Organic Gardening Tips and Methods Ornamental Trees (Part 9) Topiary A form of training and pruning trees and shrubs to create attractive, boldly artificial shapes, Topiary is a garden art that has been popular since roman times, traditionally used to produce strongly architectural and geometric shapes in formal gardens, it has been developed to include; birds, animals, and unusual, even whimsical features such as giant chess-pieces and full-sized trains. Designing With Topiary; Different styles of topiary may be used to create a variety of effects; imaginative, living sculptures express personal style and add a humorous or bizarre touch. Using topiary for geometric shapes such as; cones, obelisks, and columns provides a strong, structural element in a design, this type of topiary may be valuable both in formal gardens, perhaps to frame a vista or to form an avenue, and in informal gardens, as a contrasting foil for less structured planting. In some gardens, it may be appropriate to treat part of the hedge top as topiary, clipping it into; one or more birds, spheres, or cubes, for example. Topiary may also be effective in containers, use a single-container plant as a centrepiece, a pair to flank a doorway, or several to line a path, it also be adopted to create eye-catching stem effects, such as; twists and spirals with one or more stems. Plants for Topiary; Plants to be used for topiary require; dense, pliable growth, small leaves, and the ability to recover quickly from clipping, evergreens such as; • Common box (Buxus sempervirens), • Privet (Ligustrum ovalifolium), • Yew (Taxus baccata), • Lonicera nitida, • Osmanthus delavayi, Are ideal in a temperate climate, Cupressus sempivirens can be trained to suite geometric designs, but only thrives in warmer climates, Bay (Laurus noblis), Holly (such as; non-spiny clones of Ilex x altaclerensis), and many other evergreens may be used, but are more difficult to train. Ivies (such as; Hedra helix “Ivalace”) are very adaptable and may easily be trained to grow up a frame, alternatively, several cuttings can be taken from an existing plant to grow up a moss-padded structure. Creating a Shape; Most topiary designs are best formed with the aid of a guiding framework, although simple shapes may be cut freehand. Simple Designs; Using young plants, select the stem or stems that will form the core of the design, the simplest shape to produce is a cone, which needs only guiding canes, for other shapes, attach a framework made of/from chicken wire or single wires attached to stakes placed in the ground next to the main group of shoots, tie in the stems to the framework and then pinch back the shoots to encourage them to branch and cover the form. Train new shoots into the framework to fill in any gaps until they meet around the perimeter, growth will vary around the plant, depending on the aspect; shoots trained downwards always grow slowly. Complex Designs; Frameworks for complex designs are now generally available, although you may decide to make your own basic framework from sturdy materials such as; heavy-duty fencing wire, chicken-wire or thin gauge wire may then be intertwined to form a more precise shape. Garden canes are also useful as a temporary aid in developing and shaping a framework, tarred twine is good for tying shoots onto a framework, since it eventually decays. Training Stems; Young stems being trained onto a frame grow quickly and considerable work is then required to tie in new shoots throughout the growing season, tie in the shoots while they are young and pliable and check previous ties to make sure that they are not broken, rubbing, or in any way restricting the shoots. If stakes have been used in the framework, make sure that they are still firm and have not cracked, snapped or bent, if they are defective, replace them with new ones. Clipping; Topiary involves much more precise clipping than for normal hedge cutting, take time, particularly when initially forming topiary pieces, to cut the branchlets, carefully to the required shape. Do not cut too much in one place as it may spoil the symmetry of a topiary design for a whole season until new replacement growth appears, even if you have a good eye for shaping plants, it is sensible to use levels, plumb-lines, and any other aids available to check for accuracy of a cut. Always work from the top of the plant downwards and from the centre outwards, cutting both sides together to retain a balanced symmetry. Rounded topiary pieces are easier to produce and maintain than angular, geometric shapes and may often be cut freehand. To produce a spherical shape, first trim the top of the plant and then cut a channel downwards around the circumference to leave a ring, a further ring at 90 degrees should then be cut out, leaving four (4) distinct quarters to be trimmed. Geometric topiary that has precise, flat surfaces and angled or squared edges is difficult to form and maintain successfully and needs to be tackled with confident, accurate clipping for a well- defined shape, such geometric designs are best cut using guidelines attached to canes to maintain symmetry. When to Clip; Once a topiary feature is established, it will need frequent routine clipping during the growing season. The time between cuts will depend on the rate of growth; an intricate geometric design in box may need to be cut at four to six (4-6) week intervals, trim as soon as any new growth begins to appear uneven, if a perfect finish is not required throughout the year, two cuts during the growing season are usually sufficient for a reasonable effect, depending on the plant used, Yew, for example, need to be cut only once a year, Box (depending on the cultivar) usually needs to be cut twice a year, and Lonicera nitida three times a year. Clip plants at the appropriate time of year. Do not clip bushes after early-autumn as the young shoots produce after the first clip need to ripen sufficiently to withstand low winter temperatures, in warm climates where growth may be almost continuous, regular trimming will be required throughout the year. Routine Care; Weeding, watering and mulching is essential in the same way as for free growing shrub/trees. It is important, however, to apply two or three (2-3) feeds of balanced fertilizer at a rate of 60g/sq.m (2oz/sq.yd) during the growing season. Winter Care; In regions where regular snowfalls occur, netting topiary pieces will help prevent the branches from breaking under the weight of snow, knock snow off any flat surfaces, as it may damage the framework. Repairs and Renovations; If a leader, a section, or a branch of topiary has been damaged or broken, cut it back cleanly with secateurs, manipulate nearby shoots by tying them to fill the gap. If topiary plants have been left unclipped for one or two (1-2) years, regular clipping should restore the original form within the season, if the topiary has been neglected for years and the shape has been lost, severe pruning to restore the outline should be carried out the first spring, followed by two or three (2-3) seasons of more precise clipping. Scorch and Dieback; The foliage of some evergreens may be scorched in fierce winters and can die; the damaged foliage will soon be covered by new growth in spring, but cut it back where it is unsightly, taking care to follow the shape of the topiary piece, if shoot do not fill the gap, there may be a root problem which will need to be treated. • Note; Information given coincides with/to the current guidelines of; The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
Posted on: Sat, 30 Aug 2014 08:37:21 +0000