Traditional
Topiary Garden
Topiary has long been an integral part of gardening - from grand palaces to country cottages. For hundreds of years gardeners have been cutting and clipping hedges into interesting designs. It used to be very labour-intensive, and so living sculptures were the preserve of the rich. But now you can enjoy topiary in the smallest of gardens. And most of the work can be done for you too, as you can buy your topiary ready-trained - all it needs is the occasional clip.
Visit the European Boxwood and Topiary Society for an entire site devoted to topiary.
In a spin
Yew and box are the traditional topiary plants and they are easy to come by via the numerous specialist suppliers. This box spiral comes from the Topiary Shop and is just one of their huge range of balls and spirals with prices starting from £105.
Clip away
Other plants are suitable for topiary too. Lonicera has a tiny leaf which is even smaller than box, and clips well. This pretty golden variety is called Lonicera nitida 'Twiggy'; another variety is Lonicera nitida 'Elegant', with a tiny green leaf. Both plants cost between £1.39 and £2.29 from Buckingham Nurseries or tel (01280) 813556.
Contain it
Topiary isn't just for borders - you can also put them in pots. Choose terracotta pots and plant them with box balls and spirals. Place them in groups in the dullest part of your garden to create instant interest and glamour. The more variety the better - lots of different shapes and sizes will give you a really opulent look. Prestige Plants (01449) 615919, sell a wide range of ready-made topiary plants, which they'll also hire out for special events. They also sell a great range of pots.
Wild animals
Although hard work, topiary is also meant to be fun, and over the centuries an extraordinary variety of amusing and head-turning shapes have been created. Nowadays, it's all made much easier by starting off with a wire frame shaped to the final design with the beginnings of the plant growing beneath. This heron is an example of the finished article. It's made of sphagnum moss on a wire frame, and has been planted with a perennial called Golden Pearlwort. It costs £108 and is one of many animal shapes available from Topiary Art Designs.
Work of art
You can also buy the wire frames on their own, without having to plant anything through them. These wirework sculptures can be attractive in their own right, even left unplanted. Again, they're available from Topiary Art Designs www.topiaryartdesigns.com.
Up, up in the air
If you feel up to training the box balls without the help of a frame, start off with this new variety of Box called Buxus sempervirens 'Green Balloon'. This clever little variety grows naturally into a ball shape. Buckingham Nurseries sell them for £5.59 for a plant 6-8in high and £9.99 for 8-10in.Our Programmes
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