JM Flower Bonsai Nursery on Joan Road: Open Until 9pm

JM Flower keeps its nursery open until 9pm from Monday to Saturday and until 7pm on Sundays and public holidays, opening at 8am every day. The nursery is at 5 Joan Road, Singapore 298898, a quiet lane off Thomson Road near MacRitchie Reservoir. As a bonsai nursery in Singapore it suits people who can only shop after work, and its small trees start at prices closer to a bunch of flowers than a collector's piece.

JM Flower is better known as a supplier than a destination. Its about page says it supplies fresh blooms and greenery to more than 80 NTUC FairPrice outlets, and it runs a florist counter at Takashimaya basement one on Orchard Road. The business was registered in January 2003, earlier trading under the name Ji Mei Landscape, and the official site does not name its founders, so the Joan Road nursery is the best way to meet the people behind it.

That supplier background shapes the visit. The nursery is a working yard of shade netting and metal benches rather than a curated gallery, with flowers, foliage plants, pots and soil sharing the space with the bonsai. One shopper who wrote about it on Lemon8 described it as much cheaper than other florists and not crowded, with wrappers, vases and pots on hand for anyone putting together a gift.

The bonsai collection on the website lists the trees, with prices set by a 20 percent Mega Plant Sale in October 2026. A Chinese elm, Ulmus parvifolia, 28cm tall in a 10cm pot, was S$10.40. An unpotted Ficus micropora bonsai was also S$10.40, down from S$13. A Chinese banyan, Ficus microcarpa, 30cm tall in a 15cm ceramic pot, was listed at S$30.40, with a second listing of the same tree at S$38.40.

Larger trees appear in the catalogue but come and go. A Chinese juniper 45cm tall in a ceramic pot was listed at S$70.40, a snow rose serissa 42cm tall at S$54.40, a podocarpus at S$360 and a boxwood bonsai at S$218. Those four were out of stock online in October, which is a good reason to walk the benches in person rather than rely on the website, since stock at a working nursery moves daily.

The honest pick for a Singapore flat is the ficus. Banyan and micropora thrive in heat and humidity, forgive irregular watering and recover quickly from hard pruning. The Chinese elm also does well in the tropics if it gets several hours of direct sun on a ledge or corridor. Skip the juniper unless you have an open balcony with strong light, because junipers kept indoors in an HDB living room usually brown and fail.

The serissa, with its tiny white flowers, is beautiful but fussy about being moved and drops leaves when its position changes, so it is a poor gift for someone who has never kept a bonsai. If you want a tree that will survive a beginner, buy the S$10.40 ficus or elm, spend the difference on a proper pot, and learn on a plant that costs less than a hawker dinner for two.

Because JM Flower stocks general gardening supplies, you can sort out everything a new tree needs in one visit. A blue and white porcelain pot costs S$8 in the small 12cm size and S$22.40 in the large. Burnt soil is S$3.20 and a 5 litre bag of universal potting substrate is S$2.40, both cheap enough to buy extra for repotting next year.

For tools, the ARS 140L-DX long blade utility shears are S$57.60 and the M10 pruning secateurs are S$24.87. Neither is a specialist bonsai cutter, so serious hobbyists will still want a concave cutter from a bonsai specialist such as Bonsai Inc in Sin Ming. For a first tree, though, a pair of secateurs and a fresh bag of soil will handle the occasional trim and a single repot.

The nursery and the office keep different hours. The office, which handles orders and enquiries, opens Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm and Saturday 8.30am to 1pm, and closes on Sundays and public holidays. Delivery costs S$15 per trip, redelivery is S$18, and orders placed before noon from Monday to Saturday can arrive the same day.

Delivery slots run from 10am to 2pm and 2pm to 6pm, and online orders can be collected at 5 Joan Road instead. Payment is by credit or debit card, PayNow or online banking, with Visa, Mastercard and American Express accepted at the online checkout. One 2025 shopper reported a 15 percent discount on purchases after 7pm, though that offer is not printed on the official website.

The late closing time is the draw for office workers who can only shop after dark, and the Lemon8 reviewer singled out the quiet evenings and low prices as reasons to come back for plants and gift wrap rather than paying florist prices in town. The landscaping team also designs residential gardens, including zen gardens that mix gravel, bamboo and bonsai, though no prices are shown for that service on the website.

If you want a specialist with workshops, repotting and boarding, head instead to Bonsai Inc at 18 Sin Ming Lane, #08-25 Midview City, which runs a bonsai hotel from S$35 a week. For the widest range of mature trees in Singapore, Chengtai Nursery at 51 Sungei Tengah Road has thousands of bonsai across a large site. JM Flower wins on price, opening hours and its central location close to Thomson Road.

Caldecott MRT station on the Circle and Thomson-East Coast lines is about 450 metres away in a straight line, and buses stop on Thomson Road outside Mount Alvernia Hospital, served by routes 130, 132, 156, 166, 167 and 980. MacRitchie Reservoir Park, entered from Lornie Road, Singapore 298735, is a short walk away, and its boardwalks along the water are the natural place to start or finish a morning visit.

For food, Thomson Plaza at 301 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574408, is under two kilometres north and has a food court and supermarket. The Upper Thomson stretch beyond it is lined with old shophouse eateries known for roti prata and local coffee. If you buy several trees, have them delivered for S$15 and walk the reservoir trails with free hands rather than carrying pots through the heat.

Address: JM Flower, 5 Joan Road, Singapore 298898. Nursery hours: Monday to Saturday 8am to 9pm, Sundays and public holidays 8am to 7pm. Office hours: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.30pm, Saturday 8.30am to 1pm, closed Sundays and public holidays. Website: jm.com.sg. Bonsai: Chinese elm and ficus from S$10.40 in the October 2026 sale. Delivery: S$15 per trip. Nearest MRT: Caldecott.