Bill Schmidt didn't have much of a green thumb when it came to caring for the two trees outside his North Side tavern.
Although the owner of Commodore Cafe and Mister Bill's Tap and Grill tended to them, they never lasted.
"As they died, I needed to come up with a new solution," said Schmidt, 51, of the North Side.
After four sets died, he stopped planting replacements in the cutout of the sidewalk and took an unconventional approach to beautifying his corner of Perrysville Avenue in Observatory Hill.
Last year, to celebrate the Pittsburgh Penguins' successful season, he left the dead trees in the ground and painted every twig, branch and exposed root bright yellow.
"People think my wife is doing it," said Schmidt, who this week taped and twist-tied 1,500 fluorescent, fake flowers onto the branches in time for summer. "They don't know I have a soft spot."
Schmidt learned Thursday that the eye-catching trees are slated for removal next week by city order. Roger Abbott, foreman of the city's Forestry Division, said dead trees are a public safety concern. It's not about the decorations, Abbott said.
"I've been with the department for 32 years, and I've never seen any trees like this around the city," Abbott said.
The dead trees attract more attention than the living ones did. Motorists who drive past honk, and Schmidt waves. Some stop to take pictures.
"They're funny," said Cheryl Armstrong, 49, of the North Side. "Anything to spruce up the avenue a little bit."
"It seems to add something to the community," said neighbor Bart Bailey, 53. "Just a little color and dimension."
Abbott said he received several complaints about the trees from city officials.
"If anybody gets flak, it's Mr. Bill," Schmidt said, referring to himself. He changed the decorations for seasons, holidays and sports teams.
The trees are city property, and the Art Commission would have to approve any decoration, said Lisa Ceoffe, urban forester and coordinator for the city's TreeVitalize program.
"They don't get any relief on that because it's a dead tree," she said.
Schmidt said he's just bringing them back to life.
"Mr. Bill don't give up that easy," he said. "I'll pluck them out of here and put them on my property."
