Hi all,
I’d like to choose or comission a pot for this Acer campestre over this year. I’m thinking rectangular, but possibly flared. It could certainly be considerably shallower than the current pot (which it went into through expediency rather than desire about 10 years ago, but has never been ‘upgraded’).
Would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
Here’s the same tree in autumn a few years ago.
Best wishes,
Matt
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Stellar tree! Stumbled across this post and not trying to shamelessly self promote but… brandsaipots.com 
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Thanks, glad you like it! I’m at an odd stage with this tree, I’m very fond of it, but I also see some faults in how I’ve treated it during refinement. We’ll see what I can do in the next two years… I might need to pull it back a stage and rebuild the apex.
OK, so if you were to make a pot for this tree, what form and colour would you choose?
I think you’re on point with a more shallow container. I feel it would make the tree seem even more impressive and visually engorge that beautiful nebari. My first instinct is to say a slender round or slight oval with a bit of turquoise on the lip. However, in the photo with the fall foliage its pot looks a dark grey, contrasting beautifully with the yellow leaves and looks very clean, modern and sophisticated. It really depends on the mood and look you’re going for. The tree has that great cragged appearance of age so perhaps a pot that looks bit ancient as well.
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Very nice pots and glazes!
Interesting, I never considered yellow! Love the shape.
Well, I really want something subtle hued and aged looking to compliment the veteran tree image I’m trying to evoke. This pot is good quality, but it’s rather too clinical and certainly too deep.
To be honest, the solution has eluded me for some time
I’ve been taking a look at Tony Remington’s work and I really like the cut corner flared rectangles he makes.
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Thank you! I appreciate it.
I agree. Containers like that are classic and often used but I think they’re incredibly sterile and not very exciting. A pot with and aged look is an excellent choice for that tree in my opinion.
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What a lovely tree! 
It reminded me of the Pomegranade Design stream and I could well imagine this tree in a similar shallow rectangular pot.
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Thank you! I’ll check out that stream. (slowly working though all the deciduous content Mirai has produced)
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Lovely field maple @Silva_Naturalis
I think shallower and a bit wider with a slight camber would look good. I also personally prefer oval for a maple – Yes, Campestre is nowhere near as fine as Palmatum and true it’s more powerful trunk but it’s trying hard to be a pretty maple. 
I agree about the neutral or grey colour. An oval dusty pale yellow or buff/grey with an aged appearance like these beautiful Gordon Duffett pots would look fantastic I think.
I’ve mocked it up in a Walsall to show the size, depth and style I meant.
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Really thoughtful insight, thanks @Ralph. Wow, those Gordon Duffet pots look gorgeous! I’ve always hankered after one of his pots and nearly commissioned one some years ago when he still had his website (I wouldn’t know how now, is he still working?).
Love the mock up, and I think you’re absolutely right about greater width (though perhaps that’s just a touch too wide I’ll have to sit with it for a while). Hmmm, oval or rectangular… I’ve always preferred the latter for this tree, but as refinement improves I might be swayed.
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This particular pot in the mock-up, perhaps a touch. Some width consideration was preemptive of the next few years canopy development.
GD may still be taking commissions. Possibly with social networks these days he doesn’t find a need to maintain a website. He’s at many of the UK shows still though as a vendor.
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I need to go to some shows! I don’t use social media much and due to family commitments can’t attend local club meetings, so I’m out of the loop.
Is there anything coming up in the UK this year?
Your mock-up is growing on me every time I look at it! It gives me a fresh perspective on what I’ve built over the last 12 years (this was the first big tree I worked on and was raw field grown stock when I acquired it).
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I was also going to suggest Gordon Duffett. I think you almost can’t go wrong with his glazes.
Great tree!
I don’t belong to a local club. There’s not one close to me and it would be a push to make it to the meetings in time. Expo, Heathrow and the National show are three of the larger/better shows each year. Swindon is also a good one but that happened last month.
Expo show on 5th April, 10.00 – 16.00
Harlington Sports Centre, Pinkwell Lane, Harlington, Middlesex. UB3 1PB
Heathrow show on 18th October
Same venue as Expo
UK National show, TBC September
Castle Leisure Centre, Bolton Street, Bury. BL9 0EZ