About 7 years ago I made yet another classic beginner mistake and bought a picea glauca "conica" for bonsai material. At the time geography limited my choices more and it seemed like a rational choice. I didn't know what I was in for. Now after 7 years of wrangling this thing (it's got the branches that spring back after wiring (it has a great memory!), the interior foliage density thing, and the" I must be conical" attitude) I'm wondering if I need to face reality. Unfortunately the tree has great nebari so I keep trying to make it work. It's kind of like self flagellation.

Has anyone ever seen this species work well? Are there certain styles (beyond the obvious conical form) that this tree could lend itself to. What if I made a raft out of it? Or should I just finally succumb, realize the tree got the better of me, say uncle, and plant the damn thing in my yard. That way it can be the "pretty little Christmas tree" and I can expend my energy on other material. ;) Feedback?