Mixed Forest Planting...Water Elm and Bald Cypress

[johng]

Recently I was able to spend the day working on a project with my good buddy Ken. Rain forced us to change our original plans but that opened the door to another project that was perfectly timed.

Mixed forests are talked about occasionally but it is pretty rare to actually see one. I have experimented with several over the years with mixed results. Some of the trees used to put together this composition have been a part of some of those experiments.

The photos are deceptive in terms of size...this planting is very large. The container itself is just over 30" and the tallest tree measures 44" from the table top.

This composition is designed to reflect some of the swampy regions of South Carolina...where Bald Cypress and Water Elm line the water ways and dominate other species.

it is always good to have a little fun....

 

[DougB]

Love your friend "The Gator". Please talk to us about the size difference in the trees.

 

[drew33998]

John, I definitely get the feeling of a Florida swamp when I look at this piece. Great work!

 

[thumblessprimate1]

I like seeing how within a dense forest another species boldly towers over the others. Around here, it's the cottonwoods growing above the hackberries.

 

[johng]

I like seeing how within a dense forest another species boldly towers over the others. Around here, it's the cottonwoods growing above the hackberries.

And to answer Doug's question that is exactly what we see around the swamps in SC...there is a low deciduous hardwood forest with BC growing above the canopy. Of course the heights vary...but its common to see a hardwoods in the 30-50 ft region and the Bald Cypress growing to nearly twice that height.

Futhermore...Water elm is not a species that gets large at all...I guess I may have seen a few with a trunk diameter of up to 2' but most are significantly smaller...

 

[Zach Smith]

Recently I was able to spend the day working on a project with my good buddy Ken. Rain forced us to change our original plans but that opened the door to another project that was perfectly timed.

Mixed forests are talked about occasionally but it is pretty rare to actually see one. I have experimented with several over the years with mixed results. Some of the trees used to put together this composition have been a part of some of those experiments.

The photos are deceptive in terms of size...this planting is very large. The container itself is just over 30" and the tallest tree measures 44" from the table top.

This composition is designed to reflect some of the swampy regions of South Carolina...where Bald Cypress and Water Elm line the water ways and dominate other species.




it is always good to have a little fun....

Nice work, John. Reminds me of many a collecting trip.

Zach

 

[Waldo Street Pottery]

Very nice, as always! What are the black pebbles under the gator's feet?

 

[johng]

Very nice, as always! What are the black pebbles under the gator's feet?

I knew someone would see that... It is actually a substrate for planted aquaria...I used to replicate black water but didn't like it

 

[Zach Smith]

I assumed the black pebbles were there to represent a herd of rabbits that scurried when the gator showed up. Scared them scatologically, as it were.

 

[Zerojoke]

I knew someone would see that... It is actually a substrate for planted aquaria...I used to replicate black water but didn't like it

First, I really like the planting overall. I tried to think about 'what would it be if it were only one species' and I think in either direction it would be a lesser piece. I think this looks awesome and insanely naturalistic (from the Texas swamps, y'all). I think if you had more black pebbles it would 'work' and look more like black water.

 

[Eric Group]

Looks great John! I don't know how I missed this one.. Ken told me about it today so I came back to look...

I love the combination and I think something that helps it look natural is the similar degree of ramification on each tree. If some were more developed than others, it wouldn't look nearly as good.

The gator is a nice touch, all you are missing is the husband and wife in their canoe paddling like their lives depend on it!