rockm

Joanie,

I was thinking about this last night. One thing that popped into my head--and was mentioned a little earlier--is the line between "change it" and "let it be" for the tree. You can usually find hte line by asking yourself "why did I buy the tree?"

Then ask "did I by it because I liked the history, or because I saw something in the tree that I liked" The answer to these questions can go a long way in determining the path you should follow with each tree.

If you bought the tree because you liked the history, that's fine. There is something to be said for this. That's why people want to get a "Kimura" or a "Naka" tree. They like thinking loooking at it and seeing what those guys saw and brought out of the material.

If you bought the tree because you saw something else in it that you thought you could bring out, that's a different story. By all means work to bring what you see in the tree out. Most bonsai develop this way, especially the older ones. Old bonsai --really old--are the product of MANY designs who each contribute to it over the years. This is the tradition. Sometimes honoring a veteran bonsaiists is best done this way.