@NickT2794
Since moving to Colorado Springs in April (often referred to as “The Springs” or “Springs”) I’ve been scouting garden centers and nurseries for Bonsai supplies and potential material sources. I live in the extreme south east of the springs (there are prairie dogs in my backyard) and have been slowly scouting outward, i.e, northward.
The big box stores like Lowes and Home depot sometimes will have potential materials but do not sell any bonsai pots, tools nor soils. I guess for a time there was local home based Bonsai supplier called S&S Bonsai, but has gone out of business. I dropped by once to see what was left in his inventory. Not much left.
Googling Colorado Springs Bonsai generates a collection of local independent nurseries with varying degrees of supplies or they say "we use to sell bonsai supplies, but there has not been much demand so we stopped.”
Ricks Garden Center, 1827 W Uintah St, maintains a small supply of Bonsai pots, tools and wire but no bonsai specific soils like Akadama. They do have potential nursery grade materials. AND they have a large supply of rotation platforms.
Spencer’s Lawn & Garden Center, 4720 Center Valley Dr, Fountain, (a chain of nurseries), is one of those “we use to but”. They do have potential materials occasionally. As I said this is a chain store, this one is just off of hwy-85 or the CanAm Hwy, boulevard seems to have varies names. There is another Spencers further north that I have not visited.
Phelan’s Gardens, 4955 Austin Bluffs Parkway, I like for house plants (building my jungle in the house) AND they have a selection of Bonsai pots, and what they call “pre-bonsai” material which are various saplings of junipers, and other species. No tools, wire nor soils. They do have larger size materials outside, spruce, pines, junipers etc.
Harding Nursery, 721 N Powers Blvd, primarily wholesale to landscapers but also sells retail. No pots, tools nor bonsai specific soils. BUT!! they have a very large collection of nursery grade materials.
There are more nurseries in Colorado Springs that I have not visited to date.
Moving north to Denver (hour and a half north of the springs) I found just SE of downtown Denver “Bonsai Nursery”, 3750 S Federal Blvd Englewood, CO 80110, Network presence on Facebook (gag me with a spoon) . They have Bonsai, tools, pots, books, their soil mix formulation, and a green house of Bonsai trees both pre-worked materials and finished trees. I purchased a slightly worked Chinese Elm, my first deciduous tree.
There does seem to be numerous nurseries in the Denver area that have the potential of being Bonsai oriented. I will be scouting them in time.
AND lastly yes I’m interested in tree talk sometime.