I like elms. They are also tough and I happened to love them. They are
my favorite material. It's sad that most new people start with junipers
which in my opinion are much more difficult than other species. Of
course, like everyone knows they are already dead when you get them home
from home depot. I'm a big fan of deciduous trees so I'm a little
biased. Get a a tree from a reputable online dealer or if your lucky to
live in an area where there is a good bonsai nursery go there. Do not
purchase trees in malls or the big box stores. Its nice to start out
with an actual semi-finished bonsai. You have at least one bonsai that
is recognizable as bonsai. Then you can start making your own out of
material you find at you neighborhood nursery or from collected
material. It takes time to transform these into bonsai. You will lose
trees. It happens to everyone. It is a process that takes time to learn.
Even when you learn you will still lose trees. Try and find someone who
knows bonsai in your area and who knows a good soil mix. That is the
key. Depending on where you live the soil mix will change due to
different environmental conditions. Here in Phoenix we want a very quick
draining soil. We may have to water more often but we have a problem
when our mix retains too much water during August and September. The
reason is that our tree's roots tend to cook during these hot months. I
hope I was helpful. Welcome to the wonderful world of bonsai.

Jim