Page 22 - 2019 01 BSF Magazine_v3

BSF: As the owner of one of the premier bonsai nurseries in Florida, what advice could you
give visitors to bonsai nurseries to maximize their enjoyment from a visit?

PINDER: My advice to visitors is “don’t be in a hurry”. Take your time to examine each
tree from root to apex. Sometimes you will be surprised at what you see – lizard on a limb,
frog in a crevice, an old snake skin dangling from a branch. Then step back and enjoy the
whole picture. Also, ask questions.

BSF: You teach many classes at your nursery. What do you think is the largest problem
students need to overcome to improve their bonsai?

PINDER: The biggest problem for most of us, not just students, is taking the time to seek
the knowledge and apply that knowledge consistently.

BSF: What challenges you about the art of bonsai?

PINDER: My challenge with the art of bonsai is to get my trees to look
like trees growing in the wild at the whim of Mother Nature. Art is
different for each of us and my suggestion is to enjoy what you do and be
proud of what you accomplish. \The major challenge of the bonsai
industry is to teach hobbyists how to keep their trees healthy and
growing so they can achieve their artistic goals. A lot of emphasis and
importance is placed on styling to the detriment of the survival of the
tree.

BSF: Where do you see the art of bonsai going in Florida in the near-term
future?

PINDER: I have no idea of the future of bonsai in Florida. I have a lot of
younger people as customers. try very hard to see to it that they get the
necessary horticultural information to keep their tree(s) alive and
growing. If they succeed they will keep on improving, horticulturally and
artistically. Hopefully this translates into a bright future. Personally, I
think that BSF has a tremendous opportunity to become a national force
and play a role in uniting the tropical bonsai world in our hemisphere.
A candid shot of one of Dragon Tree's native bonsai.

BSF: Do you have a favorite bonsai moment you’d like to share?

PINDER: I don’t know if this is a moment, but it is a great story. It started about 17 years
ago with the Treasure Coast Bonsai Club at an Adams Ranch collecting trip. Most of us
were stomping around with shovels, hand saws, chain saws, etc. looking for the Holy
Grail of bald cypress trees. So happens, Joyce was on the trip looking for a tree of her
own. However, she only had a hand trowel to use for her collecting. She found her tree,
an American Elm seedling a little bit bigger than the lead in a pencil and about 15 inches
tall. Now that tree is one of the most admired bonsai in the nursery. 

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