Weaving saplings and coppice sprouts and growing them in place is incredibly ancient, maybe neolithic. Julius Caesar was freaked out by the living woven defenses of the Nervi in Gaul. In general the deeper you go into the past the more people were aware of the possibilities of sprouting wood, coppicing, etc.
'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
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Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#42In Northern California there’s a small amusement park that has several of these. Haven’t been, but it’s on my list. https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#43Are they ergonomic?
They're agronomic
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#44Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#45Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your comment made me think of those helix-shaped bamboos from IKEA. While this is of course on a whole different level, it does suggest some kind of shaping is possible for bamboo as well. And it wouldn't take decades...
"Lucky bamboo" is actually a lily.
Akshually, it's an asparagus - dracaena sanderiana (or, usually erroneously, - braunii).
Thanks for inspiring me to look it up! I'm gonna have so much fun at the next party :D
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Your comment made me think of those helix-shaped bamboos from IKEA. While this is of course on a whole different level, it does suggest some kind of shaping is possible for bamboo as well. And it wouldn't take decades...
Probably rattan, not bamboo.
See my other comment - it's neither bamboo nor rattan, but a kind of asparagus.
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#47In Northern California there’s a small amusement park that has several of these. Haven’t been, but it’s on my list. https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
They are really cool. I went to see these trees as a teenager when they were in Scotts Valley. From the images, they have grown a bit in the decades since...
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#48Weaving saplings and coppice sprouts and growing them in place is incredibly ancient, maybe neolithic. Julius Caesar was freaked out by the living woven defenses of the Nervi in Gaul. In general the deeper you go into the past the more people were aware of the possibilities of sprouting wood, coppicing, etc.
British hedgerows are (sometimes? often?) woven:
https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-english-hedgerow-21854933....
Wiki talks about Caesar in reference to hedges: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedgelaying
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#49An issue of WET magazine (from the 1980s) profiled a similar operation. Always beautiful to see.
Another comment posted them: https://www.gilroygardens.org/circus-trees/
IIRC the article said that the "circus trees" were almost cut down when the property changed hands.
It stunned me that someone could be so callous about something so unique and creative.
Re: 'We mould trees to grow into the shape of chairs'
#50Seems cruel towards the trees, for human enjoyment