Why Plant Topiary?
Topiary is the traditional ancient art of shaping plants (usually evergreen) to create spectacular architectural living forms. Include it in a garden and it gives a sense of depth and structure.
Planting it has an immediate impact by creating focal points for the onlooker. A great piece of topiary placed strategically in front of a wall, fence, pathway, gate entrance or front door, can dramatically improve an area which may otherwise be flat, lifeless and boring. While rigid in structure (due to years of training), they are by very nature natural and soft, so they are ideal for creating a bridge between hard and soft landscaping.
For example, a carefully selected piece of Beech topiary will fit seamlessly into practically all environments and dramatically enhance the surrounding area.
Mature Topiary Specimens
It can take decades and even centuries to produce the finest pieces, so we have teamed up with a handful of carefully selected partner nurseries in Europe to grow and train traditional and contemporary stock for UK gardens of the future. This long term vision means our deciduous and evergreen topiary plants are some of the finest available anywhere in Europe.
Whether you are looking for fine topiary trees which are centuries old, or younger plants that are still in their infancy. From Beech low domes to Fagus beehives we have a range that will suit every budget and every stage of development.
For customers who seek instant gratification our mature range of plants are spectacular. All our topiary plants are trained by highly skilled craftsmen using traditional methods and age old techniques, with of course, lots of time invested. We know how each piece started life and by whom it has been trained.
Where do you Deliver?
Our plants have been supplied to some of the finest homes and reputable gardens in the UK. From Chartwell – the home of Winston Churchill, to the largest properties and estates within the M25 and across the UK, we have developed a reputation for supplying the very best plants available. Our plants can be found as far afield as the Highlands of Scotland, South West of Cornwall and East Anglia.
Not only do we supply spectacular individual pieces and multiples, such as pairs, we have also been approached to help customers create complex parterres, mazes, labyrinths and knot gardens. We specialise in searching throughout Europe for the largest pieces of topiary available. We find many of our regular customers don’t bother going anywhere else in this instance because they know we will produce the goods.
While the larger mature pieces are available as rootball plants only, we do offer a large selection of potted plants. Evergreens such as Yew (Taxus), Holly (Ilex) and Buxus (box), Holly Oak (Quercus ilex), Bay (Laurus noblis), Ilex cranata have traditionally been used, while deciduous varieties such as Fagus sylvatica (beech) and Carpinus betulus (hornbeam topiary) are becoming more and more popular. Fagus and Carpinus have much larger leaves and with their winter foliage and the interesting internal structure of their branches, there is further interest in the winter months.
Caring for and Establishing Topiary Plants
With excellent rootballs our topiary plants suit being planted in pots as well as more traditional locations such as beds and borders. We have supplied pieces over 500cm tall and weighing in at several tons. Current popular shapes include low dome, pillows, cloud pruned, cubes, tall beehives (and low wide ones too). Our more complex pieces have remained a firm favorite and are unaffected by fashion or trends.
For the garden enthusiast, most plant species used in topiary are relatively easy to maintain because the same plants are often used for hedging. If you can maintain a hedge then the argument goes you can maintain topiary too! Just because they are more complex in shape and form does not mean that they need special care. Potted plants and some softer species do however need extra care. Do ask for advice if you are not sure.
We have the privilege of working in some of the most spectacular gardens in the UK and while we are not designers or landscape architects ourselves, we regularly supply plants to the leading individuals and companies in these sectors. After many years of doing so, we have developed a sense for what looks good – and perhaps more importantly what doesn’t! We are familiar with current trends and which pieces stand the test of time. From Fagus cubes to Taxus baccata beehives, for advice on your investment please get in touch.
