Hello friends, there is such a thing as Arbosculpture (Latin arbor) – this is the art of creating sculptures, buildings, decorative and architectural forms from living trees. The goal is to give the plant the shape the gardener desires.

The founder is considered botanist and enthusiast Axel Erlandson. He was born in 1884 into a Swedish immigrant family. For a long time he was engaged in growing legumes and grain crops in Central California.

Observing how intricately flexible tree trunks can intertwine with each other in nature, Erlandson decided to try doing the same with some trees.

In 1919, with the aid of grafting, pruning and special equipment, he created his first sculpture based on two plane trees. Inspired by success, Axel continued his experiments and gradually over the years created entire unique collections of their kind.

However, until 1945, he never intended to display his masterpieces in public. Axel, like his family, considers creating sculptures based on living trees to be entertainment and a family hobby, not art.

The boss is forced to change his decision by his daughter and wife, who return from a trip abroad.

During the trip, the ladies more than once had the opportunity to make sure that everyone is greedy for unusual things and is ready to pay a lot of money for the opportunity to admire all sorts of strange things. , Erlandson decided to organize an open-air garden museum and chose an interesting name for it – “Wooden Circus”.

It took Axel two years to realize his idea. During this time he acquired a small plot of land in Scotts Valley on the main road between the Santa Clara Valley and the ocean (there is a tourist route here), where he transplanted the best specimens from area. your garden.

Axel does not develop new living sculptures because their formation takes a long time.

The Circus Garden Museum was inaugurated in 1947. At the same time, the owner also carefully hid technological secrets.

As a result, after his death, there was no one left who could repeat Axel’s work. 20 years after Erlandson’s death, his “Tree Circus” no longer exists.

But the remaining trees were bought by millionaire Michael Bonfante and transferred to his own amusement park in California. But it is impossible to repeat Erlandson’s work, here are just some of his works: