Bonsai Trees - A Green Alternative to Sending Cut Flowers - PRODUCT REVIIEW

by Janis Brett Elspas
MommyBlogExpert.blogspot.com

Recently, I was asked to choose a ProFlowers product from their site to review for this blog.  I've never had a Bonsai Tree nor had I ever considered owning one of these exotic plants until now because I thought it might be too hard to take care of.  So, I checked out this online seller of gift baskets and plants site and became curious about the Gardenia Bonsai that's available by mail for $49.99 from Proflowers.com

This is definitely a novel gift idea either for yourself or to send to someone special whether for a special occasion or "just because."  For example, this would be a beautiful gift for someone who has an extended illness or to show your appreciation to one of your kid's teachers at school.

Just a few days after I ordered this Pro Flowers gift, it arrived by UPS.  The outer box it was shipped in was sturdy and had several open vents so the plant could breathe on its way to my house. As unpacked it, I could see that it was very well-padded with bubble wrap and packaging material, ensuring that both this unique Bonsai variety as well as the ceramic pot it came planted was in perfect shape. 

The soil around the trunk of the mini plant arrived moist with a lovely natural rock on its surface (I have since added a second faux rock that says "growth" on it.   The greenery looked very fresh upon arrival.  You could see the green Gardenia buds forming but it did not have any flowers blooming yet when it joined our family.

I followed the directions watering from the bottom by placing the pot in 2" of water to soak for about 20 minutes. I also obeyed the instructions to keep it out of direct sunlight -- even placing it outside at night so the cool evening air would stimulate the buds to finish developing and to open. 

However, after a few days I noticed some of the lower leaves turning yellow.  At first I was worried that this cute Bonsai I named Cutie-Pie was sick or might be dying -- possibly because I did something wrong.  This would have been very sad, if true, because this little tree is a baby at only 3 year old.  But, after I read through the plant care pamphlet it came with I read that if new leaves are yellow (or light colored with dark veins) that you should give it a suitable acid-type fertilizer, which I did.

We are on a 4-week family roadtrip that I am blogging about for MommyBlogExpert.blogspot.com now so I will have to get back to you with an update on Cutie-Pie's health later this summer.  I have a friend plant-sitting for me this Bonsai, though, so I know she is being well cared for.  But I will definitely keep you posted -- I'm hoping to have good news soon and will post additional pictures after we get home from this trip.

PLEASE COMMENT--Whether you are new to Bonsai Trees or an expert on the subject I'd love to hear about your own experiences with this type of intriguing plant.

FTC Disclosure: MommyBlogExpert received the Gardenia Bonsai for this product review but did not receive any payment or other compensation associated with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.