These Are
The Rules
(But remember,
Rules are always meant to be broken!
1. If you do
not have any, first go out and buy some patience. (Topiary
isn't fast).
1a. Don't forget
that Yew trees can live to a thousand years old. You can't!
2.
Select the Right Tree or Plant.
All plants can be cut or shaped but many can be killed in this way! Yew
(Taxus Baccata) and the various forms of Box (Buxus Sempervirens) are
the king and queen of topiary plants but there are many others. Click
Here for further details of which plants to use.
3. When planting
a hedge or specimen, smaller sized plants are best as they will acclimatise
to local conditions quicker and often outgrow their bigger friends in
the first year or so.
4.
Do You Use a Frame to Guide a Shape or Not?
The purists would say not! Although you can buy such frames at garden
outlets they are often in the shape of balls, etc and these shapes can
be better achieved by eye. If you are planning a giant chess set, as
at Brickwall House in West Sussex, you might be forgiven for using frames
but then you would need to know a friendly local blacksmith anyway.
5.
What Will Be the Finished Shape?
All topiarists have some plan in mind for particular specimens, however
it is not uncommon for finished shapes to suggest themselves over the
years by the tree or bush at hand. All plants, like all humans, grow
differently!
6. When do
You Clip?
In the early days of a specimen and if, like me, you are in need of
therapy, this will be often. I always use May to September as a guide,
although large established gardens like Levens Hall may not finish until
December. Don't cut when there's the faintest hint of frost about. Frost
can kill some bushes, especially Box, if it touches exposed ends and
five years work may go up the spout! Remember the golden rule. "Little
and Often". As the wise gardener said "You can cut more
off later but you can't glue it back on". Most hedges
or specimens when they are fully mature will only need an annual clip
but don't forget this can be ten years down the line and you will probably
have had more babies by then!
7. How do You
Clip?
Using your favourite sharp implements and the "Little
and Often" rule nothing could be more simple. I use scissors, secateurs
and my favourite hand shears. You might have a rich relative who gives
you a pair of "sheep shearer" topiary shears for Christmas.
Don't complain as you might get on with them fine. I don't and you certainly
don't need them to be a topiarist. Electric hedge trimmers can be used
where necessary, surprisingly often on a hedge, but of course they are
a bit unwieldy for fine or confined work. Cutting low Box hedges with
one could also mean as much damage to you as to the hedge. You have
been warned! Remember topiaries are three dimensional objects and you
will need to look at your prize from every conceivable angle before,
during and after you cut. I cannot emphasise enough that the standing
and looking is as important as the doing (try explaining this to your
partner!).
8.
Geometry or Whimsy?
Well it's a matter of personal taste if you want an eight foot Mickey
Mouse in your garden, or a steam locomotive, as someone in the Bristol
Area has. Geometric shapes are, however, more traditional and if you
give some thought to the overall plan or design of your garden then
you will find well placed geometrical shapes are a positive joy in this
unbalanced world.
9. To Feed
or Not to Feed?
Probably, especially those in pots. A liquid sea weed fertiliser is
best as nutrient can be taken up through the foliage as well as through
the roots. Don't overdo it though. Remember the last time you drank
eight pints? Mature specimens, such as at Levens, don't need individual
attention but will benefit from any fertilising or mulching which is
applied to surrounding flower beds.
Anthony Blagg
How to Grow
