Some Remarkable looking Trees...

Probably not as unkind to trees as Bonsai, I think it would take quite a large amount patience and commitment to create something like that.
Not for me though, but I do have a twisted stemmed laburnum which is a poor attempt at that kind of thing.

 

To be honest, I wouldn't necessarily think American. I've been gone for a long time but it doesn't strike me as what they would do .. they are not actually "gardeners". I would go more for Aussie, NZ or SA .. but could be wrong ... and often I am!

I do do Bonsai, however, and have an Ivy about 18 years old now about 5 inches tall which I did on my own from a little critter that escaped from the monstrosity that took over our garage .... Pal and I think MF know about these things!

 

Forgot to say, pete, you have patience with you lime tree, why not a Bonsai ... which only means a tree in a pot in both Japanese and Chinese?

It can be from my 5 inch tall ivy to my twometre tall ballerina apple tree (there's swapping measurements for you!).

Irrespective it's a bonsai. Any tree grown in a pot.

 

Yeah, I do like some bonsai, but there are a lot of bad ones about.
Just to add my bit, I think the pics are American.
Another thought,.... If an Aussie had the patience, and I do mean IF, to create a bonsai, would it be a BONZER BONSAI :D

 

Oh, Pete! That's awful! :rolleyes:

I was trying to make out the signs, as they don't look like English, but I can't make them out.

I had a look for "living tree sculpture" on google, and came across this little lot - have a peek! (It won't take very long, Pete!)

http://www.arborsmith.com/

 

Psssst, I quite like them. Not much different to half hacking a sapling tree, bending it over and making it provide a hedge. Taste is very subjective, I quite like living sculpture.

Please feel free to flame me :D

 

Yeah, its American Dendy, it said oregon, strange they said poplar though, I thought they called that cotton wood.

 

I couldn't read those signs either, dendro, even with a magnifying glass! :D

Actually, following on from what BM says ... what is it the British do with their hedgerows ???? I don't know the name ... this bending and twisting and twirling and plaiting? This is very old English, me thinks!

 

I think you may mean layering - thats the traditional way of hedging, unlike the flail which is currently used as takes less time - and leaves masses of ragged torn wood.

 

There's quite a fashion for weaving live willow, BM -and that CAN look quite good. Our local GC does courses in it, and I'm thinking of going along to the next one. But that's rather different, IMHO..... although probably it's just a question of degree......

Layering does look quite awful too, doesnt it Fran? At the beginning, I mean, and then once the hedge gets going, it's fine - but the idea of doing that to plants is rather horrendous, I have to agree!

There was a stretch of it done by the M10 a few years ago, and it looked hideous for the first year, but the next year it was looking good!

 

Weaving live willow. Down here they do lessons at the local agg college. They chuck it in the river the day before, then next day take it out and its all ready to be woven in the ground. Few months later its all green and growing. Really cool.

 

My kids have a living willow classroom that they all helped to make at school It's a fantastic shady place to have outdoor lessons in the Summer, and they have got sooo much out of watching it grow.

 

I was just going to add that whatever we do in our gardens is defying nature if you really scrutinise it - cutting our lawns to keep them short and green, using pest resistant plants, even dead-heading to make the plant produce more flowers. Most trees you buy are grafted onto stronger rootstock too.

As an artist, I appreciate the time, effort and novelty of the 'sculpted' trees - but I undoubtedly prefer trees in their natural, unadulterated state!

 

Actually, i like them, as they are rather healthy looking and seem to be happy, i don't see any harm in the occasional bit or growing art. I like things that are unusual. I used to like fedges and willow sculpture.