Topiary is an ancient horticultural art form that transforms living plants into defined, ornamental shapes, creating a form of green sculpture. It involves the careful clipping and training of perennial plants, most often evergreen shrubs and trees, into geometric or fanciful designs. The resulting specimens are highly structured, living works that introduce artistry and formality to a landscape. This process requires patience and selecting plants that respond well to repeated shearing.
Historical Roots and Evolution
The European tradition of topiary dates back to the gardens of ancient Rome, where ornamental gardeners, known as topiarii, were credited with shaping plants. Historical accounts, such as those from Pliny the Younger, describe elaborate figures, including animals and obelisks, crafted from clipped greens. This early art form symbolized wealth and control over nature, but it largely fell out of practice with the decline of the Roman Empire.
Topiary resurged during the Italian Renaissance in the 16th century, as Europeans sought to reconnect with classical Roman ideals. Formal gardens of this period, and later in France and England, embraced topiary to create structured, symmetrical landscapes. The practice became widespread, appearing in grand estates like Versailles. Although a shift toward more naturalistic garden designs in the 18th century caused its popularity to wane in aristocratic circles, the tradition was preserved in cottage settings.
Methods of Creation
Creating topiary relies on two primary techniques: free-form shaping and frame-based training. Free-form topiary involves directly shearing a dense shrub into a desired shape, such as a sphere, cone, or cube, without internal support. This method requires considerable skill and a clear visual concept, as the design is sculpted directly from the plant’s existing structure. The process begins with a young plant and requires consistent, small cuts over years to achieve a permanent, solid form.
The second method utilizes a wire frame, which is either placed over a young shrub or stuffed with moss and planted with vines. For shrub-based topiary, the wire cage acts as a permanent guide, encouraging the plant’s growth to fill the interior. Foliage that protrudes outside the frame is trimmed away, allowing the gardener to maintain the shape more easily than with free-form trimming. Vine-based topiary, often using small-leaved ivy, involves training flexible stems to cover the moss-stuffed frame, resulting in a finished sculpture quickly.
Common Styles and Plant Choices
Topiary styles generally fall into geometric, abstract, or figurative forms. Geometric styles, such as balls, cones, pyramids, and spirals, are the most traditional and formal, used to create structure and symmetry in a garden design. Figurative topiaries, which include animals, people, and abstract objects, represent a whimsical and modern application of the art, frequently seen in specialized displays. The style chosen dictates the necessary maintenance and initial planting strategy.
The success of topiary depends on selecting the correct plant material, which must possess traits to withstand repeated clipping. Ideal topiary plants are typically evergreen, characterized by small leaves or needles, dense foliage, and a slow growth rate. Common choices include Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), Yew (Taxus species), and various types of Holly (Ilex). Their compact growth habit allows them to hold a defined shape precisely. For frame-based topiary, vining plants like English Ivy (Hedera helix) are preferred for quickly covering the wire structure.