• Indoor topiary

Community projects:

• Shrub topiaries,
• Sphagnum topiary

Videos:

• Indoor Topiary
• 3-D Topiary

Resources

One of the older and more familiar kinds of living sculpture, topiary is the art of growing dense, leafy plants and pruning them into a form, or training them over a frame, to create a three-dimensional object. It relies on pruning and training to give shape to an existing plant. It also can involve training a plant to fill in a form.

Topiary is one type of living sculpture that has gone in and out of favor through the ages.A brief history of its importance and use:

• Earliest references of topiary date back to 23-79 A.D.
• It was immensely popular in Ancient Rome using cypress trees, but after the fall of Rome, topiary fell out of favor for several hundred years.
• It returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then was again rediscovered during the Italian Renaissance.
• Dutch in the 15th century became intrigued with creating topiary in animal shapes, as did 17th century England; the French preferred creating topiary in geometric designs with strict symmetry.
• 18th century, topiary fell out of favor again, and a natural look returned.
• Victorians brought back topiary, adding in new plants and details.
• Topiary spread to North America at Williamsburg, Virginia, around 1690.
• As houseplants became popular in the 1950s and ’60s, topiary moved indoors.

Topiary tips

• Plants with different growth habits are needed for different types of sculpture
• Size and texture of the plant should match the scale of the topiary. (Small forms need small leaves, no heavy stems)
• Floor-standing topiary need plants with strong central stems
• Use care if choosing flowering plants; note flowering time and habit
• If using several plants, make sure they require similar light and watering conditions
• Most topiary plants take time to mature. Don’t expect instant gratification

General indoor topiary care

• Provide adequate light
• Watering is important because moss forms dry out easily
• Mist moss-filled forms daily and a soak in a bucket or a shower weekly
• Pinch tips to promote side shoots
• If plants get too out of control, trim them back
• Fertilize with a water soluble houseplant fertilizer

• Herb Topiaries. Gallo, Sally 1992. Interweave Press, Loveland, Colorado
• The Complete Book of Topiary. Gallup, Barbara; Reich, Deborah 1987. Workman Publishing, N.Y
• The New Topiary (Longwood Gardens). Hammer, Patricia Riley 1991. Garden Art Press, East Sussex
• Quick and Easy Indoor Topiary. Jones, Chris 1998. Storey Books; Pownal, Vermont

Web sites

• Horticulture and Home Pest News - Comprehensive indoor topiary overview from Cindy Haynes, Department of Horticulture Iowa State University
• The Garden Helper - List of appropriate plants for indoor topiary use and basic topiary care suggestions
• Thomson Topiaries - Comprehensive source of topiary frames, plant material suggestions, and topiary construction process
• Ladew Topiary Gardens - Ladew Topiary Gardens is known around the world for its topiary and flower gardens, which include 15 thematic "garden rooms" on 22 acres
• San Diego Wild Animal Park Topiary - Great photos of small, whimsical topiary- very youth friendly
• Philadelphia Flower Show Topiary - More great photos of how creative and unique topiary can be!
• The European Boxwood and Topiary Society - This society aims to increase the knowledge, appreciation, and science of boxwood and topiary
• Photo Gallery: Green Animals Topiary Park in Rhode Island - This topiary garden features 80 sculptured trees and shrubs, including animals and geometric designs
• Topiary Joe - Steel wire-framed sculpture up to 7 meters tall for topiary in the shapes of horses, herds of elephants, dragons, corporate logos and signage.