In case you’re not certain exactly what I’m talking about , you should know something about a pre-bonsai. This is not the same as a regular crabapple that you’ll find in the nursery. While many trees that are regular nursery stock are container grown , pre bonsai have been deliberately pruned for their future as bonsai trees. When you buy a pre-bonsai it won’t arrive in a traditional bonsai pot- it will be in it’s training container. And just as the branch structure has been pinched and pruned over the years, so too have the roots been pruned to hold down the spread and make their final transition to a bonsai pot a little less traumatic. If you don’t know much about bonsai you should check out a few good books and also you might want to join your local bonsai society. In addition to the pot, you’ll need soil and some tools but most of all you’ll need the patience to study the contours of your plant and visualize it’s future as a wonderful flowering crabapple bonsai living on your deck or on display in your garden.

As you can probably tell by the name, this wonderful bird bath, which I can see going just about anywhere in my backyard is a shade of blue that’s so intense it almost makes the Lapis Lazuli for which is named, seem pale in comparison. Onto this awesome ceramic background is traced a scrolled pattern featuring a lemon yellow color and a very contemporary design. You can also match it up with your choice of birdbath stands, so the various looks you can get from one item are pretty impressive. Best of all at only $79.00 for the bowl and a twist stake stand, this is a pretty impressive gift that you don’t need to crack the $100.00 price barrier for.