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Tree Arches Project

Smith College Center for Environmental and Ecological Design Studies. Installed June 19, 2012

An Invitation to Landscape Architects and Designers

Grafting is accomplished by placing the branch or trunk of one tree, in fixed contact with that of another. Eventually, the two grow together to form a living union.

I have been grafting living trees into architectural and geometric forms for over 30 years. When I was young I was always intrigued with strange tree self-grafting I would find in woods and orchards. Equally fascinating were odd inclusions of farm equipment, fencing and stone grown into tree trunks.

I did my first experiments putting metal, glass and china into trees in 1977. the following year was my first intentional planting of trees for the purpose of training and grafting them together.

Boat Frame

Some day it will be harvested, skinned and floated down the river!

Putney, VT

I'm growing this boat frame upside down, defining the keel, ribs and gunnel. I am using four apple trees in this project and five crab apple trees in another. I would like to try Sycamore as soon as possible. This is definitely a piece that will be harvested in the sense that I see it as reaching a particular size and I want to see it as an artifact.