Post by tentfire on Apr 14, 2011 23:50:59 GMT -5
Years ago, when I was in my early mid 20's, I had this fascination with trees (kind of always have). I started digging up those tiny little seedlings that I always hated seeing mowed down, and potting them up. I had quite a few pots of them! Several rows behind my house. I got bored with just watering/fertilizing them and started playing around with shaping them into odd shapes .... braids, knots, funny bends, etc. After they got several feet tall (2 and 3 years of growth and shaping) I got permission and planted them at the campgrounds that I had camped at for a couple of decades. Other campers loved them and took turns keeping them watered whenever they were out there. BUT.... later on, the lazy mowers cut them all down 
.
So ..... I was so disgusted I never played around with any more. I potted up a few favorite trees to bring with me when I moved to the country (most of which died with the soon to follow drought), but I never did play around with shaping them again. Then last summer my mom had some tall, spindly, Sweet Gum trees come up in her flower bed and she was getting ready to toss them out. I pulled them up, stuck three in a pot, and played with them all last summer and fall. I worked on braiding the trunks. They are once again leafed out now and looking pretty interesting. So I have been wandering around my yard this week, seeing how many seedlings I have coming up and wondering what I could creatively do with them.
Then I decided to see if there was anything online about shaping trees into odd shapes. Oh, my! I didn't realize it was such an art! I knew there was Bonsai and Topiary and all, but the newer one ... Pooktre .... is ADORABLE!!!
Check out these pics. I especially love the chair!.....
curiousphotos.blogspot.com/2008/12/amazing-pooktre-25pics.html
images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701&va=tree+shaping
Wouldn't one planted by a pond, looking like it was fishing, be cool!
I'm going to have to try that basket trunk. I have access to a bunch of Ash tree seedlings, if they didn't get sprayed with weed killer this week. Going to scoop them all up this weekend if they are still there. Think I will try to make a 'living' bench in my yard out of a couple of them ... well, I can try anyway.
.So ..... I was so disgusted I never played around with any more. I potted up a few favorite trees to bring with me when I moved to the country (most of which died with the soon to follow drought), but I never did play around with shaping them again. Then last summer my mom had some tall, spindly, Sweet Gum trees come up in her flower bed and she was getting ready to toss them out. I pulled them up, stuck three in a pot, and played with them all last summer and fall. I worked on braiding the trunks. They are once again leafed out now and looking pretty interesting. So I have been wandering around my yard this week, seeing how many seedlings I have coming up and wondering what I could creatively do with them.
Then I decided to see if there was anything online about shaping trees into odd shapes. Oh, my! I didn't realize it was such an art! I knew there was Bonsai and Topiary and all, but the newer one ... Pooktre .... is ADORABLE!!!
Check out these pics. I especially love the chair!.....
curiousphotos.blogspot.com/2008/12/amazing-pooktre-25pics.html
images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?_adv_prop=image&fr=yfp-t-701&va=tree+shaping
Wouldn't one planted by a pond, looking like it was fishing, be cool!
I'm going to have to try that basket trunk. I have access to a bunch of Ash tree seedlings, if they didn't get sprayed with weed killer this week. Going to scoop them all up this weekend if they are still there. Think I will try to make a 'living' bench in my yard out of a couple of them ... well, I can try anyway.
