Bonsai seems to be influenced by fashion both in terms of style and regards to species that are in demand. However one thing I have noticed is that British native trees remain high on everyone’s shopping list. Our best sellers are always hawthorn, blackthorn, scots pine and English elm. Our little island is a very crowded place these days and since we are now building over our green belt land these trees will become increasingly hard to find. Twenty years ago i knew a dozen different places where I could go and find nice craggy hollow stumps, today I have just one.

A little bird whispered in my ear about these trees earlier in the year and this week I finally got time to go pick them up. I’m not really bothered about selling these, I love elms but I also have bills to pay. I think I might just hang onto the big ‘Grouper’. There were some other natives in the group but more on those later. Meanwhile if any of these take your fancy just drop me a line.

G.