Mid Century Topiary

In the 1950's and 60's Seattle's neighborhoods were booming with development and optimism as the Jet City looked towards being a leader economically and culturally. The influence of mid century modern architecture could be seen everywhere from the gleaming Space Needle to the modest boxy houses built to house the post war population boom. Amongst this back drop many Japanese and Chinese families settled in neighborhoods like Beacon Hill and brought their topiary traditions with them. These styles known as penjing and bonsai molded perfectly with the simple lines of mid century housing to form a union of understanding between the two styles. Although these forms are now largely out of favor there is no denying their draw when mixed with mid century architecture.