Topiaries

Topiaries are trees or shrubs that have been trimmed or trained into decorative, geometric or other ornamental shapes and are used in formal gardens. The plant types used for topiaries are evergreen with small leaves or needles, dense foliage and have compact or columnar growth characteristics. Many plant varieties can be used for topiaries including English Box, Lilly Pilly, Spartan and Japanese Box.

Topiaries became popular during the Roman era, declined during the 18th century and became fashionable again in the 1800’s. Topiary shapes can be oval, square, single or double ball, corkscrew, cone, tapered or creative (such as stars or animals).

Topiaries need good nutrition, regular watering and frequent trimming to maintain their shape.

Notable private and public topiary gardens can be found throughout the world.