The practice of topiary, which involves clipping and training perennial plants into defined shapes, is a horticultural art form dating back to ancient Roman gardens. Far from being relegated to history, the technique is currently experiencing a significant evolution within modern landscape architecture and home gardening. The perception that topiaries are out of style stems from a misunderstanding of this art’s transformation. Contemporary design has moved past the rigid formality of previous centuries, embracing new shapes, diverse plant materials, and a sculptural approach. The art of shaping living plants remains a powerful tool for adding architectural structure and visual interest.
Why the Perception of Being “Out of Style” Exists
The idea that topiary is dated is largely a reaction to its historical association with highly formalized garden styles. During the Baroque and Victorian eras, topiary created symmetrical, often overly ornate designs, such as elaborate animals, multi-tiered cones, and perfect spheres. These forms dominated grand estates and were a clear display of wealth, requiring substantial labor to maintain. Traditional maintenance involved meticulous hand-clipping, demanding patience and a dedicated gardening staff to keep the geometric forms razor-sharp.
This style fell out of favor dramatically in the 18th century with the rise of the English Landscape Movement. This movement championed a more naturalistic, picturesque aesthetic. Designers actively removed architectural planting, viewing the clipped forms as artificial and stiff. Traditional topiary forms, often executed in Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) or Yew (Taxus), were satirized as “verdurous sculptures” that lacked artistic merit.
This historical shift cemented the perception that highly structured planting belongs to a bygone era of formality that contrasts with today’s more relaxed gardening trends. The time-consuming upkeep and the association with sterile, perfect geometry made traditional topiary seem incompatible with modern life. Furthermore, traditional Boxwood, a mainstay of classic topiary, recently faced significant challenges from pests like the Box Tree Caterpillar and diseases such as Box Blight, making its use a horticultural risk for many gardeners.
The Current Role of Topiary in Landscape Design
Modern topiary has shed its rigid reputation by embracing abstract and sculptural forms that function as living art. Designers now prioritize asymmetrical shapes and clean, architectural lines that echo the geometry of contemporary buildings. Simple, stacked-ball forms, often called “poodle cuts,” or tiered cones provide vertical interest while maintaining a stylized playfulness.
A popular modern application involves using topiary in containers and statement urns to create movable focal points for patios and entryways. This approach allows for flexibility in design and is particularly effective in urban and small-space gardens. The art form has also been revolutionized by “new topiary,” a technique which uses pre-formed wire frames stuffed with sphagnum moss. This method allows for the near-instant creation of complex shapes, with small herbaceous plants like creeping fig or ivy planted directly into the moss, bypassing the wait for a woody shrub to mature.
The shift in plant selection is a defining characteristic of contemporary topiary, driven by the desire for alternatives to disease-prone Boxwood. Fast-growing, dense-foliage shrubs like Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly) and Lonicera nitida offer the fine texture necessary for intricate clipping. Broadleaf evergreens such as Euonymus japonicus or Elaeagnus are also being used, with the latter providing a contemporary bronze or copper color to the clipped foliage. These modern choices allow the sculptural effect of topiary to be integrated into a wider variety of climates and design palettes.
Structural Alternatives to Traditional Topiary
Many structural planting techniques achieve architectural interest without the traditional topiary aesthetic. One notable alternative is Niwaki, a Japanese pruning method often translated as “garden tree.” Niwaki aims to create an artistic, mature-looking tree by selectively pruning branches and foliage into organic, billowing forms that resemble clouds floating on a clear trunk. The technique focuses on accentuating the plant’s natural character to evoke a sense of age and landscape, rather than perfect geometry.
Another distinct method is espalier, which involves training a plant to grow flat against a vertical support like a wall, fence, or wire trellis. This technique is practical for small spaces because it maximizes sunlight exposure and airflow, which is particularly beneficial for fruit trees. Espalier creates a dramatic, two-dimensional focal point through formalized patterns like the Belgian fence or candelabra shape.
For creating boundaries and privacy screens, modern landscape design often employs pleached hedges or “living walls.” Pleaching trains the branches of trees to interlace and form a dense, flat canopy on an elevated support frame, providing high-level screening above a fence line. Simple, geometric hedges using plants like Ilex ‘Black Shadow’ are also popular for their crisp, clean lines, complementing contemporary architecture without figurative shaping.