Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →

How to Make a Topiary

Tip

Choose a plant bigger than you think you need. It's easier to trim the plant down than wait for it to grow.

Have patience. A topiary takes time to fill out.

Warning

Don't trim too much at once. Removing 50 percent of the plant could harm it.

T[ [topiaries](https://www.gardenguides.com/81914-plants-topiary.html) ]piaries add a bit of whimsy to the landscape. Sometimes called standards, topiaries are shapes, usually spherical, on the top of a sturdy trunk. Sizes can range from tabletop to six feet or taller. Topiaries don't occur naturally but are pruned or sheared into shape. The shapes can vary from the simple sphere to complicated animals. This topiary will be about two feet high with a sphere at the top.

Decide on a variety of plant. Leaves should be small or the plant should be a prolific bloomer. Evergreen plants are preferred so the shape is visible even while the plant is somewhat dormant. Vines can be used such as ivy. Even roses can be coaxed into a topiary.

  • Topiaries add a bit of whimsy to the landscape.
  • Even roses can be coaxed into a topiary.

Choose a plant with a long, straight central stem, rather than a plant with several stems. If working with a vine, choose one with long, trailing branches. Most plants grow from the top or tips of their branches, unlike grass which grows from the roots up. The plant should be from 2 to 3 feet tall.

Stake the central stem to a sturdy support secured in the plant's pot. Remove side branches for the first 18 inches of the stem. Tie the stem to the support about every 4 inches. You now have a plant that resembles a stick with bed hair. Trim little by little into a shape that somewhat resembles a sphere. It won't be perfect. As the plant grows, continue to snip any branches below the sphere perpendicular to the stem. Allow gaps in the sphere to fill in and keep trimming the rest of the sphere to maintain the shape. Once the shape is reasonable, allow the sphere to grow until it reaches a size that is in proportion with the stem or trunk.

  • Choose a plant with a long, straight central stem, rather than a plant with several stems.
  • Once the shape is reasonable, allow the sphere to grow until it reaches a size that is in proportion with the stem or trunk.

Select a support for a vine topiary that is as high as the top of the topiary. Crush chicken wire into a ball shape about the size of a baseball. Push the wire ball on top of the stake and secure firmly with additional wire. The ball should not wobble.

Wind the branches of the vine around the support as closely as possible and fasten with ties. Weave the branches at the top in and out of the chicken wire to cover as much of the ball as possible. As the vines grow, continue weaving them through the wire. Eventually the ball will be completely covered with vines.

  • Select a support for a vine topiary that is as high as the top of the topiary.
  • Weave the branches at the top in and out of the chicken wire to cover as much of the ball as possible.

Related Articles

How to Prune My Shrubs Into Shapes
How to Prune My Shrubs Into Shapes
How to Cut Topiaries
How to Cut Topiaries
How to Train English Ivy
How to Train English Ivy
How to Make Hibiscus Into a Tree
How to Make Hibiscus Into a Tree
How to Make a Lantana Topiary
How to Make a Lantana Topiary
Bougainvillea Trees
Bougainvillea Trees
How to Make an English Ivy Wreath
How to Make an English Ivy Wreath
How to Prune an Italian Cypress
How to Prune an Italian Cypress
How to Make an Animal Topiary Using Boxwood
How to Make an Animal Topiary Using Boxwood
How to Grow Grapevine Trees
How to Grow Grapevine Trees
How to Make a Topiary Frame
How to Make a Topiary Frame
How to Prune a Globe Arborvitae
How to Prune a Globe Arborvitae
How to Protect Shrubs From Heavy Snow
How to Protect Shrubs From Heavy Snow
Garden Guides
×