![]() The hedge is a simple form of topiary used to create boundaries, walls or screens. 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. Common species chosen for topiary include cultivars of European box ( Buxus sempervirens), arborvitae ( Thuja species), bay laurel ( Laurus nobilis), holly ( Ilex species), myrtle ( Eugenia or Myrtus species), yew ( Taxus species), and privet ( Ligustrum species). 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. The word derives from the Latin word for an ornamental landscape gardener, topiarius, a creator of topia or "places", a Greek word that Romans also applied to fictive indoor landscapes executed in fresco. As an art form it is a type of living sculpture. The term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. The very beginning of spring is often a good time for pruning as it will give your hedge plenty of time to fill out again over the summer.Topiary is the horticultural practice of training perennial plants by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, whether geometric or fanciful. Though you are well recommended to prune them for maintenance, leave the peacock shapes to other hedge types!Īlways remember that most hedges prefer to be pruned or shaped during their dormant season and for flowering or fruiting hedges, this means after the flowers and fruit have gone. Informal hedges, such as rhododendrons or hydrangeas are much more difficult to shape as they have much larger leaves and some ideas of their own about how they want to sit. Others, such as beech and hornbeam are slightly stockier so are more suited to smaller shapes.įor formal hedges, the best option is usually the box as it has thick growth and small leaves, perfect for shaping and maintaining easily. Some hedges, such as hawthorn, privet, conifers and box are tall and therefore best for achieving spirals and other taller topiary shapes. If you want to add a ball on top, cut using the rounding method as before, but also make sure you remove the branches directly below the ball to make it stand out on top of the spiral. As you progress, allow the angle to increase gradually to give the spiral more definition. Work up from the base of the plant, cutting at an angle below the string to remove foliage to create the spiral shape. This will help to guide your shears as you work around the plant evenly. Using a piece of string, map out where you would like the spiral to sit. ![]() ![]() If your hedge is looking a bit thin, give it some time to grow before returning to create the spiral shape. Do this by locating the central point of growth at the top of your hedge and working away and down from there to achieve the cone shape. Start by trimming your hedge into a cone shape with the base as the widest point. Spiralling is the most popular form of topiary, and though it looks complex, the steps are easy to follow with a keen eye and a bit of practice.įirst, you need to make sure that your hedge is the right shape. ![]()
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