Bottle Brush Trees... by vignouse

Bottle Brush Trees...

...at least, that's what Mrs S calls them - you can see why.

You've seen their like before in my project - they're the result of a particularly brutal pruning method known as 'élégage. Farmers don't like trees that grow along the field borders - especially oaks like these - as they absorb lots of water and nutrients from the soil and their branches cut down the light falling on the crop. Together, these two things result in reduced crop yields.

Farmers are not allowed to cut the trees down so they cut off all the branches except the top-most one. This is known as a 'tire sêve' - literally a 'sap puller' which keeps the tree alive. It can't grow new branches so it puts out lots of spindly secondary growth which creates the 'bottle brush' effect.

Even the sky looks disapproving I think.

One to view on black I guess.
love this
January 6th, 2020  
The name fits well, and they make for great silhouettes.
January 6th, 2020  
Always a difficult battle, man against nature... Love Mrs. S.’s definition, though!
January 6th, 2020  
Exactly what I was thinking.
January 7th, 2020  
Nice shot
January 7th, 2020  
Beautiful textures!
January 7th, 2020  
Very cool looking line of trees.
January 7th, 2020  
Cool shot, I really like the feel that the disapproving sky brings to the picture.
January 7th, 2020  
Super silhouettes and composition
January 7th, 2020  
Who is pouting more, the trees or the farmers who have to 'play' by the rules. A rather ominous image.
January 7th, 2020  
They look like dancers as well
January 7th, 2020  
I, too, think they look as if they are dancing.
January 7th, 2020  
an easy fav, superb processing as always
January 7th, 2020  
beautiful ! fav
January 7th, 2020  
wow nothing like our ones - they are pretty marvellous tho!
January 7th, 2020  
They look friendly...as if they're exchanging 'compliments of the season' perhaps?
January 7th, 2020  
i enjoyed your explanation of elegage, and mrs s's name for these trees is spot on. the pruning does sound brutal, and yet they carry on in their spindly way. beautiful image
January 7th, 2020  
Great shot Richard!
January 7th, 2020  
I like the ominous sky over the row of trees. I like Mrs S's name for the trees too. A fascinating explanation of how the trees come to look as they do!

Ian
January 7th, 2020  
Nicely captured and interesting narrative. Fav!! 😀
January 7th, 2020  
I've seen the roadsigns about elagage in progress but assumed it just meant pruning. Thank you for the lesson in arboriculture !

Like moody landscapes, they're not so common here.
January 7th, 2020  
Those trees, digging the b&w
January 7th, 2020  
Those bottlebrush trees are very photogenic, they stand for awesome pictures.
January 7th, 2020  
Good capture but I feel a bit sad the trees have to be pruned this way.
January 7th, 2020  
Definitely do look like bottle brushes in this photo.
January 7th, 2020  
Great association. Beautiful capture.
January 8th, 2020  
Aren't those the same trees as in Mrs S. "last day ..." picture. If so it is great to see how different your depiction (is that the word?) of it is.
Great shot as always ...
January 8th, 2020  
@runner365 Depiction is the right word - no, these are not the same trees but I guess all 'bottle brush' trees look rather similar... and we have plenty to choose from around us.
January 8th, 2020  
This is so beautiful! Just love the drama in the photo. Instant fav and following
February 18th, 2020  
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