Anartformbeyondtrimmingandpruning, famoustopiarygardensexistacrossEurope andNorthAmerica.Ifyouhaveeverbeento Disneyland, there are many topiary characters featured throughout the grounds. Now, a 15-foot Mickey Mousemightlookoutofplacein youryardbuta3-footonemight betheperfectquirkyaddi�on, especially if you have young children or grandchildren. Atopiarystarts with a plant, or plants, placed inside an open- structured metal shape. The plant growsthroughthemetalcagingand gets pruned using head cuts as the Source: jimsmowing.com.au/2016/07/when-to-prune-hedges-and-how-o�en/ branchesemergebeyondthestructured shape. As you might have guessed, it can take several years of growth for the plant to becomearecognizablefigure. yellow blooms and will be concentrated to a Smaller topiary can be created in pots, but smaller area. keepinmindthattheseareshrubsthatwill haveasubstan�alrootmass,sothepot Aninformalhedgeismadeupofindividual shouldbequitelarge.Researchhowmuch shrubs that are each thinning and �p pruned pruning the chosen plant can handle before like any ornamental shrub to keep them full youstart. Narrow-leaved evergreens are your andflourishing. The key to having an informal best choice due to the smaller leaves as they hedgealongyourdriveoronthepropertyline will cover the wire frame more evenly. Just is to research how large it will be at maturity. think of your 4-year-old grandchild’s Pruning will help to keep it in bounds but be expression of amazementwhentheyseeabig mindful of how close it is planted to the greenMickeyinthegardenattheirnextvisit! drivewaytobesurethedrapingbrancheswill g n i m notscratch your car. r a F e l b a Topiary n i a t s Topiary, or pruning and training of live plants u S st g into shapes, was first recorded in the 1 n i t r o p century CE. Caesar Augustus, in Ancient p u S Rome,commissionedmanytopiarygardens with formal shapes to suit the formal architecture. A formal hedge is considered a formoftopiary. 16 www.rogitex.com