SISKIYOU GARDENS BONSAI NURSERY
Rachel Winters, owner

Our selection includes hardy outdoor finished bonsai in ceramic pots for gifts or yourself;  bonsai starts for the bonsai hobbiest;  and larger plants for your landscape or larger containers. Many rare and unusual trees and shrubs are available.  We have been told by visitors that our selection of outdoor bonsai starts is larger than anywhere they have shopped between the urban centers of California and Portland and that the prices are very reasonable.  We do not ship plants at this time but welcome appointments to visit and check out our stock.

We have in stock:

• Japanese maple varieties including Acer palmatum, A. buergeranum  (trident), Acer capillepes (stripebark), Acer griseum (paperbark), Acer sieboldianum,  Acer japonicum:  Maples in all sizes from bonsai to specimen. Variegated forms, colored foliage and more.
• Montpelier maple (Acer montspessulanum) and hedge maple (Acer campestre) have a 3-lobed leaf and are sun and cold tolerant.
• Hornbeams including Carpinus koreana, Carpinus turzaninovii, Carpinus betulus and Carpinus japonicum.  Easy, naturally twisty bonsai subjects.
• European beeches (Fagus sylvatica): Nothing beats the beech for beautiful form and exposed roots.
• Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicus):  The nursery cat is named “Katsura”, or “Katsy” for short. He loves friendly visitors.
• Spike winter hazel (Corylopsis spicata) has lemon yellow flowers in early spring. An easy to grow bonsai.
• Bamboo-leaf oak (Quercus myrsinifolia).  A beautiful evergreen for large containers.
• Good bonsai candidates for forests and groves:  European larches (Larix decidua), Dwarf arctic willow (Salix purpurea nana) and Japanese cryptomeria (Cryptomeria japonica ‘tansu’) and many more.
• Mini- bonsai:  Morris Midget and Kingswood boxwood and Tom Thumb cotoneaster are slow growing and make great gifts.
• Conifers:  Selection includes many varieties of Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis sp.), Canadian and Japanese hemlock (Tsuga sp.), Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria sp.) plus spruces, balsam fir and lacebark pines. These are also available in larger sizes to grace your entry way or water garden.

Rachel’s plants are either propagated from cuttings, many right at the Nursery;  or grown up from seedlings. Since they are not grafted they will not revert back to a different type and are usually hardier. Since they have not been shipped in from outside the area or raised in a greenhouse they are hardy and disease free.

Bonsai pot selection includes Chinese and Japanese ceramic, mica and plastic.  We also have ceramic pots handmade by Rachel and other local potters.

Siskiyou Gardens will participate in the Artists’ Studio Tour 2010 offered by the Grants Pass Museum of Art. This will be an opportunity to see the bonsai, ask questions and watch a demonstration of how bonsai is put together. The dates are September 11 and 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Painters, pottery artists, sculptures and other artists will also be opening up their studios as well on these dates. Tickets are for sale for $12 beginning in August at Chet’s Garden Center, the Growers Market and at the Museum. Their number is 541-479-3290. I’m grateful for the folks at the Art Museum for recognizing that bonsai is an art form, in addition to a horticultural skill.

On a different topic, I’ll will be speaking at the September 1 meeting of the Grants Pass Garden Club about “Coexisting with the Critters”. I’ll share my philosophy of gardening defensively! The meeting is held at the Fruitdale Grange on Rogue River Highway beginning at noon.

Fall classes will probably start up late September and into early November. Phone me if you are interested. 541-476-6243.