TRICKS WITH TREES - Tapa dura

Trees are an underappreciated and underused aspect of the garden. Their 'bendy' form means they can be manipulated and pruned into fantastic shapes, which can transform a garden from ordinary to entirely unique. The authors, Ivan Hicks and Richard Rosenfeld, show how trees and shrubs can be turned into practical and fun towers for children to play in, bent over as pliable saplings to create bridges, arches, tunnels and temples, planted in semi-circles or pairs to create arbours and arches or even transformed into conceptual sculptures. Accessible and practical, this text is accompanied by the author's original concept sketches and a wealth of beautiful photos showing the sculptures in situ. These inspirational ideas are supported by lists of trees and horticultural information suitable to the related project. The book is divided into seven main chapters: chapter one covers how trees grow and the basic points of arboriculture; chapter two lists the best trees to use for the many projects included; chapters three through to six cover the many forms one can create and includes tricks suitable for the urban gardener or those with small balconies or terraces; the final section comprises a comprehensive plant directory. With many simple tricks and quick ideas, as well as more challenging projects, "Tree Sculpture" will inspire readers to view trees and shrubs as potential design aspects of their garden.

Ivan Hicks is an arboriculturist and garden designer who is best-known for his work on Gardener's World and the award-winning projects the Enchanted Forest and Garden in Mind. Sir Roy Strong called the latter garden, "One of the most important gardens to be created in England". Diarmuid Gavin calls Ivan "my hero". He honed his skills designing classical and novel gardens for Edward James, the patron of Salvador Dali. He lives in Dorset, UK. Richard Rosenfeld is an ex-Garden Writer of the Year and author of 12 gardening books. He writes for The Sunday Times, The Times, The Independent and The Guardian. He lives in East Sussex, UK.