Not my thing either Hank - I can see they're beautiful, but torturing plants with wires to conform to a human idea of aesthetics I find objectionable and it ruins the beauty for me - just the same as overbreeding dogs, so they can't function so well (not being able to breath easily for instance)

I'm also torn between admiring the beauty and artistry and feeling sorry for the trees...

I could have mentioned women having their feet bound for precisely the same reasons... all these things spring to mind when I see a bonsai.

Thanks for your views, I've deleted the pictures.

Oh dear, hope I didn't put you off Hank - I think someone sent me a whole string of bonsai pics a while back, thinking as a gardener, I'd like them...

That's a shame Hank - they really were beautiful even if you don't like the method of producing them.