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Gardening

A Tree Grows in Garland. Actually, There Are 10,000 of Them (And They Are Really, Really Tiny).

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Junipers are the most popular bonsai trees at Dallas Bonsai because even as youngsters they look old and gnarled and profound. The nursery has 10,000 trees; 5,000 of them are junipers. Photography by Christine Allison

Bonsai trees aren’t something you buy as much as you adopt. I just adopted four of them. I did so with trepidation, because being responsible for a bonsai seems like a bigger deal than, say, bringing home a potted azalea from Tom Thumb. A certain commitment is required.

The adoption involved a trip to Dallas Bonsai, a successful mail order bonsai operation in Garland, tucked into a shopping center next to La Bonita Wash N Dry. Real live customers generally don’t go to the warehouse, but if you’re in the mood to have a little adventure, I advise it (call first). The daily operation is run by Jimmy Son; it’s owned by his uncle Fred Meyers, a crusty, amiable character who in the realm of bonsai is the equivalent of a horticultural black belt. Meyers and his wife have grown bonsai for 46 years. Their warehouse is disheveled, crammed with boxes of pots, bags of soil, fertilizer, cutting tools, and bonsai bric-a-brac. And, of course, there is the requisite lucky kitty with upraised paw, and pictures of Jesus.

It’s important to note that there are no live trees at the warehouse, though Meyers has 10,000 bonsai trees in his nursery. Five thousand of them are junipers. The live trees are distributed by mail order: You won’t be able to buy a tree unless you call the day before and beg Meyers or Jimmy Son to bring some specimens to the warehouse. If you are fortunate, Meyers will be there, though I get the feeling that is a rare occurrence. That’s too bad because his advice is like having a stiff drink: “Just give them water and feed them like you would a dog or cat.” He says the reason novices kill bonsai trees is because they forget to water them.  “They need to be kept moist, not soggy, and get full sun for at least six hours. Put a blanket on them when it freezes,” he says. “Otherwise, treat them like any other tree.”

I find these figures unserious but also weirdly captivating. There are hundreds of them at Dallas Bonsai.

 

This little bonsai is called a Munchkin Ginko. The leaves are the size of a thumbnail, grouped in little charming clusters. It is easy at Dallas Bonsai to get caught up in the moment. This one set me back a hundred dollars.

 

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