Synopses & Reviews
Presenting all the methods of formal plant shaping and introducing simple, fun, and fanciful techniques for creating informal indoor topiaries,
Totally Topiary is clear, comprehensive, and written with an irrepressible passion for the art of making plants into living sculpture.
From hedge sculpture and espalier to indoor creations and an entire chapter on ivy, all major topiary styles both new and old are covered. Over 100 specific projects in the eight different styles are offered for a variety of skills and purposes, accompanied by handsome line drawings that serve as step-by-step models and elegant inspiration.
Each chapter is complete unto itself, recommending plants (Japanese yew is the hardiest for outdoor sculpture, but azalea can be coaxed into a startling pink flamingo), sharing design hints (espaliered fruit trees provide privacy from the neighbors with practical elegance), noting ideal times to plant. They also offer specifics on tools and hardware need, plus pruning and maintenance tips. A wealth of fascinating stories and charming anecdotes places each style in historical context, and helpful features list plant sources nationwide, along with topiary showcases worth visiting. 97,000 copies in print.
Synopsis
Selection of the Book-of-the-Month Club97,000 copies in print Synopsis
You don-Yt need a green thumb-Xor even a garden-Xto make whimsical living sculptures and elegant decorative designs out of plants. Using today-Ys topiary techniques, anyone can master projects ranging from a conversation piece to a masterpiece, in sizes to fit living rooms, terraces, small backyards, or rolling estates.
Indoor Projects
,h Fashion a bird from fragrant flowering jasmine for your windowsill
,h Sculpt a snowy swan out of Glacier ivy
,h Offer your hostess a moss-covered teddy bear with a basket of potpourri
,h Festoon potted boxwood trees with tiny mandarin oranges to create a mini Versailles-Xin your living room
,h Grow a miniature rosemary tree in the kitchen
Outdoor Projects
,h Savor the fragrance and flavor of an herbal knot garden
,h Interlace overhanging branches of yew, hemlock, or cypress to form a tree tunnel.
,h Espalier dwarf fruit trees against a wall to make a backyard orchard
,h Crown shrubs with clipped shapes of peacocks, rabbits, and bears
,h Train ivy over a wire mesh screen to create a shady corner
About the Author
Deborah Reich is a New York City landscape designer who has worked for the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and as chief horticulturist for the World Trade Center.Barbara Gallup heads her own company, Totally Topiary, in Skillman, New Jersey. Winner of numerous prestigious horticultural prizes, her work has been featured in Vanity Fair, House and Garden, House Beautiful, The Garden Scene, and American Horticulturalist.
Table of Contents
Introduction
The Lure of Topiary
The Lore of Topiary
Plant Names
PORTABLE TOPIARY-XTabletop Whimsy on a Frame
The Shape of Portable Topiary
The Range of Frames
Selecting Plants
Showing Off
Decorative Accents
Supplies
Hollow Creations
Training
Stuffed Sculptures
Planting Wrapped Forms
Care and Feeding
Projects
Growing on an Empty Frame
Plant-As-You-Build Layered Sphagnum Form
Building a Wrapped Form
Planting in the Pot
Plugging in the Form
One Large Plant in the Form
STANDARDS, POODLES, AND SPIRALS-XSplendor on a Single Stem
Creating with Herbs
Old Faithfuls
Geraniums
Elegant Oddities
Roses
Hardy Specimens
All About Containers
Raising Your Standards
Maintenance
Projects
A Basic Standard
Poodle Variation
Knotted Trunk
Braided Standard
Corkscrew Spiral
Straight-Stemmed Spiral
Grafted Standard
MOCK TOPIARY-XFaux Forms for Indoor Style
Accents and Decorations
Standards
Geometric Sculptures
Birds and Beasts
Plant Materials for Lasting Accessories
Festive Seasonal Specialties
All About Containers
Tricks of the Trade
Projects
Standard or Poodle
Triple Poodle Variation
Large Standard
Saucer Standard
Hanging Basket Standard
Frameless Foam Birds and Bests
Flower-Covered Bear
Mock Espalier
FRAMEMAKING-XElegant Armatures for Handcrafted Accents
Wire
Tools and Supplies
Constructing a Wire Skeleton
Using Chicken Wire
Preparing the Frame for Planting
Simple Frames for Pots
Zoological Frames for Pots
Freestanding Frames
Chicken Wire Forms
Standard Frames
Projects
Hoop
Heart
Fan/Peacock-Ys Tail
Sparrow
Goose
Rooster
Peacock
Seal
Basket
Pyramid
Rabbit
Lamb
Cat
Turtle
Terrier Dog
Pig
Dinosaur
Sailboat
A Quartet of Cones
Teddy Bear
Basket on a Stem
IVY TRAINING-XA Vine Art
All About Ivy
Outdoor Ivy Sculpture
Ivy as Architectural Accent
Decorations on the Ground
Decorating Walls
Ivy Standards
Portable Figures
Trimming
Recommended Ivies
The Hardiest Plants
Fancy Shapes
Splashes of Color
Big, Bold Leaves
An Ivy Garden
Caring for Ivy
Projects
Making a Grafted Standard
A Graceful Spiral
ESPALIER-XMurals of Tracery, Flowers and Fruit
Planning an Espalier
Selecting Plants
Basic Training
Supports
How to Make Classic Shapes
Mural Maintenance
Pruning for Flowers, Fruit, and Berries
Indoor Espalier
Projects
Vertical Cordons
Diagonal Cordon Variation
Serpentine Cordon Variation
Horizontal Cordon
Palmette Verrier
Single U-Shape
Palmette Oblique
Belgian Fence
Braided Trees
Fan
KNOT GARDENS-XTwined Between the Old and New
Knot Gardens
Flat Topiary
Victorian Revival
Creating a Knot
Boxwood
Herbs
Dwarf Shrubs
Annual Herbs and Bedding Plants
Laying Out the Pattern
Planting
Projects
Basic Outline
Elizabethan Knot
Sundial
Flat Topiary
VERDANT SCULPTURE-XOrnamental Shaping of Trees and Shrubs
The Traditional Repertoire
The American Style
Displaying Green Sculpture
Selecting Plant Material
Trading the Chisel for the Shears
Creating A Sculpture
Caring for Sculpted Trees and Shrubs
Projects
A Seated Teddy Bear
Alphabet
Peacock
Cakestand
HEDGECRAFT-XBuilding Halls and Walls of Green
Hedges
Topiary Maze
Arches, Tunnels, and Houses
Plants
Techniques
Dressing Up Hedges
Green Archways
Architectural Forms
Preservation and Renovation
Projects
Windows
Garlands
Initials
Columns
Crowns
Finials
Birds
Single Arch
Single Arch with Double Spire Variation
Single Arch with Bird or Beast Variation
Pavilion or Glorieta Variation
Mazes
Stilt Hedge Palissades
SOURCES AND RESOURCES
Glossary
Hardiness Zone Map
Twelve Top Plants for Topiary
Source Guide
Gardens to Visit
Picture Credits