How to Make a Boxwood Topiary
A topiary is a sculpture made by clipping trees or shrubs. Boxwood shrubs are known for their densely packed, rounded green leaves and compact formation making them an ideal choice to use as a formal landscape topiary. Creating a topiary requires patience, technique and a steady hand. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Flower pot or container
- Clipping scissors
- Top soil
- Ground cover plant
- Bamboo stick
- Raffia
Instructions
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1
Gather supplies. Use a boxwood plant with a straight center trunk that's the height of the desired topiary. Select a container at least one size larger than the pot or burlap ball.
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2
Remove lower branches working from the bottom of the boxwood up to form a well defined trunk. Snip the branches with clipping scissors close to the trunk. Stop clipping approximately 2/3 of the way up the trunk.
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3
Remove the boxwood from its original container and pot in the new larger container. Fill in the gaps with top soil, first and then a low growing ground cover such as moss or blue star creeper as the top layer.
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4
Stake a thin bamboo stick into the soil next to the boxwood's trunk. Support the trunk upright to the bamboo by tying them together with raffia.
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5
Groom the topiary regularly by pinching leaves, stems and branches with fingers. New growth forms from those pinch points.
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Tips & Warnings
Encourage vertical height or more vegetation by leaving 1 to 2 inches of branch when removing the lower branches. Cut those side shoots off completely when the topiary reaches the desired height or fullness.
