GETTING A PROFESSIONAL-LOOKING FINISH
Jeff Stephenson trained at Capel Manor and Kew and is now head of horticulture at Bowles & Wyer, where topiary is one of his areas of expertise – here he explains how to get a polished end result
APPROACH COMES BEFORE TECHNIQUE Create a clear picture in your mind about the form you’re going to create then sculpt it into shape. Adopt the practice ‘measure twice, cut once’ when it comes to topiary: look, cut once, then look again. Timing is crucial, too. Allow new seasonal growth to expand, harden up and darken as the cuticles on leaves thicken. It’s healthier for the plant, rather than nipping off every shoot as it emerges.
FIND YOUR BEST FIT The more you invest in tools, the better quality you’ll get. But also consider ergonomics. If a tool feels comfortable, then this will show in the quality of your work. Keeping tools clean, sharp and lubricated is also critical. Sap will impair blades over time, so wipe regularly with disinfectant.
CHOOSE SHRUBS CAREFULLY Generally shrubs with smaller leaves will create a more tightly clipped finish. These plants need to have been cut back hard early in their lives to produce a multistemmed framework to sculpt. Examples include buxus, Euonymus japonicus ‘Microphyllus Albovariegatus’,
E. ‘Jean Hugues’, E. japonicus ‘Green Spire’, Ilex crenata, Pittosporum tenuifolium and taxus.
KEEP IT MODERN Traditionally, topiary has been used in the form of cones, spheres and standards. For a more contemporary look, topiary works well as a punctuation mark within a tapestry of naturalistic herbaceous perennials. For example, you could incorporate different sized yew domes throughout a carpet of the ornamental grass hakonechloa.
“RIBBONS OF CLOUD-PRUNED BOX HEDGING CAN CREATE A FRAME AND COUNTERPOINT TO A FLOWING BORDER OF PRAIRIE PLANTING”
JEFF STEPHENSON, Bowles & Wyer