The photos below are two of the ten bushes that line my mother's property. They have been there over 60 years. We have played around them, mowed around them-what a pain, and have been a part of how we identified her home to visitors. Last year, because they were getting to difficult for me to trim, my brother took them down to about a foot. They are growing like crazy again. There will come a time when we sell moms house, she is 90 yrs now, I will be putting into the selling contract that the bushes will not be apart of the sale. I would love to create a bonsai from a childhood memory of home. It kills me that my brother took them down so far, but it's done and there is still enough im sure to make something beautiful.

If it really reminds you of your childhood maybe you should just plant them in front of your house and not make bonsais out of them. As bonsais they will be nothing like before. But they seem to be a very very good bonsai material. In this case I think your brother did well to trim them so low (maybe he knows better what it takes to make a good bonsai )

Well I appreciate the kind thoughts toward my brother but he hacked them down only half way. When he saw how horrible they looked he took them down all the way. No bonsai planning in his head just indiscriminate hacking. I've asked him in the future to please consult his baby sister before he digs ANYTHING up on moms property. He sees bushes and hedges as things too around. I now see potential.

Are we even sure this is a species suitable to bonsai?

I believe they are a boxwood. Nothing will be happening with them for a long time hopefully. I want mama around as long as I can have her and if we decided to buy her place they would stay where they are. I was just so excited to see some great structure on a plant so close to home....my own growing up home.