(from en.wikipedia.org)
I was digging around on Monrovia last night (my favorite plant website) to try to get some ideas on what I can plant to cleverly hide our utility boxes. (For some ridiculous and unknown reason, the planners of our neighborhood have placed a grouping of utility boxes in the frontyards of our houses... not pretty.) When I was searching, I noticed a word under "Landscape Use" that I didn't recognize: Espalier.
So, I naturally Wikipedia'd it - and discovered the word refers to the practice of training trees (through pruning and grafting) to grow in a pre-selected 2D pattern, often next to a wall or building. When I started to pull up pictures, I fell in LOVE with this idea!!
(from www.apps.buckscc.gov.uk)
(from gapphotos.com)
(from espalier-interiordesign.com)
Aren't these just stunning? Apparently many fruit trees are good espalier choices - and they bear more mature fruit faster when grown in this fashion!! J'adore!
As a result of additional searching online, I also came across Arborsculpture, or the art of shaping trunks, branches and roots of trees and other woody plants into designs:
(from photos.commongate.com)
(from gardeninggiftsgalore.com)
(from homebuilding.thefuntimesguide.com)
(from treehousebydesign.com)
My favorites are the tree-chair (the first pic in this post) and the tree arch. :)
Call me a tree-huggin' hippie, but I really do treasure these trees - and my only disappointment in discovering these art forms is knowing that Ryan + I aren't likely to stay in one city long enough for me to try my own hand at crafting one of my own and watching it mature! *sniff sniff*
*****
On a sidenote, I was SO saddened this morning to discover that Diane Sawyer will be leaving ABC's morning news program, Good Morning America in January to take over for Charles Gibson on ABC's evening news program. I always watch news in the morning, usually pairing it with a cup of coffee as I sift through my personal emails. She's part of my morning ritual!! (Perhaps I will have to begin watching evening news in 2010... *sigh*...)
Diane, your morning peeps will miss you. She said this morning she has been a part of around 2,500 episodes of GMA over 10.5 years... That's a lifetime of work in & of itself!
*****
Nothin' but love for you all this Thursday.
xxoo!!
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