Pallant House Restaurant Courtyard, Chichester
I spotted these weird sculptures through a gate of Pallant House courtyard in Chichester. It seems to be a variation on the green-man, but this ‘tree person’ has been espaliered!
He’s looking a bit worse for wear. There’s a lot of bracket fungi growing on his trunk and legs, and what looks like too much deadwood.
Still, there are some living trees here too…
The outdoor seating area of Pallant Restaurant & Cafe has some real trained trees as well as the strange sculptures: These trees have been pruned into umbrellas – flat topped with horizontal branches. It’s quite interesting, creating a living ceiling above the tables, but to my mind the space is rather dead and cold. Too much grey stone under grey skies 🙁
If you are in Chichester it is worth a quick look. Can’t comment on the food though.
Hi Keir,
I tried sending an email via another the Clinic website, as I couldn’t find an email for you.
Anyway, just to say what a beautiful site this is and what wonderful work you have achieved in creating such a lovely garden. I am very envious indeed.
I have been searching for any information on how to train a stepover apple in my South-facing London garden and have been unable to find any really useful, practical advice on how to grow these wonderful forms.
I would like very much to know how you grow these, as I have two 18-month trees in my garden, one of which is an Egremont Russett and the other is a Lord Lambourne, and any information I can find on the Web and elsewhere very confusing, especially for a novice gardener like myself.
Very best wishes
Tim
Love the site.
This appears to be ‘Espaliered Woman 1’ (2007) by sculptor Laura Ford: https://www.lauraford.net/2010
I immediately recognised it, and couldn’t recall where from. After some searching: it was in a park in Oslo in 2016, along with lots of other oddball creatures. Apparently a temporary exhibition. Some photos are available here: https://www.instagram.com/akershusexhibition/?hl=en-gb
So glad you like the blog! Thanks for the additional info, I’ll take a look.