Thou' shall not covet thy neighbor's tree...

Bonsaifreak

I've found this gorgeous bouganvilea growing in a front yard not far from where I live. It is about 7 inches tall with a 3-4 inch trunk base. I knocked on their door and offered to remove this weed-looking plant with nice taper and nebari at no charge. They told me thanks but no thanks. I sent my wife with an offer to buy it for her ill husband's B'day as a surprise (offered $100!) and she got another "thanks but no thanks", this time followed by "I love this tree as well". What a dilema...My 8-year old boy is suggesting we should just go and take it in the middle of the night but something tells me that's illegal. What is a man to do??

Jorge

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"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
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Joanie

Keep looking. Or come out here and help me dig a big old bougie in a vacant lot where construction is due to occur. Not sure I can dig it myself, but permission won't be hard to get. This bougie has to have a 6" trunk, and it has the loveliest coral/apricot colored blooms.

There are always more fish in the sea....

Joanie

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JGamby713

I feel your pain!! Don't dig it at night though, it would be real easy for them to figure out it was your family!! Wait until they sale thier place and go dig it then, with thier or the new owners permission of course


99% of folks would have taken you up on the offer, I am kinda suprised they didn't...

I have a few in my neck of the woods I am keeping an eye on....

Jason

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Jason's Bonsai Fun!
www.oregonbonsai.com
USDA Zone 8, NW Oregon

midwestbonsai

There will be others, keep trying.
-Paul

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soonami

There is a really bid Japanese maple that has already been chopped and reformed a new leader that is living in the front yard of a neighbor. I don't know the people who live in the house, so what is the best way to approach someone and ask if I can dig up their tree?

RedPine

Soonami,


Go over to their house and explain you are in to bonsais and was admiring their tree.
Then explain how hard it is to find something with..low branches or whatever it is you like about that tree and offer to buy it from them or offer to dig it up and replace it at your cost with something else like a big flower bush or what ever they like etc.. .

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rockm

You can explain bonsai all you want. It's a lost cause. They love the plant too. It belong to them. Move on.

By the way, telling someone that you're gonna chop the plant down to a foot, push it into a small container and trim its root regularly will not sway them to give it to you.

Seriously, it will, most likely, make them think you are some kind of sadistic plant freak that they'd rather not give their much-loved bougie to.

Bonsaifreak

You see Rockm, the plant I am taliking about doesn't need much of a chop (it maight need some pruning but is "bonsai ready"-> if there is such a thing). Still, I agree with you and that was the kind of response we got from the people who own this bougie.

I guess we just move one and look for another victim to chop down and stick in a small pot After all, I am indeed the bonsaifreak (no pun intended)

Take care!

Jorge

__________________
"Always acknowledge a fault. This will throw those in authority off their guard and give you an opportunity to commit more."
Mark Twain

rockm

"You see Rockm, the plant I am taliking about doesn't need much of a chop (it maight need some pruning but is "bonsai ready"-> if there is such a thing)"

You will find that "not much of a chop" to somone not familiar with trunk chops can make them woozy I had to convinvce my sister in law that digging up 1" diameter, 15" tall cedar elm seedlings and chopping them in half to sedn along to me for bonsai wasn't cruel and wouldn't kill them. I managed to do that, but it took years. funny thing though, now she sends me a few of them every spring.