Houston Topiary Tips: Best Plants to Create Garden Masterpieces

According to the Royal Horticultural Society, topiary has been used in many cultures throughout history and has even been present in Roman gardens during the ancient times. Until recently, this art form has not been very prominent, but has yet again reemerged as one of the hottest trends in gardening and landscaping. If you want to add more appeal to your backyard, some topiaries in various shapes is an excellent idea. However, a lot of work go into creating these masterpieces and a huge part of that comes from selecting the right kinds of plants. Here are some of the best plants to use for your Houston topiary masterpieces.

Crawling Vine Plants

Crawling vines are great for topiaries because they can be made to take just about any shape you can imagine. All that is needed is for it to properly follow a form. This way, as the vine continues to grow, it won’t lose its shape. Choose vines like the English ivy, a plant well-known for its fast growth rate and tolerance to many conditions. Other great choices are the non-invasive ivies like the Duckfoot, Lady Frances, Gold Child and the Kenilworth ivy.

Thick Shrubs

Shrubs are also ideal for topiaries but they can be quite difficult to maintain, especially if you are planning to make larger shapes. It could be a lot of work when you start with a small shrub and wait for it to grow. Days and days of training and pruning will be needed to get it to look like how you envisioned it. If you wish for your topiaries to have a fuller form, you can just leave it to an experienced artist. The best shrubs to use for topiaries include holly, laurel, and privet. Experts would also suggest using boxwood like the Suffruticosa and Morris Dwarf because they don’t require that much trimming. The evergreen shrub called port wine Magnolia also requires little upkeep and has glossy leaves that can complement any garden.

Hedges, groupings, and herbs can also be used for topiaries in garden, but vines and shrubs are the most popular choices. In any case, topiaries and gardens would look best if they are done professionally by a good topiary artist. You can leave it to Houston plant and garden experts like the capable topiary artists at River Oaks Plant House.

Sources:

Topiary, Royal Horticultural Society

Which Plants Make the Best Topiaries?, www.SFGate.com

How To Make Your Own Topiary, www.GardeningKnowhow.com