Achieving that Natural Look 10/10/10

We found this forest and plenty of other excellent trees (and stones) here. The photo is by Nicola Crivelli. I don’t know who the artist is. Anyone?

There’s a lot to like
There’s a lot to like about this forest. It has a natural feel that looks easy to achieve, but isn’t. The trees are planted in a way that might looks random, but is actually well thought out. The dead trees add to the natural feel and convey a sense of age, as does the other deadwood. Older larger trees contrast well with the small ones and add to the feeling of age. The more or less triangular canopy silhouette has a harmonious natural feel and the outward movement of the outer trees and the upward movement of the inner trees is exactly what you would expect in a natural forest. Another excellent feature (easier to see in the bottom photo) are the perfectly scaled little plants that create a bit of an understory. And then there’s that luscious moss…

Close up.

Closer still. This shot provides a pretty good look at most of the deadwood. You might also notice the perfectly scaled understory. Is it thyme?

Almost forgot to mention the slab
This forest would not be as dramatic or as natural looking in a pot as it is on its funky (in the best sense of the word) handmade slab. It’s the perfect touch for a near perfect forest.

My unskilled attempt to brighten the background. For some strange reason that might have to do with boredom or just stubbornness, I decided in include it. I hope Nicola will forgive me.