Homeownership provides a lot of opportunities for creativity. The choice of paints and wallpapers, the selection of furniture, and the choice of decorations are all forms of artistic expression. This creative opportunity extends outdoors, as well, with landscape design and tree shaping. If you are unfamiliar with the latter, learn more with this helpful introduction.

A Brief Guide to Tree Shaping

What Is It?

Tree shaping is the practice of using living, woody plants to create visually interesting and appealing shapes and structures that wouldn’t occur naturally. It’s most commonly used to create sculpted trees and shrubs that are a popular feature for residential and commercial landscapes.

However, extreme examples of this art include living bridges made from the roots of banyan trees in India and garden houses of multiple stories woven of live branches that pepper the Middle East. In medieval Europe, branches of neighboring trees were woven together to create canopied garden walkways.

Tree Shaping Terminology

Practitioners use multiple techniques to create their work. "Pruning" is most commonly used and shapes the leaves and branches of the tree to match the sculptor’s vision. "Grafting" creates permanent joints between neighboring plants, while "Framing" uses stakes to encourage vegetation to grow in specific shapes. "Pleaching" involves weaving dead and living branches together to form tunnels, arches, and walls. 

Why Shape Plants?

The results can be visually stunning, plus, well-maintained trees can add significant value to a property. Also, for businesses, it is an inexpensive way to draw the attention of potential customers. Moreover, the introduction of new trees to your property for this purpose is environmentally friendly. Finally, it is a unique and enjoyable way for people to express themselves creatively.

To hire a tree shaping professional for your residential or commercial property, contact L & M Tree Service in Kalispell, MT. They are fully licensed and insured and have served Flathead County for more than 25 years. They also offer tree pruning, tree thinning, stump grinding, and emergency tree removal. Visit their website to learn more about their services or call (406) 261-7240 to schedule an appointment.