Clipped, characterful topiary doesn’t have to be formal, costly or twee – in fact, it’s a fun and easy way to transform almost any style of garden, says Adam
There’s something deeply satisfying about spending a few hours out in the garden shaping or even creating a little bit of topiary, and to think that people have been doing this for centuries is pretty cool. It may have dipped in and out of fashion over the years, but these days topiary is no longer so strongly associated with large gardens and formality. Instead, we’re happy to use it with just about any style of garden, whether it’s to add strong evergreen structure, to create a rhythm through the garden or even just to frame a bench.
Topiary really is a terrific tool to use when you are putting your garden together. On top of that, it does not have to cost a fortune – because with just a little patience you can do it yourself.
Connecting spaces
Topiary can be a lovely way of creating connectivity in your outside space, moving the eye and bringing boundaries into the design of the garden.
My last garden had two large central yew hedges that divided spaces but they felt isolated as they were, and that rich, dark green colour needed repeating elsewhere in the garden. When I added some yew pyramids to a woodland area that I was creating between these two hedges, not only did they add real form to softer woodland planting but they also pulled the hedges together visually.
Breaking up open areas
Another effective way of using clipped topiary forms is by working them through more open spaces in the garden such as deep herbaceous borders, or even a lawn. This draws the eye and the strong shape works against softer herbaceous planting. The same can be said of using topiary in a small meadow area – there is something magical about the strong, controlled form of topiary against soft planting.
Creating repetition
This can be a nice way of providing a comfortable familiarity throughout the garden, picking up a topiary shape used in one part of the garden and repeating it in others. Using topiary selectively through the whole garden helps to pull the eye and create what I call little pause-points – so as you arrive at one, the next comes into sight.
In pots
