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 Topiary is pruning elevated to an art form. Plants have been trained and cut into artificial shapes for decorative effect since Roman times. Topiary has a place in many gardens, not only the grand, formal settings with which it is normally associated.
Topiary can visually anchor a more informal setting and provide valuable, year-long structure and colour in a garden. Even the smallest garden, perhaps little more than a flight of steps leading to a doorway, can look more imposing when embellished with a neat pair of clipped, container-grown plants.
Low box hedging has long been used to contain herb gardens, which can by the very nature of the plants, be quite unruly. Not only does the clipped hedging define and neaten the overall appearance of the area, but it also helps to protect the plants within its borders from the elements, and contains and intensifies the fragrance of the herbs in the local environment.
Topiary can consist of very simple geometric shapes, such as spheres and cubes, or it can be extremely fanciful, such as chess pieces or a whole menagerie of animals. It can be used to add interest to a long run of hedging, or as stand-alone pieces of living sculpture. Slow-growing plants are generally chosen for topiary - species that can withstand regular clipping, but do not grow so rapidly that they lose their outline overnight. |
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The techniqueTopiary is not a low-maintenance form of pruning, although many of the plants used for toiary are chosen for their resilience and dense growth patterns. With just a little attention to some basic guidelines, successful topiary is not difficult to achieve. The results are impressive and extremely satifying to produce.
Always use very sharp, clean tools for topiary, as the soft shoots you are cutting are sappy and will be vulnerable to disease if torn. It is also very difficult to make decisive, accurate cuts on this flexible growth with blunt tools.
Sheep-trimming shears are excellent for producing a light, accurate cut, but are not suitable for heavy work. Cutting little and often is the key to successful topiary. Dramatic, inexpert cutting can create unbalanced shape, which will take at least a season to settle, and it is all too easy to cut inaccurately when making severe cuts. Cut large-leaved evergreens, such as laurel, with secateurs to prevent the unsightly halving of leaves, which can occur if clipping with shears.
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