Quote Originally Posted by dav4 View Post
I don't know if I'd say keeping bonsai is "super easy". Honestly, it's alot like keeping exotic animals...get your husbandry down and you should be ok...most of the time. You've got to have the right soil, correct sized pot, correct amount of sun/shade/winter protection, all depending on the species of tree. Watering is key...trees that are over-watered will gradually decline and die over a period of months...forget to water a tree in July for just a day or two and it might be toast. Those two big junipers with all the deadwood may be close to 1000 years old...they don't have the vigor that a younger tree has, and that translates into extra caution when pruning their roots or foliage. Still, once you understand what you're doing, it's not hard at all...mostly just watering. Gsarchie is right, natives to your local will be the most forgiving, too. I find it very relaxing and rewarding to see my trees develop and turn into something beautiful, but you absolutely need patience...I've been training some of my trees for over ten years and they still have years of training ahead before they might achieve the vision I have for them.

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That first juniper with the bluish colored foliage is a Rocky Mountain Juniper, probably collected near the Badlands in S. Dakota, has been estimated to be close to 1000 years old. Have you ever been to the N.C. Arboretum in Asheville? They've got an outstanding bonsai collection there.
You have trees from before America was discovered by Columbus? Like those trees are from 1012ish? That is REALLY freakin cool!