Your New Topiaries

Your New Topiaries

Because topiaries require a great deal of skill and time to create, their presence in your garden signals wealth, expertise, and dedication. Put simply, topiaries are classy. Super classy. Read on to find out the best way to care for your new topiaries and incorporate them into your home landscape.

Designing with your Topiaries

• Place a potted topiary on either side of your front door to create a sophisticated & formal entry
• Plant a topiary in the ground on either side of a sidewalk or garden path, like garden sentinels
• Use topiaries in pairs and arrange them symmetrically to bring a formal feel to any area
• You can make use of a single topiary by placing it in the exact center of a flower bed where it will bring attention to the whole planting

Water

• Topiary containers are full of roots which means they need extra water to be happy
• Potted topiaries need water daily in warm weather and every other day in cool weather
• Apply water to the top of the soil until it runs out of the bottom of the pot, allow it to sit for a few minutes, then repeat a second time

Trimming

• Frequent trimming is the best way to keep your topiaries looking great
• When the original shape of your topiary becomes a bit hazy, it is time to trim it back into shape
• Don’t be shy when shaping, if you don’t cut enough off each time the plant will get fatter and fatter until the original shape is lost

Where to Place your Topiaries

• To keep your topiaries lush and green they will need at least 6 hours of direct sun per day
• Topiaries need to live in the open, where rain can periodically clean them off
• If you wish to display your topiaries on a covered porch or shady location, simply grow them in containers that can be temporarily moved from their sunny garden homes to wherever they will be prettiest, then move them back to the sun after the party

Fertilizing

• Topiaries need a consistent supply of nutrients to stay healthy after repeated trimmings
• Use a slow release fertilizer, like Osmocote, that can feed for 3-4 months each time