Chapter 68 Sources

68.1 General Grower Supplies

68.1.1 A.M. Leonard

An excellent source for pots, tools, fertilizers, irrigation tools, and most anything for growing.

68.1.2 Greenhouse Megastore

Focusing more on early production resources (pots, trays), fertilizers, and irrigation supplies.

68.1.3 Stuewe & Sons

THE source for pots in all sizes, including Anderson band pots, square heavy duty propagation trays (an alternative to building training boxes).

68.1.4 High Caliper/Smart Pots Bags

The original and longest-lasting version of fabric growing bags. Retail sales are through Amazon.

68.2 Seeds, Liners and Starter Trees

68.2.1 TN Nursery

A wholesaler, but for buying trees in bulk, they will sell to public if you meet the $250 minimum.

68.2.2 Musser Forest

General source for liners. Order early; popular species often sell out.

68.2.3 F.W. Schumacher Seed

A reliable source for consistently high-quality tree and shrub seeds.

68.2.4 Mountain Maples.

If you love Japanese maples, this should be your home page.

68.3 Beneficial Insects

68.3.1 ARBICO Organics

One of the largest suppliers currently selling to home users. Source for ladybugs, lacewings, assassin bugs, predatory mites, mantids, minute pirate bugs, and Trichogramma.

68.3.2 A.M. Leonard

Source for ladybugs, Trichogramma, predatory mites, lacewings.

68.3.3 Beneficial Insectary

Lacewings, Trichogramma, thrips predators, aphid parasites, spider mite predators, minute pirate bugs, damsel bugs.

68.3.4 Biocontrol Network

Another source with whom I have done business.

68.4 Bonsai Suppliers

68.4.1 Bonsai Learning Center.

Just down the road in Charlotte.

68.4.2 Green Thumb Bonsai

Another local operation, located in Greenville, SC.

68.4.4 Enchanted Bonsai Gardens

Carry an array of materials, including Joshua Roth tools.

68.5 Sources for Ceramic Containers

These are some of the sources I located. I have tried to summarize what each vendor carries, and what I think are their particular strengths. These are just my opinions; as always, it is best for you to decide for yourself. This is just a starting point. No doubt there are many other exceptional sources out there. If you know of any, pass the name along to me.

Bonsai Outlet is a good source for Tokoname ware.

Bonsai Vision also has a very large selection of Japanese pots, both from Tokoname and elsewhere.

Yukimo does not have as extensive a selection, but do have some good Japanese pots.

Sleepy Hollow Bonsai imports directly from China. In my opinion their greatest strength is their particularly wide selection of cascade pots. Their other Chinese pottery tends to be on the small side, with an upper limit of 12 inches or so for glazed ware. However they do carry a few pieces of Yixing ware in the 14-19-inch range. They also carry some Houkatu Japanese pots.

At first glance the Bonsai Outlet looks as if they only carry mass produced glazed ware. Take time to go deeper into their catalog though, and you will find they carry a nice selection of Chinese Yixing pottery in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They also carry a good selection of tokoname ware, though not as broad as some other vendors I’ve featured. Their greatest selling point (for me at least) is they carry handmade pots of two American artists: Tom Willis from Maine, and Susan Rayner from Minnesota.

Speaking of American potters, Iker Bonsai Pottery in Batavia, OH produces hand-made pots, plus hemispheric and crescent rustic ware, and a range of unusual cascade pots. Most pots are glazed and they tend to be on small side (10 inches and less), but there are some truly beautiful pots for the right tree. Waldo Street Pottery is the home of Eli Akins, a very talented Atlanta ceramicist who makes exceptional oversized pots suitable for larger trees and group plantings.

Bonsai Boy of New York carries a very wide range of glazed and unglazed Houtoku, plus a wider than usual assortment of Korean mica pots. They also carry pots that are etched or with molded figures, plus bas-relief carved and cut orchid pots. The latter groups are not likely to be useful for a bonsai, but could be ideal for an accent plant.

Bonsai Boy also sells manufactured rock slabs. They are made from a glass fiber reinforced concrete, and have drainage holes plus an integrated raised lip.

Bonsai Northwest carries a good selection of large unglazed pots from China that would be ideal for larger conifers. They are extremely reasonably priced for their size and have very clean, simple lines that resemble hand-built Japanese tokoname. BNW also carries some very nice mame pots in 3-5 inch range, both simply glazed and more decorative.

Jump the pond to the east rather than the west, and you land in Yorkshire, UK, at Tony Remington Studio. Like the American potters I listed earlier, you will not find as wide a selection of pots, but might find that specific piece you need to set off a particular tree. One of their more unusual types are the “crack pots,” which look to be either carved from wood, or the result of years of freezing and thawing. Also check out their rock pots, primitive ware, and rock crescents and slabs.

68.6 Specialty Growers and Plant Sources

These vendors offer more unique species of trees, plus great accent plants. Several offer unusual decorative figurines too. Here are a few you might check out.

Moss Acres. This company specializes in large–scale moss production for landscaping, but their sampler boxes will contain sufficient material to dress multiple pots.
Meehan’s Miniatures. A great resource for specialty and dwarf stock plants. Their web site describes them as “a homegrown nursery specializing in bonsai and rare plant materials. We grow, train, and cultivate finished bonsai materials, bonsai starter plant materials…and accent plants.”
Miniature Plant Kingdom. Sells both stock pre-bonsai, and accent plants.
Rob’s Violets. Retail supplier of miniature houseplants, that can serve as accents for larger trees, or as elements in tray plantings with tropical species.

