artsy fartsy conifers
Conifers as an Art Form
First edition 2022
Total Pages .... 348
Color Pictures.... 550+
Size ............ 6” x 9”
book price …. $34.95
Table of Contents
| Introduction |
Page 4 |
| Chapter One: The Art of the Landscape | Page 5 |
| Part One: Public Gardens and Arboretums | Page 5 |
| Part Two: Private Gardens | Page 14 |
| Part Three: The Rock Garden | Page 36 |
| Part Four: The Container Garden | Page 58 |
| Chapter Two: The Mechanics of Grafting | Page 74 |
| Chapter Three: Creating Art Forms by Grafting | Page 78 |
| Part One: The Grafted Standard | Page 78 |
| Part Two: The Grafted Standard Gallery | Page 81 |
| Part Three: Grafted Standard/Dantsugi Cultivars | Page 90 |
| Chapter Four: Creating Dantsugi by Grafting | Page 181 |
| Part One: The Art of Dantsugi | Page181 |
| Part Two: The Process | Page 184 |
| Part Three: Two-Part Dantsugi and Gemel | Page 186 |
| Part Four: Three-Part Dantsugi and Gemel | Page 206 |
| Chapter Five: Creating Art Forms Through Topiary | Page 212 |
| Chapter Six: Creating Art Forms Through Bonsai | Page 224 |
| Part One: The Art of Bonsai | Page 224 |
| Part Two: Rooted Conifers For Bonsai | Page 234 |
| Part Three: Grafted Conifers For Bonsai | Page 251 |
| Chapter Seven: Bonsai Collections/Museums | Page 268 |
| Part One: National Bonsai and Penjing Museum | Page 269 |
| Part Two Pacific Bonsai Museum | Page 282 |
| Part Three: Elandan Gardens | Page 302 |
There is a wholesale nursery in Oregon that advertises their conifers as art forms and living art. It is an idea that I first heard mentioned in the 1970s by Jean Iseli and furthered by Eddie Rezek. Unfortunately, they are both gone but played a substantial role in popularizing the concept of conifers as an art form. Jean was an avid conifer collector and nurseryman from Oregon, while Eddie was a retired mailman who lived on Long Island and worked with dwarf conifers in his specialty landscapes. They used two basic methods of turning individual conifers into art forms: grafting and training, often with selective pruning.
They were not alone with this idea. Alfonso Ossorio painted the landscape of his estate on Long Island with a palette of colors taken from the foliage of various conifers. He was an abstract artist who discovered the value of conifers for bringing year-round color into a landscape.
Jim Boyko was another nurseryman who enjoyed turning conifers into works of art. His specialty grafts and twisted trunks produced many exciting shapes and forms.
Predating the work of these men was Jon Spaan, a great grafter who enjoyed turning conifers into works of art. He did not have the palette available today, but he laid a lot of the groundwork for the artists who followed him.
With their year-long foliage that will sometimes change colors with the seasons, Conifers are perfect plants for creating art in the garden.
Of course, the oldest use of conifers as art forms started many years ago with the development of the art form known as Bonsai. Three spectacular Bonsai museums are included in this book with many photographs of their displays.
Artsy/Fartsy Conifers is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone who loves plants. It is not a technical book. It is a book developed for the person who appreciates the beauty that can be displayed by the mundane plant called a conifer.
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