splinter

Stephen,
I agree with the advice Whimsical gave you. When I was landscaping my backyard, and wanted to give it a Japanese garden "feel," I had a difficult time finding info on the web. There are a lot of books that can give you some ideas. I went to Borders bookstore, drank a lot of latte, and looked through a lot of books. I became a rock hound (still am), and picked up rocks along the road, and areas that were being cleared for housing developments. I used shrubs and trees that aren't necessarily thought of as Japanese, but the colors are great. One tree that I planted would be particularly good to take a cutting from, to start a bonsai. It's a "twisty baby." It's a dwarf locust that is grafted onto a black locust trunk. The leaves are graceful and the limbs are naturally twisty and gnarled. The size range is more like an ornamental tree, than a shade tree. Just be careful to plant according to the size of area you are landscaping. Meaning...if it's a very small area, choose plants that don't get huge. Heavenly bamboo is a nice little shrub that is very easy to grow, and has varied leaf coloring, depending on the time of year. And as Whimsical said, Japanese Maples are used quite often. I planted a little lace leaf Japanese Maple in my patio area. It's got delicate looking leaves that display a range of colors throughout the seasons. Displaying your bonsai in the garden can be done in several ways. I have several large slices of cut tree trunks in varying heights that I sometimes put my little trees on. You'll have fun creating your own little garden paradise. Good luck with your project!