68.7 Other Tools and Cultivation Supplies

Bonsai is equal parts horticulture and art. Sometimes you just need a good source for information, or more mundane things like pots and soil amendments. These sites can get you started in the right direction.

Garden Guides. A web portal page that lists other retailers. If you cannot find a dealer who sells what you need from here, it probably is not available.
Joshua Roth Limited. This company makes excellent stainless steel tools, and other supplies. The site is informative, but they only sell through dealers.
Gardener’s Supply. My first stop for general horticultural supplies.
Charley’s Greenhouse Supply. Even if you do not have a greenhouse, Charley’s is a respected, long-standing source for horticultural supplies.
The Drip Store. If you have never used drip irrigation before, this retail site has great information. These are the type of irrigation systems you often see in use in commercial nurseries. Do not be put off; it really IS as easy to do as they claim. In one afternoon, for less than $150, I installed a system that waters a 20x60-foot growing area unattended. If you have to travel, drip irrigation can make caring for individual potted trees easier too.

68.8 Horticulture and Plant Health

These sites are devoted to basic plant care, not just bonsai. There are also sources for beneficial insects and information on integrated pest management.

Green Methods of Pest Management. A great combination of primer and linked retail site for integrated pest management.
Beneficial Insects. They carry predators against a variety of pest species.
Grafting Primer. If you have ever considered trying to graft bonsai trees, this is a great little primer on the principles and methods. I came on it when learning to graft apple trees.
NC Cooperation Extension Program. If it grows, crawls, infests, or otherwise creates problems for plants, the county extension service has probably seen it before. Every state has their own office, but they share information nationally. This is the address for ours in Raleigh. It is a great place to start when identifying plant diseases.
Plants For a Future Database. Despite it being based in the UK, I have used this database hundreds of times to find the growing habits of trees and plants. It describes the properties of the tree or plant, cultivation details, and propagation methods. One word of warning: you need to use Latin binomial names to find most species.

68.9 Bonsai Societies and Information

Bonsai Clubs International. The BCI web site has something for everyone. There is basic information for novices, numerous specific species guides, and even a tutorial on using a computer to virtually style trees before you actually cut them. Their calendar lists events around the world, and there is a gallery of photos from exhibits as far away as China.
American Bonsai Society. Their web site includes a great “Links of Interest” page, plus an extensive overview of events around the country.
The Bonsai Site. This site is affiliated with Dallas Bonsai, which was listed under major suppliers. However, it still is an excellent information source.

68.10 Books

This is not intended to be an exhaustive list but rather a starting point for the art, craft, and/or horticulture of bonsai.

The Art of Bonsai (formerly The Japanese Art of Miniature Trees and Landscapes) by Yuji Yoshimura and Giovanna M. Halford, published by Charles E. Tuttle, 1957.
Bonsai Techniques I by John Naka, published by Bonsai Institute of California, 1973.
Bonsai Techniques II by John Naka, published by Bonsai Institute of California, 1982.
Bonsai: Its Art, Science, History & Philosophy by Deborah Koreshoff, published by Timber Press, 1984.
Basic Bonsai Design by David DeGroot, published by the American Bonsai Society, 1995.
Bonsai Styles of the World by Charles Ceronio, published by author, 1999.
Bonsai, Illustrated Guide to an Ancient Art published by Sunset Magazine, 2003.
The Beginner’s Guide to American Bonsai by Jerald P. Stowell, published by Kodansha International, 1978.
Bonsai Ways / Hagamos Bonsai by Beatriz Botero de Borerro and Martha Olga Botero de Gomez, published by authors, Spanish edition 1987, English edition 1993.
Bonsai Masterclass by Peter Chan, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1988.
Creating Bonsai by Joe Davies, published by Trafalgar Square Publishing, 1995.
Bonsai: The Art of Living Sculpture by Jack Douthitt, published by Rizzoli International Publications, Inc., 2001.
The Bonsai Workshop by Herb Gustafson, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1994.
Bonsai, The Complete Guide to Art & Technique by Paul Lesniewicz, published by Blanford Press, German edition 1980, English edition 1984.
The Art of Bonsai Design by Colin Lewis, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2001.
The Living Art of Bonsai by Amy Liang, published by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 1995.
Bonsai: Spirit and Substance by Salvatore Liporace, published by Certré, 2001.
The Bonsai Book of Practical Facts by Jerome Meyer, published by Purchase Publishing Company.
Bonsai Art by Marc Noelanders, published by Houtmeyers, Flemish edition 1997, English edition 1998.
Bonsai: Art & Technique by Pius Notter, published by Druckerei, Uhl, Radolfszell in English, German, French and Spanish, 1987.
New Western Garden Guide published by Sunset Magazine.
Complete Book of Bonsai by Harry Tomlinson, published by Abbeville Press, 1990.
The Essentials of Bonsai published by Timber Press.
Introduction to Bonsai by Thomas Zane.

68.11 Web Sites

Deep History. A deeper dive into the history of this art form.
Bonsai Empire. This site links to a documentary on the Tokoname pottery tradition. Tokoname is a medium sized city located in the Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the six famous old kilns of Japan, producing tea pots, sewer pipes and bonsai pots. Though Tokoname was famous for its clay, today it is most famous for the highly skilled bonsai potters.

Growing & Styling Bonsai in Piedmont NC