Even in ancient Rome, wealthy patricians had their own topiarius, that is, a gardener responsible for the beauty of the site. This word comes from the Greek ?????, just “place” in translation. In English, the name has become topiary and means fictional or patterned figures from plants.
The creation of complex shapes really requires skill and patience, a simple haircut in this case is indispensable, a wire frame and a lot of work are required.
It is the frames made of galvanized wire or twisted hexagonal mesh that make it possible to achieve the accuracy of all the details of a living green sculpture, and the use of various plants and flowers will help create a vivid colorful picture..
When choosing plants to create a topiary, it should be remembered that they must meet the following requirements: grow slowly enough so as not to prune too often, be shade-tolerant, form shoots throughout life and have many dormant buds on the trunk.
For creating a topiary, trees and shrubs such as juniper, alpine currant, barberry, bubblegum, forest apple, willow, common spruce, Siberian larch, thuja, brilliant cotoneaster are suitable. Sometimes topiary is even made from the grass of the roll lawn, framing the wire frame.
They usually begin to cut trees at the age of five, when they have already formed a sufficiently powerful root system. It should be remembered that for a plant, a haircut will become stress, therefore, after it is carried out, watering and feeding.
An evenly trimmed hedge, which we have already talked about, is also an example of a fairly simple topiary. It should be remembered that it takes several years to grow a beautiful hedge or green sculpture. It usually starts with the acquisition of two to three year old seedlings of suitable plants..
If you decide to master the art of creating topiary, of course, you should start with the simplest options, for example, free-standing shrubs, which can be given a round or square shape..
From free-standing topiary of various heights on the site, you can create amazingly picturesque compositions that will decorate the garden. Plants are usually trimmed once or twice a season. Do not remove more than a third of the plant’s volume at a time..
This is also a topiary, but already a container one. Nice, isn’t it? This topiary is formed from ivy, begonias and coleus. Such a composition in the fall can be transferred to the house so that it continues to decorate the now interior.
Do not be surprised – such compositions are also called topiary. There is nothing surprising in this, because in Japan such art is understood as bonsai – a miniature tree of a bizarre shape. In this case, the topiary is made of foamiran, a material that is actively used in needlework..
Artificial indoor topiary can generally be created from anything: nuts, cones, chestnuts, sweets, fresh flowers, fruits. New Year’s topiary is very popular now, which usually includes branches of spruce or pine, as well as cones and tangerines..
How long does it usually take to create a topiary sculpture from a shrub or tree, and what kind of maintenance is required to keep it in shape over time?