of pleaching can be considered an early form of what is known today as tree shaping. In an early, labor-intensive, practical use of pleaching in medieval Europe, trees were installed in the ground in parallel hedgerow lines or quincunx patterns, then shaped by trimming to form a flat-plane grid above ground level. When the trees' branches in this grid met those of neighboring trees, they were grafted together. Once the network of joints were of substantial size, builders laid planks across the grid, upon which they built huts to live in, thus keeping the human settlement safe in times of annual flooding. Wooden dancing platforms were also built and the living tree branch grid bore the weight of the platform and dancers. In late medieval European gardens through the 18th century, pleached allées, interwoven canopies of tree-lined garden avenues, were common. Methods There are a few different methods of shaping trees. There is aeroponic culture, instant tree shaping and gradual tree shaping. Aeroponic culture uses aeroponics, a process of growing tree roots in a nutrient rich mist. Once the roots are of a desired length for the pre-determined design they are shaped as they are planted. This technique may be used in part to help form large permanent structures, such as eco-architecture. The oldest known root shaping are the living root bridges built by the ancient War-Khasi people of the Cherrapunjee region in India. Instant tree shaping uses trees . The trees are bent and woven into different designs and held until cast. Bends are then held in place for several years until their form is permanently cast. With this method it is possible to perform initial bending and grafting on a project in an hour, as with Peace in Cherry by Richard Reames, Some techniques of this method are bending, and un-localizing the bend. Ring barking is sometimes employed to help balance a design. Creasing is folding trees such as willow and poplar over upon themselves. Gradual tree shaping starts with designing and framing. Young seedlings or saplings 3–12 in. (7.6–30.5 cm) long are planted. The growth is guided along predetermined design pathways; this may be a wooden jig or a complex wire design. The shaping zone is a small area just behind the growing tip that forms the final shape. This zone requires day to day or weekly guiding of the new growth. To achieve a finished piece