"Pleaching creates an effect of a living arch or tunnel," says Don Burke, creator of a Web site on Australian landscape design.
Since he used golden chain trees (Laburnum) as an example in his discussion on pleaching, he really caught my attention: it is one of my favorite trees! The basic idea is that you grow a row of the selected plant on either side of a walkway. Over time, you intertwine their top branches (across the walkway).
As my picture of a Laburnum tree shows, the plant veritably drips with luxurious, golden racemes when in bloom (thus the common name of "golden chains" for Laburnum trees), making them an ideal candidate for such a project.
Read article: Golden Chain Trees
Photo ©2006 David Beaulieu (licensed to About, Inc.)
Comments
An archway out of laburnum sounds absolutely beautiful beyond belief. I have a daughter with a lovely laburnum in Ketchikan, Alaska. I am trying to find out if they would survive the south central Alaska climate (Anchorage, Palmer). Do you have any info on zones they thrive in? Thank you.
Golden chain trees (Laburnum) are listed for planting zones 5-11. I found out from experience in my own zone 5 garden that the racemes are susceptible to late frosts.