Topiary

gardening · living art · plants · sculpture

Shaping with scissors. Topiary artists carefully clip the leaves and branches of shrubs and trees to create defined shapes. It takes patience and practice, sometimes years, to grow a plant into the exact form you want.

Living sculpture. Unlike a statue made of stone or wood, a topiary is a living artwork that keeps growing. Gardeners have to keep trimming it regularly to maintain the shape and prevent it from becoming wild again.

Ancient Roman art. The word topiary comes from an ancient Roman gardener called a topiarius. Rich Romans loved ornamental gardens and even painted fancy landscapes on their indoor walls that inspired the real topiary designs outdoors.

Shapes and sizes. Topiary can be simple geometric shapes like cubes, cones, and spirals, or wild and imaginative designs like animals, birds, and fantasy creatures. Some famous topiaries are so large they tower above houses.

Around the world. Topiary has been popular for thousands of years in gardens across Europe, Asia, and beyond. Today you can find amazing topiary gardens and displays in parks and botanical gardens everywhere.