Got Patience? Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard
Posted on January 24, 2009 by Derek Markham in Yard+Garden

Australian artists Peter Cook (Pook) and Becky Northey shape living trees into sculptures, growing chairs and tables and mirror frames, even candelabras and people trees. Their partnership, Pooktre Tree Shapers, uses wild plum and black cherry for their art, which takes as long as 8 to 10 years to grow for the bigger pieces. 
Some of them stay alive in their garden and others are harvested when done. You can even collaborate with Pooktre to grow a piece for you in their garden or they can help you with one in yours.

Pook had the idea for growing a chair from willow in 1986, but the idea didn’t really take root until about 1995, when he started working with suckers from wild plum trees. His partnership with Becky became Pooktre, and the couple has been growing sculptures from trees ever since.

Pooktre has shown their work at the World Expo in Japan in 2005, and are working on a book that shows others how to shape trees for furniture and art.


For more information or to contact the artists, visit the Pooktre website. Maybe you’ll be inspired to start shaping your own trees or have Pook and Becky grow one for you.
Art, Furniture, Pooktre, sculpture, trees
30 Responses to “ Got Patience? Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard ”
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25. Jan, 2009
Haciendo crecer muebles en el jardín (ING)…
Los artistas australianos Peter Cook (Pook) y Becky Northey "moldean" árboles para crear esculturas vivientes, haciendo crecer sillas, mesas, marcos de espejos, candelabros e incluso personas de los árboles. Su asociación, Moldeadores de …
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 2 hours ago (http://greenupgrader.com) Cool very long project goin green man reply to this comment 2008 greenupgrader all rights reserved powered by wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 2 hours 14 minutes ago (http://greenupgrader.com) Cool very long project goin green man reply to this comment 2008 greenupgrader all rights reserved powered by wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 27 minutes ago (http://greenupgrader.com) You could get these chairs indoors they would make nice patio furniture for sure though su asociaci n moldeadores de reply to this comment 2008 greenupgrader all rights reserved powered by wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 16 minutes ago (http://greenupgrader.com) Some of them stay alive in their garden and others are harvested when done cool very long project goin green man reply to this comment 2008 greenupgrader all rights reserved powered by wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 4 hours ago (http://greenupgrader.com) Ability to micro manage resources that puts us apart from many species to this comment 2008 greenupgrader all rights reserved powered by wordpress Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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[...] Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER Posted by root 24 minutes ago (http://greenupgrader.com) Which takes as long as 8 to 10 years to grow for the bigger pieces yardgarden who wouldn 39 t like a chair called quot let grow some balls quot when done would make nice patio furniture for sure though reply to this comment 2008 greenupgrader 2008 greenup Discuss | Bury | News | Got Patience Grow Some Furniture in Your Yard greenUPGRADER [...]
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Michele Weeks
24. Jan, 2009
Amazing artwork. You don’t see many artists working in this medium. As a gardener, I appreciate the amount of time, patience and love that goes into projects such as these.
It was wonderful viewing your photos.
@AskMichele
Pelagasus
25. Jan, 2009
Why do people always feel the need to photoshop?
Marc Siepman
25. Jan, 2009
Cool idea. I wonder if they have a bicycle-shaped tree. I’d like one!
Gabriel
27. Jan, 2009
Ok… So this is also ‘green’… Well, the thing is, what does ‘green’ really mean? Obviously here you’re forcing a tree to grow in the way you want, for you to to… feel glad? Very odd, and ironic that you would think you’re closer to nature this way.
C
28. Jan, 2009
excellent and beautiful! I have to admit, I don’t get Gabriel’s criticism.
David
29. Jan, 2009
this is awesome! hmmm if only you could get these chairs indoors. they would make nice patio furniture for sure though
MYSTERYMAN
29. Jan, 2009
cool. very long project!
GOIN GREEN MAN
MYSTERYMAN
29. Jan, 2009
Nicely done. can you do ohio next?
Michelle Glaser
03. Feb, 2009
This is SO cool. I can’t wait for the ground to thaw out so I can try it!
Supermance
10. Feb, 2009
lol, that is so cute !
Jacob
12. Feb, 2009
I what Gabriel is getting at is the fact that this person is forcing a living thing to grow in an unnatural manner. How can we be ‘green’ when we have to constantly control nature, and can’t just live with it? These furniture-trees were interesting, by in my mind they also seem to be somewhat similar to those terrible kitten-in-a-bottle monstrosities.
bsilvia
25. Feb, 2009
This is not natural. I don’t think that we should live in caves without electricity or something, but forcing nature that much is too much.
matt
09. May, 2009
bsilvia- the clothes that you wear wear most likely came from a farm of some sort where wool or cotton was forced to grow for your benefit.
gabriel- the word “green” is a catchphrase and nothing else. everyone has their own opinion as to what being “green” means. yes, shaping trees to make furniture might be considered “unnatural”, but consider the alternative.
Buying lawn furniture made out of plastic or wood or metal aids consumerism, creates waste, and requires energy for production and transportation. These works of art are sustainable, requires nothing but a seed, water, earth, and sun, and are something that both humans and other species can utilize. Shapping a tree might be unnatural, but it is man’s ability to micro manage resources that puts us apart from many species. I think this is an excellent use of nature.
Василий
31. Oct, 2009
Прикольно пишете, жизненно. Все-таки, для того, чтобы делать действительно интересный блог, нужно не только сообщать о чем-то, но и делать это в интересной форме:)
Antique Cabinets
04. Jun, 2009
I like them, i think they are fantastic, but i am still wondering how did they do that.
antique
11. Jun, 2009
Thas was fantastic. I did not know about all those things before I watched this website. This is wonderful.
Cabinet
11. Jun, 2009
This is wonderful. I think that this is a project that should be expanded all around the globe
Home and Furniture
15. Jul, 2009
great post, thanks
outdoor ceiling fans
06. Sep, 2009
These are so great, I wish i had thought of it.
bsilvia - what is “forcing nature” I mean what does that mean” Cant you just enjoy something without adding your political views?
Western Furniture
10. Oct, 2009
This has got to be some of the most unique ideas i’ve seen in a very long time. No doubt I have seen a ton of unique rustic furniture ideas but these are ultra creative. Nice finds!
Brian Hastings
19. Oct, 2009
That looks so comfortable. I so want to sit on it.
Flexsteel Furniture
23. Oct, 2009
This has definitely got to take some serious patience. Great find on the article but man seriously this is like doing the stop frame movies like back in the day.
кceня
04. Nov, 2009
Ну естественно, действительно так оно и есть.