• Know and understand what they are selling.
• Can offer you expert advice.
• They want you to come back and buy more, so will not sell you sick trees.
• They will give you accurate care information.
• They sell also a selection of tools, books and magazines to help you care for your bonsai.
• Specialist nurseries are very careful to stock only those species best suited as bonsai and which will thrive outdoors in our temperate climate.

Look for something with:

• An interesting shaped trunk, not too straight and with an equally interesting arrangement of branches.
• Choose a tree with an attractive coloured or textured bark.
• Most important, choose trees with naturally small and fine textured leaves. It will take many, many years to get large leaves like those of a chestnut to reduce in size.
• Also take advice from one whose has suffered - do not choose prickly trees; you will regret it when you suffer later while training and trimming it.
• Evergreen trees, particularly pines and junipers, are a good choice because they stay green all year and naturally tend to have fine foliage.