A few words about the history of topiary

Decorative trimming of bushes, its other name is «topiary», traces its history back to Ancient Egypt and Persia. In full force, the spread of this type of gardening art takes place in the 15th century. It was then that beautifully cut hedges became an adornment not only of the French Versailles, but also of most of the palace gardens in Europe.

History knows the decline in interest in decorative haircuts, but today topiary is very popular all over the world. We are talking about both professionals and amateurs who seek to give an individual look to their own site.

A tandem of trees with a lush crown and clearly defined figures has come into fashion, which is considered the prerogative of the British style. Mature bushes and trees are already being processed.

Haircut nuances

Topiary art involves painstaking work in search of a unique style. It should be noted that not every species of trees or shrubs is suitable for decoration.

Every amateur gardener who wants to develop his own style can try his hand at the following plants:

• boxwood — a poisonous ornamental shrub that requires a haircut twice a year;
• cotoneaster is a slow-growing shrub, optimal for creating any shape, but requiring frequent haircuts;
• holly is an excellent plant with thorns at the ends of the leaves;
• yew — care resembles boxwood.

For work, you should acquire a special tool: secateurs, scissors for cutting bushes, a hacksaw, a garden knife, a delimber. New shoots are cut with a knife, branches are cut with pruners, a crown can be formed with scissors, a lopper will allow you to cut deep-growing branches, and a hacksaw is useful for sawing thick branches.

Professionals do not recommend beginners to immediately take on tricky figures when creating topiary. It is better to try elementary shapes — a ball, an oval or a cone.

Moreover, the work begins with the preparation of a sketch in order to clearly imagine the final result. Another prerequisite is that the working tool must be well sharpened.

Preparatory work in the absence of plantings on the site should be reduced to the planting of spruce and juniper. Planting is carried out in early spring, or in autumn, so that the plants have time to take root before winter. It is worth maintaining a distance of 80 cm between the trees. In a year, the plants will grow enough so that you can start decorating.

An innovation in topiary is the use of steel frames to allow for more elaborate hedge designs, as hedge trimmers are still the basic tool.

Complex figures are the result of many years of work, and experienced gardeners are well aware of this, knowing that the final result, with proper work, will exceed all expectations. He will have a special perfection and will be able to please any contemplator.

Creating a complex figure involves going through several stages. First, a special pre-prepared frame made of metal rods or wire, which has the desired shape, is put on a young plant.

The growth of the plant causes the branches and leaves to start to go beyond the frame. This process must be carefully monitored and the excess cut off, despite the fact that elsewhere in the structure the plant may not yet go beyond the boundaries of the frame. For several years, the bush will actively grow, all this time it needs to be given the necessary shape through pruning.

After the plant reaches the desired shape, the frame is dismantled, and the gardener continues to support it, constantly trimming the bush.

Rules and recommendations for a haircut

To create an original design and ennoble your site, you should have a clear idea of ​​\u200b\u200bhow to cut. For example, hardwood trees need to be cut once, preferably in the spring, ahead of the bud break period. The crown of deciduous trees will increase its volume by 5-10 cm thanks to last year’s branches.

As for hedges, curly shrubs, they need to be cut several times a season. The number of haircuts depends on the type of plant itself. The first haircut is done in early spring, while leaving 5 cm of last year’s growth. All remaining seasonal haircuts are equal to the first, trying not to go beyond the specified cutoff level.

To avoid losing needles with the lower part of coniferous hedges, cutting the sides should not be done strictly vertically. It is necessary to ensure that the fence gradually tapers towards the top.

Whatever the type of plant, coniferous or deciduous, shearing should be done according to the following pattern: start from the bottom and continue up. In addition, plants need to be fed with cool water and fed with special vitamins. You can prevent the bush from drying out by leaving several live buds on it.

Topiary art professionals give some advice on how to care for bushes and trees. Abundant pruning of young plantations with special scissors for cutting bushes and grass will subsequently achieve lush vegetation. Such scissors cut grass and leaves along the entire length of the working blades.

There are also long-handled shears that allow you to cut your lawn vertically and trim hedges without using a ladder.

A secateurs or garden knife will also come in handy, since young plants need a special cut. To achieve the emergence of new shoots, young plants can be cut 15 cm above the ground. Finally, the ability to create an excellent hedge is determined by the rational use of several types of plants at once.

Maintaining the decorative look of a hedge requires mandatory trimming and trimming procedures. The experience that comes with time will allow any gardener to have well-developed and well-groomed plants on his site, as well as to achieve original landscape solutions in the matter of landscaping the territory.

Photo of the process of cutting bushes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTNNhPaglng