The Art of Topiary
Topiary is the
horticultural practice of training live
perennial plants by clipping the
foliage and
twigs of
trees,
shrubs and
subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes,
[1] perhaps geometric or fanciful; the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. As an art form it is a type of
living sculpture. The word derives from the
Latin word for an ornamental
landscapegardener,
topiarius, a creator of
topia or "places", a Greek word that Romans also applied to fictive indoor landscapes executed in
fresco.
The plants used in topiary are
evergreen, mostly
woody, have small
leaves or
needles, produce dense foliage, and have compact and/or columnar (e.g., fastigiate) growth habits. Common species chosen for topiary include cultivars of European box (
Buxus sempervirens), arborvitae (
Thuja species),
bay laurel(
Laurus nobilis),
holly (
Ilex species),
myrtle (
Eugenia or
Myrtus species), yew (
Taxus species), and privet (
Ligustrum species).
[2] Shaped wire cages are sometimes employed in modern topiary to guide untutored shears, but traditional topiary depends on patience and a steady hand; small-leaved ivy can be used to cover a cage and give the look of topiary in a few months. The
hedge is a simple form of topiary used to create boundaries, walls or screens.