Forest Planting with Scott Chadd

Scott's demonstration was a fascinating mix of science, aesthetics, philosophy and comedy. There was also some talk about Bonsai.

As Scott prepares the 10 year old maple trees for their forest planting, he describes the key design elements for creating a Bonsai forest composition that's visually interesting.

Plant 70% of the trees in 30% of the space. This dense clustering mimics that which we find beautiful in nature.

Select 3 focal trees and arrange them to create the effect of a scalene triangle.

Allow space between the two groups to create an inviting path between them.

In nature, trees at the edge of the forest, reach out to grab as much light as they can. So trees planted on the edge of the forest, should be tilted at an angle.

Scott's demonstration included so much more than the guidelines for composing forests. His insightful comments and interesting stories made for a well rounded presentation that had the audience engaged.

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