trees – Page 6 – TwistedSifter

A Forest Shrine in Japan

In the town of Takamori-machi, in the Kumamoto Prefecture of Japan, lies a forest shrine known as Kamishikimikumano. The beautiful Shinto shrine was setting for a popular one-shot, shōjo manga written by Yuki Midorikawa called Hotarubi no Mori e (Into the Forest of Fireflies’ Light).

In the embedded Google Map below you can see the shrine is located just off of a main road in a large forested area of the town.

Photographer ageo_akaihana is a huge fan of Yuki Midorikawa’s work and wanted to visit the real-life inspiration for the film. In the gallery below you can get a sense for this beautiful place. You can find the rest of the gallery on Flickr.

Photograph by ageo_akaihana

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Picture of the Day: Walking Amongst Giants

Photograph by Vincent Brassinne

A beautiful Autumn stroll through Sonian Forest, which lies at the south-eastern edge of Brussels, Belgium. The forest measures 4,421-hectares (10,920 acres) and is popular destination for those that enjoy a nice place to be active.

Today the forest consists of mostly European beeches and oaks with several trees more than 200 years old. It is open to the public year round.

via Vincent Brassinne on Flickr

This Tree Grew Through a Speed Limit Sign

Reddit user Swingguitars was visiting his wife’s grandparents when he noticed this resilient tree growing straight through a speed limit sign. The tree was spotted in the retirement community of Barefoot Bay in Florida.

[via Swingguitars on reddit]

Photograph by Swingguitars on reddit

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The Bluebells of Hallerbos, Belgium

Photograph by Vincent Brassinne

Should you ever find yourself in Belgium between mid-April and early May, consider a trip to the Hallerbos (Flemish for Halle Forest), located near the boundary of Flanders and Wallonia and a mere 20 km from Brussels. During this time, bluebells as far the eye can see, carpet the forest floor.

Photograph by Vincent Brassinne

The Hallerbos cover an aera of 552 ha (1,360 acres) and can be reached by car or public transportation. According to Eupedia, access is through the Walloon village of Wauthier-Braine, between Waterloo and Braine-l’Alleud. Discovering Belgium adds: TEC bus 115A travels between Halle and Braine l’Alleud. Step off at Vlasmarkt and walk up Vlasmarktdreef into the forest. Entry is free!

Photograph by Vincent Brassinne

Many other wild flowers can also be found in these woods, along with a variety of songbirds and forest critters. Below you will find a route map and Google map of the exact location of the Hallerbos.

The stunning photos in this post were taken by photographer Vincent Brassinne. You can find the complete 16-picture gallery on Flickr here.

Photograph by Vincent Brassinne

Sources

– Hallerbos on Wikipedia
– Eupedia: Bluebells in the Woods of Halle
– Discovering Belgium: The Bluebells of Hallerbos
– Photography: Bois de Hal – Bluebells by Vincent Brassine

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Picture of the Day: A Layer of Ice Off a Leaf

Photograph by SearonTrejorek on reddit

After a day of freezing rain, reddit user SearonTrejorek peeled a perfect layer of ice off a Magnolia tree’s leaf. The photo was taken a couple of winters ago at Hardin Gardens on the campus of Winthrop University in South Carolina. In the comments he says it took a few tries as the ice melt quickly and it was tough to peel off a perfect layer without breaking. Luckily he was able to get one perfect snap 🙂

via SearonTrejorek on reddit

Picture of the Day: A Leaf for All Seasons

Photograph by -coolcoolcool- on reddit

Reddit user -coolcoolcool- found this incredible leaf somewhere in Minnesota. The fascinating tri-color specimen beautifully demonstrates the life cycle of a leaf, also coinciding with the changing of seasons. What a great find! Welcome to September y’all 🙂

via -coolcoolcool- on reddit

This Tree Bears 40 Different Fruits

The Tree of 40 Fruit is an ongoing series of hybridized fruit trees by contemporary artist Sam Van Aken. Each unique Tree of 40 Fruit grows over forty different types of stone fruit including peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, and almonds.

Sculpted through the process of grafting, the Tree of 40 Fruit blossom in variegated tones of pink, crimson and white in spring, and in summer bear a multitude of fruit. Primarily composed of native and antique varieties the Tree of 40 Fruit are a form of conversation, preserving heirloom stone fruit varieties that are not commercially produced or available.

According to Science Alert:

Van Aken used a technique called chip grafting to add more varieties on as separate branches. This technique involves taking a sliver off a fruit tree that includes the bud, and inserting that into an incision in the working tree. It’s then taped into place, and left to sit and heal over winter. If all goes well, the branch will be pruned back to encourage it to grow as a normal branch on the working tree.

Van Aken has grown 16 Trees of 40 Fruit so far in museums, community centres, and private art collections around the US. He now plans to grow a small orchard of these trees in a city setting. For an interview with the artist about the project check out Epicurious.

[via Science Alert]

A Bonsai Tree in Space

Japanese artist Azuma Makoto recently ventured to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert (home of Burning Man) to launch a Japanese white pine bonsai into space. The artist also arranged a stunning bouquet with about 30 varieties of flowers from around the world and launched them into space as well. The project, entitled Exobiotanica, occurred on 15 July 2014.

To accomplish the feat Makoto collaborated with Sacramento-based JP Aerospace, a volunteer-based organization that constructs and sends vessels into orbit. The team used helium balloons to launch the plants and the bonsai reached a height of 91,800 ft (27.98 km), while the bouquet topped out at 87,000 ft (26.51 km).

[via The New York Times]

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Artwork by AZUMA MAKOTO
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A Mystical Forest in Spain

Gorbea Natural Park is a protected area located between the provinces of Alava and Vizcaya in the Basque Country of northern Spain. Gorbea takes its name from its highest peak, the Gorbea (or Gorbeia) at 1,482 metres (4,862 ft) above sea level.

The natural park is located near a number of nearby cities and towns and is a popular destination for hikers, climbers and nature lovers that enjoy the rich flora and fauna. Below are a series of enchanting photos by Jesús Ignacio Bravo Soler. The ancient trees combined with the foggy atmosphere gives the area a mystical quality. You can see many more photos of this amazing area at Soler’s 500px page.