicer ones.
 

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Stan Kengai

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Honestly, those are probably worse than your run of the mill garden center "bonsai", and they are rather overpriced, for the most part. $140 for a 4 year old garden juniper. Outlandish!

I would check with locals to find a bonsai nursery. You should be able to find pretty nice bonsai stock (pre-bonsai) for $140. It may not come in a cheap Chinese pot like those pictured, but should have infinitely more potential.
 

Slickrick773

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Damn Local!

Welcome to Crazy!

Love that "office" sign!

Sorce
Agreed, I’m guessing they just had a wave of heavy sales due to our spring finally arriving. Usually they have a better selection and always a little over priced. I’ve bought three bonsai from them a perm a with nice exposed roots for $50 that had fungus and died along with the attached $100 ficus and $60 pomegranate. I think the ficus has fungus as well which has gotten better. Both the ficus and pomegranate got scaled shortly after purchase which I treated and is gone.
 

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just.wing.it

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Wow!
Someone's making out like a bandit!

That juniper is little more that a rooted cutting...$140 whew!
Maybe $20... that'd even be steep around here...

Edit:
You're getting a unglazed rectangle pot, which I like though...
 

sorce

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Where?

Sorce
 

DrBonsai

Mame
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I have never bought a Bonsai from them, however, I make it a point to go to their Annual Sidewalk Sale in Sept. (?) . Their Bonsai are over-priced but they are pretty much only seller of Bonsai in the Northside of Chicago. They have a nice selection of nursery stock and have great deals at end of season. I have gotten Hiller Elm, Scots Pine and Jap. White Pine. Things you don’t see at the Big Box stores.
 

Bonsai901

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WOW! I need to to take my pre-bonsai to Chicago...I could make a killing flipping junk nursery stock into "Bonsai"
 

Nybonsai12

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Haha. I was going to say that nothing in the pics looked very tempting, but your way illustrates the point a little better.

I'm quite blunt in the morning. No harm intended lol.
 

Melospiza

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I love Gethsemane, but not for their bonsai. Very knowledgeable people if you want to know what herbs and flowers to pick, but the bonsai is typical overpriced mass-produced stuff. Make your own!
 

sorce

Nonsense Rascal
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Stay tuned though....

I believe Jennifer Price Already did a demo there.....

In other words....

It should start to get better.

Great Garden Center.

Not the Greatest Bonsai.
But request change.

They have to be able to make more loot selling better stuff.

IMO.

Good People.

Sorce
 

Melospiza

Shohin
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not high end. That garden is dog shit.
I really like the rest of the nursery, though. The employees are knowledgeable and they advise you against buying stuff that won't succeed in your garden. The bonsai section however, is very much like any other big nursery store with mallsai.
 

Nybonsai12

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I really like the rest of the nursery, though. The employees are knowledgeable and they advise you against buying stuff that won't succeed in your garden. The bonsai section however, is very much like any other big nursery store with mallsai.

My answer was more a joke in reference to the caliber of the bonsai pictured in the OP.
 
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