# Art of Arborsculpture: who offers it, knows how to do it?



## M.D. Vaden (Aug 14, 2007)

I've decided to begin an arborsculpture collection again, and offer the service commercially.

Probably some of the simpler more affordable projects like living fences.

Anyone else offer this as a service or perform it as a hobby?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arborsculpture

In Beaverton, I used to enjoy doing this. It's affordable, and can be educational. It really leads the artist to pay close attention to growth and plant tissue.


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## BonsaiJedi (Aug 15, 2007)

As a bonsai-ist I've had an interest for a while in Arborsculture but have not tried it yet. I found a site from the UK that goes over how to grow a stool.
http://www.grown-furniture.co.uk/
I have several white birch that have been planned to be a bonsai forest but I decided a few weeks ago that I wantto try the stool planting instead. I'll be putting them into the ground this fall to start it out. They won't grow as rapidly as the sycamores this guy uses but I'm patient.

Next step will be like these Germans: http://www.sanftestrukturen.de/HTML/2004.html

and 
http://www.auerworld.de/

What have you done in the past, MD? Post us some pics!


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## M.D. Vaden (Aug 16, 2007)

BonsaiJedi said:


> As a bonsai-ist I've had an interest for a while in Arborsculture but have not tried it yet. I found a site from the UK that goes over how to grow a stool.
> http://www.grown-furniture.co.uk/
> I have several white birch that have been planned to be a bonsai forest but I decided a few weeks ago that I wantto try the stool planting instead. I'll be putting them into the ground this fall to start it out. They won't grow as rapidly as the sycamores this guy uses but I'm patient.
> 
> ...



I never took one photo in the past. Wish digital cameras existed. I was so bad with a film camera, that it just sat in a drawer. Most of my bonsai were connifer like hemlock or juniper. Never did a Japanese maple. Sadly, I don't have any photos of my landscape designs either, before 2003. Won't see that happen again.

I am considering doing one or two bonsai, because I'm going to set-up automatic irrigation: something I never had before. That would take the routine out of watering. I could just use mini micro-sprays.

For some reason, I think I'd like to take a ceramics class, and make a huge bonsai tray for a bigger than normal bonsai tree. And I'd like to put it in the front yard with a night light. Need to figure out a way to fasten it down.


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## BonsaiJedi (Aug 16, 2007)

there are some options for securing pots from would be snatchers: http://www.bonsai-tools.com/supplies/potting-accessories/4-pot-lock-set.xhtml

What arborsculptures did you attempt in the past?

Also, MD, will you be at the PacNW ISA show this fall?


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## John Paul Sanborn (Aug 16, 2007)

You may want to think twice about birch for this since this is basically pleaching and birch does not compartmentalize wounds well. You may find the graft unions too weak to hold a persons weight.


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## BonsaiJedi (Aug 16, 2007)

hmmm...you may a point JS. I hadn't thought about that, I was just thinking about what I have in available saplings. Sycamores don't grow well here (Minneapolis) but I do have red maple, american elm, and siberian elm at my disposal. I may try it with the Am. elm instead. 
Thanks for the tip before I invested 6-7 years to break the stool on its first use!


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## M.D. Vaden (Aug 17, 2007)

John Paul Sanborn said:


> You may want to think twice about birch for this since this is basically pleaching and birch does not compartmentalize wounds well. You may find the graft unions too weak to hold a persons weight.



I thought he was talking about birch for bonsai.

But I've thought of Himalayan birch for a natural fence, where I'd graft the tips of the limbs, after selecting trees with similar length branches at the side.

Its likely though, that I'll do it with apple - like liberty - for the fruit color and food. Sort of a pleaching & espallier.

Although arborsculpture is not those, but includes them.


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## John Paul Sanborn (Aug 19, 2007)

M.D. Vaden said:


> Its likely though, that I'll do it with apple - like liberty - for the fruit color and food. Sort of a pleaching & espalier.



I thought it's called a Dutch fence then my search to verify came up with Belgian fence



> A style of espalier in which limbs are trained into a latticelike pattern.









Here is from Ask.com


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## M.D. Vaden (Aug 19, 2007)

Can be.

I'm planning to graft the branch tips together to form fence rails and stuff.

But it may not be in a row. I may do triangles, and some limbs may be bent as well to form benches either with grafted pieces or by being able to mount a seat.

Not sure exactly yet - just planning to have fun with it once I start and see where it goes.

My preference is to stick the stuff that's interesting but not too complicated.

I like the pretzle tree shown on the Wikipedia page, and have wanted to have tree arches like the one shown over the sidewalk.

About 10 years ago, I included a diagram on a design blueprint for two trees to be arched and grafted over a sidewalk just like what's shown. Not sure if the homeowner performed it. I don't get back to every yard that I do a plan for.


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## scottbaker (Aug 20, 2007)

MD and all

Richard Reames down in Southern Oregon is the resource on Arbor sculpture.

His web site at www.arborsmith.com is awesome.

Richard Reames [[email protected]]

Good luck and please post some pictures when you've grown a cool one!

Scott


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## Richard Reames (Aug 21, 2007)

Thanks for the plug Scott.


John Paul Sanborn said:


> You may want to think twice about birch for this since this is basically pleaching and birch does not compartmentalize wounds well. You may find the graft unions too weak to hold a persons weight.



Are you saying Birch has a weak CODIT response and if it became infected would have a weak graft ?

I think *pleaching* typicaly involves braiding branches together and there may be some similarity's to *Arborsculpture*, but Pleaching and Arborsculpture are completely different animals .
Richard


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