The following is a series of questions posed to Cindie Bonomi, a longtime member of the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society who has been deeply involved in the club since 2004. The interview was conducted by current Pittsburgh Bonsai Society President, Ian Evans.

1) What is your earliest memory of encountering the art and practice of bonsai?

My parents were members of the orchid society and the bonsai society in the early 60s. I’ve always been interested in plants. I love all plants, so from a young age, I was always interested in bonsai. I messed around with trees but really had no idea what I was doing.

2) What was the first bonsai you acquired, when did you get it, and what was the outcome?

The very first tree I acquired was an American white pine from my parents back in the early 80s. It got too big and out of control eventually, so it’s now planted in my yard next to my front door.

3) When did you go from casual enjoyment of bonsai to your more serious and dedicated pursuit?

When I joined the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society in 2004. That was when I really started to learn about soil and wiring techniques. Before then, I didn’t even know the first thing about soil. I remember showing one of the older members, Evelyn Christie, a tree when I first started going to meetings. The tree was a little 5-needle pine I acquired when my daughter was in ballet. I think my sister had given it to her after a performance of the Nutcracker, so it had bows and ornaments on it. It turned out to be a great little starter tree. It had great bonsai potential, but Evelyn said I had to do something about the soil I had it in.

4) When did you join the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society, and what elected and volunteer positions have you held?

I joined in 2004 and immediately became the newsletter editor. I also helped with the spring show every year by putting together food that members donated and staffing the snack bar the entire show weekend. I had never had an official posting, but the newsletter did take up a lot of my time.

5) What has been your favorite part of being a member of PBS?

The workshops. Learning about bonsai through hands-on approaches as well as listening to the older members and getting advice and information from them. I still consider myself a novice even now.

6) I’m sure you have some funny or even terrifying bonsai anecdotes. Please share one or two with us.

The one in particular I still remember: That very same 5-needle pine started looking show-worthy. I had it in the show several years in a row. One spring, I decided to really wire the branches down and do some really tough bends in preparation for the show, which was maybe a month away. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but I somehow thought it would be a good idea to put it out in full sun. Well, needless to say, the poor thing died within a week. I was heartbroken; it was one of my favorite trees.

7) What is one technique, idea, or conceptualization of bonsai that you wish everyone knew more about, or could do more effectively?

The biggest thing I never really understood (maybe because I had grown up with bonsai and knew a little about it) was how everyone I’ve ever talked to thought that all bonsai were the exact same plant, and that plant had to be grown inside. Usually, people bought Junipers and grew them inside, then couldn’t understand why they died. I guess I always thought that most people were more informed on that matter.

8) What is your favorite species to work on?

I love working on deciduous trees. I have sort of figured out how to style them and I feel like they are the easiest to work with. I can appreciate conifers, but I feel at a loss as to how to style them. I’d have to say that one of my favorite species is an Amur maple, or possibly a sweetgum because of their beautiful fall color.

9) What’s something you wish you knew more about regarding bonsai? And is there something in bonsai you wish you had more success with?

In the future, I do want to start working with more conifers and learning more about them. The other thing I’d really like to master is bending really thick branches successfully. Also, grafting—I can do an approach graft or a thread graft, but just a graft where you cut into the tree and attach a scion, I have only had one success in all the hundreds of times I’ve tried.

10) What are you looking forward to?

Getting better technique in styling any tree and starting to work more with conifers. I do have a few conifers, but most of my collection is deciduous and tropicals.

The following is a series of questions posed to Bob Grealish, a longtime member of the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society who has held various positions including vice president, corresponding secretary, and president. The interview was conducted by current Pittsburgh Bonsai Society President, Ian Evans.

1) What is your earliest memory of encountering the art and practice of bonsai?

5 years old. I decided one day I wanted to do bonsai and play the Irish tin whistle because I thought they were cool.

2) What was the first bonsai you acquired, when did you get it, and what was the outcome?

Dwarf mugo pine and two others I got at a nursery about 1985 because I finally decided to try bonsai. Close to 40 years ago. It’s long gone.

3) When did you go from casual enjoyment of bonsai to your more serious and dedicated pursuit?

Year two. I went from 7 plants to over a hundred. I joined the bonsai society and bought some books. I was hooked, (in more than one figurative sense).

4) When did you join the Pittsburgh Bonsai Society, and what elected and volunteer positions have you held?

About 1985 or 86. I have been vice president, corresponding secretary, and president. I have run the spring show, I wrote and ran the first website, and put out the newsletter (by mail).

5) How many years has the Annual Picnic been held at your place?

About 18-20 years.

6) I’m sure you have some funny or even terrifying bonsai anecdotes. Please share one with us.

At one point in the past century, I worked with Don Gould on Keystone Arts. I set up a studio and provided the equipment, salaries, and the business while he made and sold pots. One time we did a joint catalog with Jim Doyle (tools) and Dave Knittle (stands).

Around that time, I invested in North American Bonsai and Trading Company, a group of 10 of us which imported bonsai trees, pots, and other items from China. We took a trip to China and sought out several sources of material and pots. It was a memorable trip all over Southeast China by bus. Our drivers decided that they would find “delicacies” for us to eat for every meal. These included things like chicken feet, beef tendon, duck tongue, sea slugs, and other unusual foods. No meat. No rice. No familiar food except once.

In Yixing, a local official decided to accompany us to lunch. We had one fish for 9 of us. The locals deferred the best part to the official, and he offered them to us. We declined, since the best part was the eyeballs. We got the cheeks instead. We were very happy to get to Guangzhou (Canton) where we got some excellent French fries.

The trees came several weeks after we got back, all dead of course.

7) What is one technique, idea, or conceptualization of bonsai that you wish everyone knew more about, or could do more effectively?

Developing a root base.

8) What is your favorite species to work on?

Hinoki cypress.

9) What’s the last scope of work you completed? What kind of tree, age, what did you do to it, etc.?

I haven’t completed anything. I’ve been working on a large larch forest, naturalizing it. Worked on a large Carpinifolia elm and a Chinese elm. I guess the last “completed” project was a Chinese elm I got from Mike Stern, who grew it in his field. After I got it, I planted it in my yard and repeatedly grew it out and pruned it back for several years, until a couple years ago I wired it and potted it in a pot I had brought back from a bonsai show in Paris. I had it in the PBS show this year.

10) What are you looking forward to?

Having time to actually style some of the trees I have instead of just constant maintenance.