I've been obsessed with Bonsais ever since I came across a bonsai book at the library almost five years ago. I was so excited that as soon as I got home I went and dug up a little shrub in my moms yard and trimmed it into a bonsai.
Sadly I have had terrible luck with growing them and last year my first little bonsai tree got attack by terrible mealy bugs and never recovered. I was so sad and kind of gave up trying to make bonsais. But within the last month I got re-inspired!
And these are my sad little guys so far. I have two maples, two mimosas, a cluster of willow oaks and one unidentified one. If I can keep them alive through the winter I think they will be looking good in the spring!
To me it's much more fun to dig little sprouts out of the ground and watch them grow, than to buy a mature tree. (And cheaper too!) I've tired buying little shrubs from garden stores and trimming them into bonsais, but they ended up dying in the great mealy bug attack of '13. -_-