Complete Book Of Topiary

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.

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

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.

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