Features topiary

22-10-2018

The topiary of the bushes is not just a whim of gardeners who want to decorate their plot in an original way, but real art, whose roots go back to the most ancient times. It is believed that the art of topiary got its start in Persia and Ancient Egypt, but the greatest flourishing occurred in the 15th century. It was at this time that Louis Fifteen stood at the reign of France, who wished that Versailles be decorated with hedges. This fashion quickly caught on in all the gardens of Europe.

At present, topiary is not forgotten, on the contrary, an interest in it is experiencing a kind of fashion boom.

Not only professionals, landscape designers, but also simple lovers who want to create an individual style for their garden, are interested in the art of curly pruning bushes.

What plants to use

It would seem that it could be easier - to cut a bush or a tree? In fact, everything is not so easy. Firstly, it is worth considering that not every plant is suitable for pruning. You can learn how to make a garden maze at the dacha.

The following bushes for decorative trimming are the most common:

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boxwood;
holly;
yew;
privet;
cotoneaster.

The first plant, despite its poisonousness, is quite often used in garden compositions, requiring cutting twice a year. The yew requires similar care to the boxwood and is also great for creating figured statues. The holly is a thorny plant from which you can organize a real living fence. Cotoneaster is well suited for cutting out figures, but it is necessary to cut it quite often for a neat and tidy look.

An ideal material for creating hedges is privet, which requires cutting only once a year during the warm season.

Necessary tools and training

To create a beautiful style in your garden you need to take care in advance about the availability of specific tools:

Pruner used for pruning
Garden knife - needed for pruning shoots
Brush cutter - useful for the formation of crown
Saw - needed to eliminate extra thick branches
Lopper - used for remote undercutting of branches

If you first decided to create topiary on your site, then you should not immediately start to master complex shapes. The best way to get acquainted with this art is to start with the simplest figures: a cone, an oval, a ball.

But before you start work, you must create a plan-sketch in order to have a visual idea of what you need to get as a result of the work. You can learn about cutting a hedge in the country.

You should also check all the tools: they must be in good condition, in good condition, sharpened and capable.

If you are no longer a novice in this business, and decided to decorate the garden with more intricate figures, then frames made of steel rods will be of great benefit. This tool has recently become used in topiary and serves as an assistant for creating more complex ideas.

Also, experts recommend gardeners to stock up on patience, because complex geometric shapes are not created so quickly, sometimes it may take more than one year to achieve the final result.

Features of creating complex shapes

The decorative haircut of bushes includes several stages of composition creation.

First you need to create a wire frame of the desired shape, in which the selected plant is placed. As it grows, shoots and branches can go beyond the framework, for which you need to keep a close eye. All unnecessary details are cut off even at that moment, if on the opposite side the branches have not yet reached the frame.
It may take several years for a bush to grow to a certain shape, and during all this time you need to monitor its shape and trim it from different sides. As soon as the plant reaches the shape that was intended, the corset is removed from the wire, and you only need to care for the resulting figure.
To create complex decorative figures and sculptures, stationary templates are used, which are not removed, but with the help of steel rods are connected with the plant and remain so to give it the necessary shape.
To create especially complex shapes, special fillable patterns are used in which the plant develops. Most often, such structures are filled with sphagnum moss and peat, and creeping plants are planted on them, for example, most often it is ivy. However, the creation of such complex shapes requires certain skills and abilities, as well as a lot of experience, since they require careful maintenance.

Figured haircut of bushes and trees (video)

Methods and methods of topiary

If you decide to do landscaping and creating the original landscape on the site, then you need to know the methods and techniques of topiary haircuts.

So, deciduous trees are pruned once a year in the springtime, until the buds have blossomed. Due to last year’s branches, they increase their volume by 5–10 cm.
But the plants used to create a hedge, you need to cut several times during the year. The first topiary should be carried out before bud break, leaving a 5 cm increase from last year. The next haircut is made to the level of the first.
If the fence is built on the use of coniferous shrubs, then you should be aware that it is impossible to vertically cut off the shrub from the sides, since they should taper slightly to the top. If this is not done, the lower part will very quickly remain without needles.
Cutting plants is carried out from the bottom up. Also, do not forget that your figures and hedges consist of living plants, which means that they need regular fertilizing with vitamins and water.
In order for the crown of the plant to be lush and attract the eye with its density, young plants are recommended to prune quite abundantly. It is best to use a garden knife or pruner for this.

Beautiful decorative haircut bushes can be carried out not only by specially trained professionals, but also you personally on your own site. One has only to put a little patience, attention and fantasy. Lovers of heather will be useful this material.