Customer Reviews:
  A Bargain April 13, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is simply one of the best deals for a "forest" anywhere. I bought this LAST year, in early summer of '07. It arrived healthy and grew profusely, requiring simply feeding, pruning, and of course, watering--lots of watering: these ARE Cypress trees. After shedding its leaves and enjoying a winter rest, the forest sprang back to vivid life a few weeks ago, in sync with all the cypress trees in the surrounding swamps.
The picture doesn't do this forest justice. The feathery lightness of the foilage really is breathtaking, and Brussels Bonsai does a great job of arranging their forests. Much to my delight, over the course of the year a layering of moss grew around the base of the trees, enhanching their beauty. It's astounding how much this little group of seedlings grew and came together and harmonized in the course of a single year. It arrived a charming "arrangement." Now the trees really look like a forest, a family, and a happily functional one at that. Of course, after this year, it will probably need to be repotted--but carefully, to preserve the original landscaping to which these trees have clearly grown accustomed.
I've ordered several bonsai trees from Brussels in the last few years, and this one, perhaps more than any other, is what stops guests in their tracks. If you really enjoying growing things and get pleasure out of caring for them--and bonsai trees require attention--then this is pure aesthetic loveliness at a bargain price.
my cpyress forest tree comparison April 13, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
When my 9 tree Cypress Forest arrived initially, I thought ugh no way this is just 9 sticks stuck in the ground. I suppose during transit (I had 1-day shipping as an Amazon prime member) the trees lost the majority of their foliage giving the title "bald" more of a literal meaning. I thought, though I'm not a botanist, that "Bald Cypress Trees" aren't meant to be bare. Anyway, I am not sure, however, if this was planned or not by Brussel's, as I did not find much foliage in the box, which would have fallen off from the surrounding packaging, popcorn, etc. There was very little lost foliage in the packaging and from the trip. I must deduce therefore, that the forest was intentionally planned to arrive "bald" through a preemptive sheering.
That said, when I first got my Brussel's Bald Cypress Forest 9 Outdoor Bonsai Tree, I was slightly dissappointed. It didn't look at all like my monstrous
Brussel's Trident Maple Forest 15 Outdoor Bonsai Tree. Of course, the Maple trees were $199 and this Cypress forest was $39. There is a pretty big difference in expectations: tree size, trunk thickness, not to mention the Maple forest had 5 years on the Cypress forest. And it is an entirely different type of tree with its own problems and limitations. Also, the Maple forest had a much bigger pot, so I dunno, maybe it had more opportunity to grow into a full-fledged 2ft tall group of trees with around a thousand combined leaves. If I may diverge for a second, the packaging from the Maple forest sucked to open!! The Maple forest box it arrived in was a fully 4'x4' box completely filled with popcorn. Yes, believe it or not, that makes me cringe to think of getting another.. It took me over 2 hours to open that box and extract the bonsai, whereas this wonderful Cypress tree forest box was a quick 15 minutes to retrieve. That fact alone makes me steer back towards this Cypress forest.
That said, I'm by no means a bonsai expert, I just like things that look good. And, I don't really like to follow instructions either.. When they say you should keep the plant outside.. Well, I don't really want to! I like keeping it inside. The Maple forest seems to require a bunch of light, whereas the Cypress forest seems to grow in a variety of lighting conditions: low light, medium light, or lots of light. Plus, the Cypress forest is very hard to kill it seems; one of the biggest problems I've heard in the newcomers to the bonsai community is overwatering. Well, the Cypress forest seems like it is nearly impossible to overwater (within reason of course)! The instructions that come with it are to water it daily during the spring, summer, fall, and winter. So ya, you can water it daily year round, which is great for my dad. I'm planning on getting another one for him for his birthday. He has had a history of killing bonsai. My personal guess is he overwaters. That is why this Cypress forest will be perfect for him (and cheap!).
Plus, the level of care I have to put forth for my Cypress forest is next to nothing, whereas my Maple forest.. ugh.. All I have to do for my Cypress forest is water it. My Maple forest on the otherhand is currently battling a black tar type fungal infection which just seems to grow and grow and grow, no matter how much I preemptively shear leaves, etc.
Anyway, no such problems with the Cypress forest. It is a nice and easygoing plant. I really enjoy it because it grows extremely fast in whatever lighting conditions I have it in (I have it in low light conditions on my bar). The day I received my Cypress forest I was dissappointed with how "bald" it was, but am very glad I saw it through and didn't return it. After just a few days I started to see growth on the previously bald trunks. After about a month, the Cypress forest was flourishing. What was once bald wasn't quite filled in yet like the picture, but I could easily see it becoming like that in a very short time. None of my other bonsai, or plants, grow nearly this fast. Well, my Bonsai Boy's Lucky Bamboo Bonsai Tree - Three Stalks(dracena sanderiana) may grow as fast, but it is a bamboo plant so you can hardly compare a bamboo and a bonsai. My other bonsai, Brussel's Black Olive Indoor Bonsai Tree, grows so slowly that you don't notice but maybe a few new leaves every month or so, if you're lucky.
Anyway, I thought this Cypress forest was an excellent purchase. Despite my initial dissappointment with its floura, it turned out to be quite pleasant.
 Dead on Arrival April 3, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
My bald cyprus tree forest order arrived dead and bare. It was a group of 9 dead sticks. I am in the process of returning for refund.
Excellent Bald Cypress Forest May 9, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This was a very good purchase. Healthy and beautiful. No bugs. Fast shipping. Very good packaging. No problems what so ever.
Cypress Forest April 13, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
This is an awesome bonsai. You couldn't ask for anything better for the price. Mine is outside and doing just wonderful. Get it, you'll love it.
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