Topiary Plants
Tips for Maintaining Topiary Plants
Topiary plants can be the perfect aesthetic contribution to any yard, garden, or interior setting. Topiary is the art of shaping plants into creative shapes. If you have ever seen the movie Edward Scissorhands, you probably have an idea of what we’re talking about. Hedges, ivy, trees, and other plants can be trimmed into virtually anything! In the past, plants have been shaped to resemble people, animals, common shapes, and unique abstract shapes. We are going to talk a little about the history of topiary plants as well as give a few tips for growing and shaping your very own topiary plant!
The topiary is rumored to have been started by Julius Caesar, whose influence was very widespread. Gardeners and landscapers today still make it a point to include a few topiary pieces in both upscale gardens and the everyday landscaped yard. This gardening practice was particularly popular in old European and English gardens and is still kept up with today.
If you have an idea for a topiary that would really suit your garden or yard, why not create it yourself? If you seek out custom made topiary plants, you could end up paying several hundred dollars that you could save by creating your own topiary. Besides, there is a great deal of satisfaction to be had from creating something yourself (not to mention the bragging rights you would have at your summer barbecues!). Whether you are going to make your own topiary or just maintain one that you’ve purchased, you are going to need some supplies and the know-how to keep the topiary properly maintained!
If you are going to make your own topiary, you first need to decide what kind of plant you are going to use. Do you want to “sculpt” a tree? Or maybe a shrub or some ivy? Trees and shrubs need simply to be planted and then they can be trimmed as they grow to take on the shape you are aiming for. As for ivy, you will need to buy or create a “form” for the ivy to grow onto so that it will spread over the area of the form. Your local garden center will likely have a great topiary form for you to select from, but online stores will likely offer the greatest selection. If you have a specific shape in your mind and can’t seem to find a topiary shape that matches your idea, you can create your own topiary form using wire hangers and pliers.
Fill the inside of the form with sphagnum moss. If you are growing the topiary indoors, be sure to bury the form into the soil of the pot so that it stands up nice and sturdy. The form will become heavier when the ivy starts to cover it, so you want to make sure it is secure. If you are planting the topiary outside, set the form into the ground so that it is secure and sturdy enough to withstand the weather. Plant the vine into the ground and then work the vine around the form as far as you can. If your topiary form is quite large, consider planting more than one vine plant around the form. You should secure the vines to the form using twist ties until the vines start to spread over the form of their own accord.
Maintaining topiaries of trees, shrubs, and ivy is largely a matter of constant clipping so that the plant’s shape sticks to your desired form. Pruning encourages bushy growth, so start out by cutting between one and three inches off the areas where you want to see more growth. Be sure not to cut off more than three inches of growth as this can cause that area of the plant to die off.
Other than keeping a constant eye out for areas that need trimming, you should endeavor to make sure that your topiary is properly watered. If the leaves begin to turn brown, it is very likely that the plant has not received enough water or is having trouble dealing with a particularly warm summer.
Growing topiary plants can be a very rewarding process. Not only do you gain a hobby that you can maintain for ages, but the fruits of your labor can be displayed and enjoyed by many! Good luck!