Page 21 - 2019 01 BSF Magazine_v3

Growing plants for bonsai was a hobby until 2001. My oldest tree is a Miracle Fruit which
grew from a seed that I took from the greenhouses at FSC in 1971. Bonsai came to be a
part of my life through a college friend who graduated a year ahead of me and was posted
in Okinawa. He sent me the book “The Masters Book of Bonsai” which I still have.

BSF: How did you come up with the name of your nursery- Dragon Tree?

PINDER: I like the mythology of the dragon. I realize that different cultures in different
historical times have dragons with different characteristics. For the most part they are
benevolent. At one of the BSF conventions I was vending, someone was selling a variety of
prints and that is where I found the nursery logo. Dragons have a certain mystery about
them and so do trees.

BSF: Florida has a unique place in American horticulture and bonsai in that we range from
tropical to temperate species. Your nursery has a prolific variety of species. What is it about
your nursery that allows you to grow both tropical species and many temperate species?

PINDER: Florida has several temperature zones plus a very long coastline. This gives both
growers and artists a tremendous opportunity. I don’t know why the industry is hung up
on six or so different species. I grow that many different varieties of each of Celtis and
Ulmus. One part of the mission statement for Dragon Tree Bonsai is to introduce new
species and this takes time and education. Growers need to be more experimental and
artists have to be more creative. Both of these require that we learn. I don’t know if there
is anything significantly different, except for the geographical location of the nursery. You
have to make adaptations for the species (varieties) you are planning to grow. Some
species need heat, some cold, some wet, some dry and some need a combination. It’s all
in learning what to do with what you would like to grow.

BSF: Do you have a favorite species for bonsai and why?

PINDER: I don’t have a favorite species. I appreciate them for what they have to offer.
Some of them it’s form, some it’s texture. It can be branch and twiggyness, color and so
on. I try to give my trees a natural appearance.

BSF: How would you say the potential of tropical species compares to non-tropical species
for developing bonsai?

PINDER: There is equal potential for both tropical and temperate species. The key to
success is learning how to treat them.

BSF: What is your opinion about the long growing season in Florida and how would you
advise bonsai enthusiasts to capitalize on it?

PINDER: Our long Florida growing season should give us a greater opportunity to enjoy our
trees at their optimum. We do not have to be in a rush to do major pruning, wiring, etc. It
also allows our trees to develop more quickly which is rewarding.

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