Thanks a lot for your replies!
When it comes to Bonsai clubs, I'm afraid I'm out of luck. The nearest one I could find was 50km away, and even within the larger area, the only club's website that wasn't a dead link hasn't been updated since 2011. I guess it's up to me to bring the art of Bonsai to this area.
You want to start with something that's already grown for a year or two. Starting a tree from a seed may be something to try once you get into it, but it won't help you learn bonsai.
Yeah, now that I think about it, it does make sense to get a grown plant first in order to get a feel for proper Bonsai care. It would be a shame to spend years raising seeds, only to have no idea what to do with them when they're finally grown. Then again, could I maybe consider planting some seeds 'on the side' while I practice caring for an already grown Bonsai tree? If all goes well, I should have had plenty of time to get some experience by the time they're grown.
As I mentioned, there isn't much in the way of Bonsai clubs or shops over here, but I suppose I could always visit a regular tree nursery in the area. Maybe they can give me some advice, or possibly even some young plants to sell.
Would you advise me to get a fully grown Bonsai tree to get some practice before getting a 1-2 year old plant to grow?
Ficus are tropical trees, and though they do ok indoors, it will not really thrive.
Does this apply to all so-called indoor trees? This website recommends Ficus as a choice for beginners, because they're supposed to be quite resilient and tolerant to low humidity, thus making them relatively easy to care for. Would you recommend another type of tree, or did you only mean to say that an indoor environment doesn't provide the optimal conditions for them to thrive? Or do you maybe think that I should stick to outdoor trees altogether for now?
Also, I have heard that Fall is generally considered the ideal time to plant Bonsai trees
You are planting seeds so you are not planting bonsai trees.
So the advice of planting in Fall only applies to seedlings or already grown trees, but not seeds? I believe an article on this website also recommended Fall as the season for planting plain seeds. If that's not the case, is there anything else to consider about timing when it comes to planting seeds?