My interest in bonsai started in 1978 when I bought a few bonsai for my wife who had admired them . As they began to die one at a time I decided to learn how to keep the remaining tree (the first one I bought, a Chinese elm) alive, so I bought The "Sunset Bonsai Book". The rest is history. I studied by myself for about 8 years, before I decided I wasn't getting anywhere, then I made arrangements with local master bonsaiman Keith Scott to work with him at his garden. I did this for about 3 1/2 years in the late 80's.

In 1989 a friend and work partner, Bob Stevens, and I started Wild Things Bonsai Nursery as a part-time venture. Our main business came from selling collected native specimen stock. We were both employed as Medical X-ray service technicians and had worked together every day since 1979.  While talking about hobbies one day at work when we were getting to know each other we found we had two hobbies in common, and one was bonsai. We worked on bonsai together and collected trees together for 10 years. before we started Wild Things. After 5 years I bought Bob out of the business and started Wild Things Bonsai Studio as a full-time business. We still travel to conventions and collect stock together.

I travel throughout the country extensively every year attending/vending at various bonsai conventions and symposiums. Age (50 years old now) has slowed down the collecting a little, and as the years go by my business has moved  into different directions. My vendor tables carry fewer rough-stock trees than in years before. Carving tools and pottery are now a large part of my vendor sales. I have also started carrying more oriental art, ceramic and lacquer wares, and specialty items related to bonsai.

One of my best experiences in vending at bonsai conventions was when I was invited to go to Seoul, Korea in 1997 for the 3rd. World Bonsai Convention. I was invited by the late President of the Korean Bonsai Association, Mr. Chul-ho Lee, who was impressed with my line of carving tools. I was honored to be the only non-Korean vendor at that convention.

I am a founder, and current Vice President, of the Akron/Canton Bonsai Society and I am current President of the Cleveland Bonsai Club. The Akron/Canton club is going into it's fifth year and the Cleveland club is one of the oldest clubs in the country, being started in 1956.

                                Regards,
                                          Dale Cochoy 

P.S.-The Chinese elm that originally had me studying about bonsai lived for another 15 years. It died during a winter that our temperatures went to below zero for a couple weeks with a record of -25 degrees Fahrenheit.