I recently took some time off from work and completed what one could describe as a 'nursery crawl' across the greater Sydney area, visiting 10 bonsai nurseries within the span of about a week, after at least 6 years of not visiting a single nursery. I thought it could be helpful for other enthusiasts to compile a list of all the bonsai nurseries I am aware of in the greater Sydney area, and offer a brief description of each. As far as I know, there doesn't appear to be a recent list of this kind available.
There are 10 bonsai nurseries I've been able to locate within the greater Sydney area from some research. They are all within about 1 hour's radius of the Sydney CBD by car, give or take. Each of these nurseries appear to cultivate their own pre-bonsai and hence I am comfortable calling them bonsai nurseries. Most regular nurseries seem to have sections dedicated to bonsai, mainly finished/ potted bonsai, but I wouldn't describe them as bonsai nurseries since I don't believe they cultivate pre-bonsai specifically - definitely not on as large as scale as these 10 at least.
I will be ranking the 10 nurseries I visited based on the quality of pre-bonsai on offer. In this instance, by 'quality' I'm referring to shape, structure, and readiness to be placed in a bonsai pot. Of course, this is very subjective and is solely my opinion - I respect all differing opinions and apologise you believe if I've ranked your favourite nursery incorrectly. Additionally, this ranking does not account for other factors such as price, stock variety, etc, however I may touch on these in my description of each location.
Some notable mentions which are outside the greater Sydney area, but not by much, are Bonsai World Jilliby, and Penjing at Robertson (though would we consider this one to be a bonsai nursery ...
).1. Padre Pio Bonsai, Annangrove
Great variety of pre-bonsai of all sizes, many of which are highly developed and ready to go into a bonsai pot. You'll be paying a bit more for the most developed stuff, however most of these could double or more in value once touched up and potted. Nick is extremely kind and helpful on all subjects and will go above and beyond to help you find what you're looking for. All prices are negotiable. This nursery is generally quite underrated in my opinion.
2. Bonsai South Nursery, Caringbah
Great variety and quality of stock of all sizes, with reasonable prices. All bonsai and pre-bonsai are very well maintained and taken care of. Leong is still going on about how he's trying to sell or close the nursery, about 10 years after announcing this
. We don't know how long this place will be around, so take advantage of it while it lasts. 3. Garden Works Nursery, Ingleside
Nice range of Japanese Black Pines, Junipers, Port Jackson Figs, and Chinese Elms. Outside of these, there are a few other trees of different species scattered around the nursery, including some other types of pine and conifers, figs, as well as some maples and ligstrum. Most trees are well-taken care of and very nicely-shaped, including a good number of lovely root over rock and exposed root style trees at reasonable prices. There's a section dedicated mainly to pines up the back, but other than that there are no clear sections for different species. This can be an inconvenience or add to the fun depending on your personal preference... Owners are also very helpful and kind. This place is a bit of a hidden gem in my opinion and exceeded my expectations, given it appears to have no social media presence or website.
4. Bonsai Art Nursery, Belrose
Great variety of species, with most trees on the small to medium side. A few large pre-bonsai available also. Most trees have had minimal/ simple styling, however many have nice trunks and most have been very well taken care of and maintained. Prices are slightly higher than the nurseries above it on this list, but still decent. The nursery is now located in a side section of the beautiful Hidden Orient Garden Centre, meaning there are a lot of bonsai to explore in a pretty small space, but chances are you'll find something you like.
5. Ray Nesci Bonsai, Dural
Great service and a huge variety of species as always. If you're looking for a certain species, chances are Ray has got it. Similarly to Bonsai Art, most of the pre-bonsai are small to medium in size and have minimal styling. Many of the medium-sized and larger trees have been cut down from much larger stock, and thus have some nicely developed trunks and nebari, despite some larger scars here and there. Price-wise Ray is probably the best so far on this list and you have the opportunity for a bit of negotiation, especially when buying multiple trees. On my recent visit, there was a section of quite nicely developed root over tock Trident Maples listed at $150 each, which I thought was very reasonable.
6. Bonsai Care Nursery, Greenacre
If you're looking for nicely developed pines, this is the place to go. There are a good variety of finished bonsai on sale in terms of both species and size, however the pre-bonsai are almost exclusively pines, junipers and other conifers. There are a huge range of well-trained black, red, and white pine pre-bonsai to choose from, though some are a bit overgrown. These trees have great trunks, nebari and branch structure. Most of the pre-bonsai are priced at greater than $100, though I suspect the prices are quite negotiable. This place is a hidden gem for pines.
7. Bonsai Louie, Guildford West
This place is a convenience store on a street corner with a small bonsai nursery in the back yard. Most of the bonsai available are potted, but there is also a decent number and range of pre bonsai given the size of the place. Both finished bonsai and pre-bonsai are quite cheap relative to other nurseries and the prices are also open to negotiation. The pre-bonsai are quite simply styled but are very well taken care of. The place is run by an elderly, smiley Vietnamese man named Louie, and I suspect most of the larger trees are part of his personal collection.
8. Lucky Garden Ornaments, Edensor Park
This place does not even advertise that it sells bonsai, however it has a surprisingly large range of several hundred trees and many species. Many of the pre-bonsai are a little overgrown and appear to have been a bit neglected, with most having scars from wiring left on for far too long. However, most of the trees have really interesting shapes with wicked twists and turns and decent branch structure. Prices are average but negotiable. Definitely worth checking out to see if a good deal can be struck.
9. Maplesmatta, Cabramatta
A small nursery run out of the back and front yard of a house. As you may gather from the name, the main focus of this place is maples - mainly trident and Japanese, however they also have a smaller number of some other species as well, such as black and white pines, junipers, bougainvilleas and the like. Most of the pre-bonsai have not been styled. Prices are decent and negotiable. They have quite a few root over rock maples available for good prices, which aren't that easy to come by, and others grown on tiles to promote good nebari. Many of the trees are planted in large boxes with a number of other trees, so the owners may have to dig out your tree for you. All part of the experience!
10. HP Succulents and Bonsai, Yagoona
This is located in the backyard of a house with a sign at the front and a side section for the public to enter. A good selection of very large potted bonsai and landscapes, with a few small and medium ones scattered amongst them. There is one small shelf of pre-bonsai, around 20 or so, almost all of which are junipers. They're quite well taken care of and nicely styled. The prices seemed a little high when I asked but are probably open to negotiation. Most of the finished bonsai are likely part of the owner's personal collection.
To conclude, all of these nurseries are of decent quality in my opinion and are worth a visit. You'll probably find something you like at most of them if not all.
I hope this is a helpful list. Feel free to share your thoughts.
Thanks.
