Garry oak trees are known for their longevity but donsa国际传媒檛 last forever, particularly in an urban setting.
A roughly 250-year-old tree from the Jubilee neighbourhood, for example, lives on in a series of vases crafted by Victoria wood turner Peter Hackett.
While not old for its species, the tree suffered root rot. Now wood vases serve as mementos in the home on the land where the tree originally towered, several sold quickly and the remainder are on display in an Oak Bay gallery.
People often find him through his website wanting to commemorate a tree that they lived with for decades. The sapling is almost like family, a fixture for folks, and at the end of the veteran treesa国际传媒檚 life, people seek a memento.
sa国际传媒淭hey want to see it continue and see that relationship continue,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭his big thing thatsa国际传媒檚 been there for hundreds of years is going to persist. Thatsa国际传媒檚 the reward for me.sa国际传媒�
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For this particular tree, he found himself with several six-inch slices three or four feet in diameter sa国际传媒� tough to turn into a bowl.
So he envisioned the lovely 13-inch tall vases, with an unusual oval created by working with the wood wet. While he did need to invest in a little bit of equipment it turned out to be worth it, losing very few to cracking as they dried.
Theresa国际传媒檚 no shortage of wood, between those looking to make use of trees that must come down, landscaper finds and driftwood.
sa国际传媒淭he wood finds me now. Itsa国际传媒檚 not an issue in Victoria and every kind of wood is available.sa国际传媒�
He once turned a piece of red cedar driftwood he aged at 270 to 300 years by counting the growth rings. It struck him that it was only 10 inches across with that many rings.
sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 a story there I donsa国际传媒檛 know,sa国际传媒� Hacket said. sa国际传媒淚t makes you wonder about the stories.sa国际传媒�
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With his many scraps, Hackett makes sa国际传媒渙ne tree a daysa国际传媒� in a nod to his awareness of climate change. Hesa国际传媒檚 made 250 so far and theysa国际传媒檙e popular with both the neighbourhood and the occasional home design expert (one on the Lower Mainland has ordered several).
The vases wound up in The Avenue Gallery after he was discovered during the Fernwood Art Stroll. It took Hackett some time to find the tree and story he found worthy of gallery display.
It was a creative task thatsa国际传媒檚 part of the reason he shifted into wood art in the first place sa国际传媒� after a career as a scientist and research manager.
sa国际传媒淚 wanted to do something using the other side of my brain,sa国际传媒� he said.
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It took a year of stewing, but he settled on wood carving, which didnsa国际传媒檛 shift into the turning until they moved to Victoria a couple of years later.
One day about five years ago, Hackett told a friend he was interested in wood turning. That friend walked him over to another house in the neighbourhood where a new acquaintance fuelled his addictive new hobby.
He embarked on the sa国际传媒渦niversity of YouTubesa国际传媒� the next day.
Learn more about the artist at .
