APA Tree Talk with Michael Alliger: "Notes on Aesthetics and Pruning"

Please Join us for an APA Virtual Tree Talk

“Notes on Aesthetics and Pruning”

 - touching on both western and eastern approaches to art and the apprehension of beauty

with APA CAP

Michael Alliger

Sunday, September 25th, 2022

4:00 pm to 6:00 pm PDT

On Zoom

Launching from the dizzying philosophical study of aesthetics and the search for beauty we will look at the art and craft of ornamental pruning.  Having checked in with conventional art principles including proportion, balance and negative space we will put down a stake and study how Dennis Makishima’s concept of “coarse to fine” can lead us into the possibilities of aesthetic pruning and the relationship between inspiration of nature and the realities of contemporary landscaping in the U.S.  Blended in here will be an effort to extract Japanese aesthetic considerations from their cultural and religious imbuement to help us dig into the numinosity of it all.
In just 2 hours, hmm.


Tree Talks are $10 for APA Members

$5 for APA Student Members

$25 for APA supporters (non-members)

Michael Alliger received a B.A. in literature from Harpur College in Binghamton, NY in 1968.  Having studied horticulture at Merritt College in Oakland, CA, he apprenticed with Dennis Makishima from 1986 through 1992 while establishing an independent aesthetic pruning business in the East Bay.  In 1993, a move to Sonoma County, CA necessitated a re-start of business and a new client book during which time Michael was lead instructor of the Merritt College Aesthetic Pruning Series instituted by Dennis Makishima.  In 2012, Michael retired from this endeavor, though he continues to maintain a robust book of pruning clients to this day.

This talk will be recorded and the video will be available to APA members only on the APA Youtube channel