Topiary Basics: The Art Of Shaping Plants In Gardens & Containers

by Margherita Lombardi, Christiana Zanetti, John Elsley (Editor)

If you love topiary but think it takes too much time and care, look again. Maybe you can start with a small potted plant, then expand to a trellis or an espalier, until you're ready to create fantastic green sculptures, lively garden paths, and even a labyrinth. Large or small, the methods are the same, and they're all clearly explained with practical illustrations of each step, along with page after page of full-color photos of the world's most magnificent examples. Tips cover choosing plants, and how to use a variety of types, including broadleafs, evergreens, fruit trees, flowering trees, and climbing plants. Learn about tools and accessories, setting out and maintaining plants, and basic pruning techniques. Then you're ready to try your hand at the most popular shapes, including spheres, hearts, baskets, and birds, as well as shapes made with frameworks and structures and multi-tier shapes. Specific projects feature parterres, hedges, interweavings, arcades, green niches, ivy sculptures, trellises, espaliers, and more. 144 pages (all in color), 8 7/8 x 11 1/4. NEW IN PAPERBACK

144 pages, Hardcover

First published December 31, 1998