Quercus Robur natural style, evolution from 2017.

[Forrestford]

That bark looks amazing! Nice progression.

 

[Tom vinken]

This year the tree is grow and responding fantastic with very small and short growth.
Already 4 times the tree reacts this season.
If everything goes well the oak will be repotted in a pot from Gordon Duffet next spring.

 

[Tom vinken]

Som early pictures of the tree from 2012 where it all started...

 

[Tom vinken]

Inspiring old oak....

 

[BobbyLane]

im one for using wild tree trees for inspo, but there are some characteristics i tend not to follow, like horizontal branches in the crown. or, having ascending branches, rising branches underneath horizontal branches, it spoils the theme. if your low and mids are rising, the apical branches just look better if they follow the theme.
i try not to have too many crossing primary branches also, especially in the main primarys that set the tone for the tree, its ok to have crossing bits in the finer twigging. i love a natural image as much as the next guy, but i think there should be harmony too. not too much confliction.

 

[Tom vinken]

im one for using wild tree trees for inspo, but there are some characteristics i tend not to follow, like horizontal branches in the crown. or, having ascending branches, rising branches underneath horizontal branches, it spoils the theme. if your low and mids are rising, the apical branches just look better if they follow the theme.
i try not to have too many crossing primary branches also, especially in the main primarys that set the tone for the tree, its ok to have crossing bits in the finer twigging. i love a natural image as much as the next guy, but i think there should be harmony too. not too much confliction.

Of course...
Only I think we always have to look how a tree grows in nature so we can style a tree in it’s own natural feeling.
I don’t like a tree that looks like a bonsai, I prefer a bonsai that looks like a tree...

 

[BobbyLane]

yeh i like that approach

i also think that while there are some things we like on full size trees, there are some aspects that dont always look as convincing when its done on smaller trees. like, a heavy bending or arching low branch on a wild tree looks like it was always supposed to be there, but when this arching effect is done on a smaller tree, sometimes you can see that someone bent the branch downward. this is seen often.
there is natural and there is naturalistic, while someone might be trying to emulate a natural tree by copying the growth habit, you also want to make it look like it wasnt touched by man, thats the naturalistic part.

the naka quote, also states that you want to have negative areas and spaces for birds to fly through, but when you have too many crossing branches you negate that.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

In the photos, this tree is excellent. Of course the photos are like viewing this tree from a distance. You have done excellent work. This is a fine tree. I love the bark. In the brief amount of time I looked at the photos I did not see the problems that @BobbyLane noted, but I did not magnify the photos on my laptop. He is correct in that "angle of insertion" of the branch into the trunk sets a "theme" for the tree, and should be followed through the tree. Lowest branches should be near horizontal, higher branches increasingly vertical as you go up in the tree. But I did not see any obvious violations of this guideline. Of course I'm not seeing the tree in person. The "angle of insertion" for a branch to the trunk is a key trait that goes a long way to making a tree look natural.

You've done a fine job developing this tree, it is very nice.

 

[Colorado]

Awesome progression!

 

[sorce]

Both the Child and the Tree have advanced!

Nice Pond!

Sorce

 

[just.wing.it]

Love the foliage on this tree. Nice work.

 

[BobbyLane]

In the photos, this tree is excellent. Of course the photos are like viewing this tree from a distance. You have done excellent work. This is a fine tree. I love the bark. In the brief amount of time I looked at the photos I did not see the problems that @BobbyLane noted, but I did not magnify the photos on my laptop. He is correct in that "angle of insertion" of the branch into the trunk sets a "theme" for the tree, and should be followed through the tree. Lowest branches should be near horizontal, higher branches increasingly vertical as you go up in the tree. But I did not see any obvious violations of this guideline. Of course I'm not seeing the tree in person. The "angle of insertion" for a branch to the trunk is a key trait that goes a long way to making a tree look natural.

You've done a fine job developing this tree, it is very nice.

well in my original post id said there were 1 or 2 things id do that could make the tree better, i didnt need to zoom in.

then my comments were more about being cautious of copying everything on wild trees and using the naka quote.

its a shame we dont see more quercus robur, this is a great example of one.

 

[BobbyLane]

for example the two over lapping primary branches on the left could be tweaked.

 

[Tom vinken]

for example the two over lapping primary branches on the left could be tweaked.

I understand what you mean, my teacher and I discussed this some years ago...
In the design of the tree we have some interesting unusual branches where some people will love it and others will think, hmm that’s something special...
So we are happy to read there are already different opinions about the tree
That’s what It all makes so interesting...

 

[Tameshigiri]

Awesome progression, thanks for sharing! If I may, a question about overwintering: how did you overwinter the tree when you planted it into the large growbox after you initially bough it? Did you just overwinter outside, or did you put it in a greenhouse, garage, etc.? Also, what lowest temperatures are likely in your area?

I have an oak of a similar size and in a similar growbox, hence the question.

Thanks!

 

[MACH5]

Excellent tree and work Tom. I think you and I had discussed this tree on FB and good to see its full progression here.

A side note: In one of my trips to Japan, I had the good fortune of spending some time with the great Urushibata-san (RIP) at the famed Taisho-en. He said something that has stuck with me ever since. When designing a tree, it should always feel like the branches flow like a river. He even took the time to draw this for me. A simple concept but not so easy to execute well. This dovetails right into @BobbyLane 's earlier comment on post #25.

With that said, I also do occasionally leave some parts of the canopy intersecting in strategic areas. This is in an effort to make my tree feel more "natural" and hopefully not overly stylized.