Outdoor fun
Pam Thompson, 74, from Wichenford, Worcestershire, moved house and discovered just what she could do with a pair of shears
Whether plants are clipped into a perfect ball, neat spirals, an animal or even a sofa, the ancient art of topiary is guaranteed to raise a smile.
When Pam Thompson moved into a country cottage with new husband Alistair in 2004, she wasted no time in getting outside with her hedge trimmers to transform the three-quarters of an acre of unkempt garden.
‘I’d lived in a house with a small urban garden and though I’d never tried topiary before I was very excited to give it a go,’ she recalls. ‘There were yews already planted that were crying out for attention, so I started with some hedge trimmers and loved it straight away.
‘Topiary is very forgiving; you’re working with a living perennial plant and you can always start again if anything goes wrong. It’s great fun.’
Having spent 11 years in the police force – becoming an advanced driver – Pam went on to work at a girls’ school for 20 years. Moving to Pear Tree Cottage in the Worcestershire countryside brought a new focus on gardening.
‘My father instilled in me a love of gardening,’ she says. ‘I found that, like him, I could look at a hedge or tree and envision what it might become. With the help of gardener Chris Pugh, who’s worked with me every Saturday afternoon for 20 years, I’ve replanted and created new areas, including Thyme Square, so called because it’s surrounded by pots of thyme.
‘I’m constantly embarking on new projects. With Chris’s help; I’ve recently used 700 mismatched discarded roof tiles to replace a slippery pathway. There’s always so much to do and the garden is always a work in progress.’ Pam’s garden also has trees, veg and fruit flourishing year-round, plus a Wollemi pine – one of the world’s rarest trees, which dates back to the dinosaurs.
But it’s the topiary that brings the wow factor. Alongside the spectacular sofa (above), current projects include a large caterpillar named Colin – loved by Pam’s three grandchildren – and three hedges being teased into the shape of gin bottles.
One of Pam’s main motivations is opening the garden to the public every summer as part of the National Garden Scheme. So far, she
