Topiary

Such a privilege working on topiary with the very skilful Chris Poole (former Chair of the European Boxwood & Topiary Society) at the fabulous Chiswick House, West London. The garden was created mainly by the architect and landscape designer William Kent and it is one of our earliest examples of the English Landscape Garden. Topiary is generally thought of as the the art of training evergreen trees and shrubs into intricate or stylized shapes and forms but it also includes the more general activity of close clipping of decorative and formal hedges and the shaping of shrubs. A technique we've been using here is "crown lifting" and this is something I do often as it can create a more open and airy appearance, showcasing the tree or shrub's structure and form. This is done by removing the lower branches to produce trunks or stems that are taller and clearer. It allows allows more light and air through the canopy and importantly opens up the view beyond and offers opportunities for underplanting all to greater aesthetic effect. What's particularly interesting is to consider shaping the lifted canopy further either to better define it as a single mass or to create different "limbs". Taking this further the Japanese refer to "niwaki" - literally translated as garden trees - where the principles and techniques of training involve not only observing nature but also actively interpreting it. That is to say the way we conceive natural balance influences how we prune, shape and train our garden plants. It's fascinating and so enjoyable seeing the results of your work.