Looking for a new hobby? Topiary is a fun and rewarding hobby that allows you to be creative while improving your garden. This is the art of hedge trimming and an activity that dates all the way back to ancient civilisations of Greece and Rome where cities were decorated with evergreen sculptures of geometric shapes and animals. In the UK, topiary has been practiced since medieval times and now it is a way for people to make their gardens more attractive while giving them the chance to be creative.
What Tools to Use
Fortunately, these days topiary crafting is much easier than it was back in ancient Greece and Rome. A cordless hedge trimmer is perfect for topiary because they can make hedge trimming much faster and they are easy to control without restricting your movement. You will also want to use pruning shears for detail and for maintenance and to use frames that will make it easier to create detailed designs. These are the only items that you need to get started with topiary crafting.
What Are the Best Plants?
There are a number of plants that can work well when it comes to topiary crafting…
Shrubs are ideal because they produce small, thick leaves with dense foliage with holly, laurel and boxwood all being popular for topiary crafting as they are easy to cut into shape.
Vines can work well for more complex designs as you can manipulate the directions in which they grow to complete your designs – it can be exciting (and often rewarding) to see them develop into shape!
Evergreens are also ideal for topiary with brush cherry working well for arches and entranceways with red highlights at the tips of the leaves.
Maintenance Tips
If your topiary is in a container, you will want to make sure that the pot has drainage at the bottom and line the base of the pot with gravel to make it more stable and secure. You should water the plant 2 or 3 times a week and until you notice water seeping out the drainage (you do not want too water as much during winter).
Trimming & Pruning
In terms of trimming and pruning the hedges, you will want to clip the plants into shape 2-3 times a year and preferably during the warmer months – overcast days are best. You can use a cordless hedge trimmer for the bulk of the work and then tidy up with the use of shears.
Topiary crafting can be a fantastic hobby to start and one that is active, rewarding, and good fun. The information in this post will hopefully inspire you to give it a go and you are sure to find it an enjoyable activity that makes a big difference to your life and garden.
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash
