Topiary

Topiary is the art of training symmetrically or asymmetrically living trees and shrubs for decorative or practical reasons (in order to limit their growth : hedges, whole gardens or simply single plants in a garden). The Japanese Niwaki (garden tree) is a good example of topiary. Topiary leaves no limits to our imagination. One can find topiaries of all kinds (balls, cones, columns, pyramids, animals, objects (cars, planes, … or persons. The two plants the most suited are yew (TAXUS baccata) and boxwood (BUXUS sempervirens) as they are extremely resistant and like pruning of all kind.

Nowadays, one can find topiaries made of privet or honeysuckle oftentimes produced in hotter countries at lower costs as they grow quicker. The wake-up from the dream of cheap products is there too very painful: in fact, they are very sensitive to lower temperatures and are unable to survive during our cold winters if they are not put under shelter.