
The Sculpted Tree
Revealing the beauty hidden in your yard.
There are works of art hiding in plain sight in yards across the city.
An established Japanese maple costs, on average, $1,500 to replace, yet almost all are neglected, uncared for and poorly pruned. These trees, along with other specialty ornamentals, are often trimmed the same way as standard landscaping shrubs. There beauty lies within and require carful sculpting to bring out that beauty, improve their overall health and establish a structure that will allow it to be healthy for many years.
Tree sculpting is an art, and it requires a specialist’s eye.
Japanese maples and other ornamental trees need precise, thoughtful care to reveal their natural form, improve their health, and ensure they remain a valuable asset in your yard. Their beauty doesn’t come from adding, but from removing what doesn’t belong.
As Michelangelo once said of sculpting marble: “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
When was the last time you truly looked at your trees?
Do they frame your home, increase its curb appeal, and reflect their true value? For most, the answer is rarely, if ever, yes.
Here’s an example.
I recently worked on a neglected Japanese maple that stood just 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It had been pruned over the years by well-meaning landscapers and shaped into a dome like a typical bush. In just 3 hours, I removed over three full bags of unnecessary branches—revealing a stunning structure hidden beneath. What had once been a shapeless mass became a focal point, a piece of living art.
The difference wasn’t in adding anything. It was in knowing what to take away.
Take this moment to schedule a consultation or sculpting so we can transform your trees into works of art you will admire each day.