Should we topiarise our plants, or is it a cliché?
To use the word cliché when describing topiary feels like an insult to a versatile art form. It’s human nature to admire symmetry, straight lines, perfect shapes and a sense of structure. What’s great about topiary is using nature in place of a brick wall or metal sculpture to show what we can do with plants, capturing the attention of visitors who can appreciate the artistry behind them, as well as providing structure to our gardens.
To some, topiary is a cliché because it has existed for many centuries, dating as far back as the Roman Empire, where it was used to create orbs, obelisks and animal figures. As a result, in this modern era, these traditional structures are now seen as old fashioned. But, increasingly, modern and abstract shapes can be found in many different styles of garden. Topiary can often seem clichéd when seen in formal gardens, but simple shapes can add interest and definition alongside informal planting, with shaped hedges and archways being used to divide areas. There are so many ways in which topiary can be used to create beautiful and unique gardens, it really is that versatile!
If you want to see some great examples and gather some inspiration, Levens Hall in Cumbria has the world’s oldest topiary with over 100 amazing pieces. Here at the RHS Garden Wisley, we have 20 large pieces of traditional topiary, as well as many plants around the garden that we have shaped in varying ways to show what can be achieved with a bit of creativity.
Although considered to be a highly skilled art form, anyone can produce their own piece of topiary. I find it very relaxing to experiment with different shapes in order to create something unique and personally meaningful. If topiary can inspire other people to be creative, embrace art and produce new, unique living sculptures in different styles of gardens, whether in public spaces or at home, then I’m all for it . us, and if pruning is necessary, sympathetic trimming will retain their natural and readily recognisable shapes. Tall, columnar Lombardy poplars, the rounded head and trailing branches of weeping willows, open and airy silver birches, plus the magnificent shapes of mature beech and hornbeam trees (both often topiarised), are best left as nature intended. To my mind a mature tree growing naturally cannot be bettered by a poor, stresse
