Topiary

Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes,[1] perhaps geometric or fanciful; and plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be an art and is a form of living sculpture. The word derives from the Latin word for an ornamental landscape gardener, topiarius, creator of topia or "places", a Greek word that Romans applied also to fictive indoor landscapes executed in fresco. No doubt the use of a Greek word betokens the art's origins in the Hellenistic world that was influenced by Persia, for neither Classical Greece nor Republican Rome developed any sophisticated tradition of artful pleasure grounds.

The plants used in topiary are evergreen, mostly woody, have small leaves or needles, produce dense foliage, and have compact and/or columnar (e.g. fastigiate) growth habits. Common species choices used in topiary include cultivars of European box (Buxus sempervirens), arborvitae (Thuja spp.), bay laurel (Laurus nobilis), holly (Ilex spp.), myrtle (Eugenia or Myrtus species), yew (Taxus species), and privet (Ligustrum species.).[2] Shaped wire cages are sometimes employed in modern topiary to guide untutored shears, but traditional topiary depends on patience and a steady hand; small-leaved ivy can be used to cover a cage and give the look of topiary in a few months. The hedge is a simple form of topiary used to create boundaries, walls or screens.

There are 3 ways to create a topiary.

ONE

1. Obtain (make or buy) a topiary form/frame from wire.

2. Stuff the above topiary form with sphagnum moss. You can buy some already stuffed with moss.

3. Insert appropriate plants between the wires into the moss (succulents or ivy).

4. Hang or place the topiary in the sun or appropriate environment for the type of plants used.

5. Water based on type of plant.

TWO

1. Obtain (make or buy) a topiary form/frame from wire with Coco liner.

2. Fill the space between the Coco liner with moist soil.

3. Make small hole in wire into Coco liner and insert appropriate plants (succulents or ivy)

4. Place or hang the topiary/plant in the sun or appropriate environment for the type of plants used.

5. Water based on type of plant.

THREE

1. Obtain (make or buy) a topiary form/frame from wire.

2. Place the topiary form over an appropriate plant (boxwood or rosemary)

3. Place the topiary/plant in the sun or appropriate environment for the type of plants used.

4. Water based on type of plant.