How to Grow a Miniature Topiary
Miniature topiaries can be grown inside your home with a variety of plants. A few of the best plants to use for miniature topiaries are rosemary, lavender and thyme. Topiaries grown from these plants make lovely decorations, and the cuttings can be used for cooking. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Rosemary plant
- Gardening shears
- Water
- Vase
- 8-inch planter
- Wire hanger
- Wire ties
Instructions
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1
Locate a well-established side shoot on a rosemary plant -- at least 8 inches long. Trim off the side one-half inch from the bottom of the shoot. Snip the bottom leaves off the stem.
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2
Fill a vase with a 50/50 mix of perlite and peat moss. Use your finger to dig a small hole through the center of the mixture. Slide the snipped end of the shoot in the vase. Gently move the dirt, to fill in the edges of the hole. Add a small amount of water to the mixture until it is damp. Allow the cutting to root, adding more water as needed. This process should take approximately three weeks.
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3
Fill a planter with potting soil, and place it in a sheltered, partially sunny location. Dig a small depression in the middle of the planter.
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4
Remove the rosemary cutting and newly formed roots from the vase. Any potting soil mixture stuck to the roots can remain there. Do not shake it off, which could damage the root ball. Place the root ball in the center of the planter depression. Cover the roots and the bottom part of the cutting with soil. Water the soil until moist.
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5
Bend a wire hanger into the preferred shape of your topiary. Leave an 8-inch straight section at the bottom middle of your shape. Popular shapes include circles, hearts or squares.
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Slide the straight section of the wire hanger into the soil, close to your cutting. Try to avoid piercing or damaging the roots, by choosing a location slightly to the side.
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Secure the stem or stems of your rosemary to the straight section of wire, using a wire tie.
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Allow the plant to grow, trimming the growth that protrudes from the side of the wire frame. Attach new wire ties to the stem as the plant grows, to keep the plant shaped against the wire.
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Tips & Warnings
If the plant has two or more stems, you can allow the plant to grow in opposite directions on the wire shape, which allows it to be covered quicker. Water the soil infrequently -- ensuring that it stays moist but not saturated.
References
- Photo Credit Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images
