Hornbeam Forest

TimZ8

I was lucky enough to have the privilege of working with Craig Coussins yesterday on a new Korean Hornbeam forest. Craig tought me a new way of looking at forest design that is a little different than most information you find.
If you study forest design you will find most of the time forests are built with smaller trees in the rear and sides of the composition to create depth. Also sometimes the reverse, all smaller trees up front to give a close up view. With Craig's approach smaller trees are placed in front, rear and sides giving the forest a more natural look, like what you see in nature.
His ideas will definitely change the way I build forests in the future.

Attached Images

Craig and Me.JPG (65.7 KB, 363 views)

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badlad52

That is very cool! I know that people usually plant the smaller trees in the back to create sort of an optical illusion of depth in the composition. But most people are too realist to view it in that way, so what you are describing has to work. In nature, the taller, bigger trees are going to be in the center of the grove, because as they reproduce, the only room for the seedlings is farther and farther away from their parents. I can even see that happening in my yard!

rschlafer

I'm going to a workshop tomorrow at the Botanical gardens here in Colorado....and i believe Craig is going to be giving a demonstration.

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Bob O

A good case for "Bonsai in the Round" ? ;-)

Bob O

zube

".....because as they reproduce, the only room for the seedlings is farther and farther away from their parents."

That's not how it works. They're trees, not puppies. Nor is your yard representative of any forest. Lawnmowers don't drive around in the forest.

Neat group Tim! The aspect of group plantings that appeals to me is that any chosen perspective can be represented if the artist has the skill.
Take care,
zube

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badlad52

So how, exactly, does it work Zube? Do huge, adult trees just suddenly, out of thin air, appear at the edge of a grove of trees? Hmmm... not likely...

And my yard sits on the edge of one of these, so I can plainly see what's going on. If you have ever been to Seattle you have seen the wilderness constantly trying to reclaim what is her's.

So now you can put your chip back on!

Jonny

Nice job Tim,


I like the concept of equal distribution front to back, but as a traditionalist the thought doesn't come easily.

Jonny

rockm

"So how, exactly, does it work Zube? Do huge, adult trees just suddenly, out of thin air, appear at the edge of a grove of trees? Hmmm... not likely.."

That may or may not be the way it works in the woods (mostly it doesn't, there are hundreds of ways trees take advantage of local conditions and surrounding trees), but it's immaterial in bonsai composition. The reason smaller trees are usually used in the back and sides of a bonsai forest planting is for VISUAL PERSPECTIVE.

Shorter, smaller trees in the back and larger taller trees in the front force an illusion of depth into a relatively narrow container. Trees in the distance look smaller than trees close to you. Works like that in paintings, works like that in bonsai too.

rjj

Very nice Tim. I like it.

I could go out and take a hundred photos to prove this design is more accurate than what is normally done. I bird has a favorite fence line to sit on. Seed from droppings get lucky. After a year or two, a couple trees become established. When they are mature and seeding, the seed that will be most successful is the seed along the outer edge of the shade of the larger trees. The center ring of more mature trees expands as the younger saplings along the edges continue to sprout.

randy