Creating Terrific Topiaries and Superior Standards

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T. Lee Stephens

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Photo Credit: T. Lee Stephens

Boxwood lends itself to topiary design beautifully.

Just like fashion, plant standards and topiaries come and go in popularity – but they’re enduring. In fact, plants have been sculptured, tamed and trained for eons. Persian, Greek, Roman, European, Asian and American cultures have used (or abandoned the use of) these wonderful landscape features throughout the ages. Of course, no matter the style of the moment, you have only to take a trip to a local arboretum or amusement park to find some sort of topiary or standard on display.

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This 2-year-old hibiscus standard was started from 4½-inch nursery stock.

But let me back up for just a moment. For the purpose of clarity, I should define exactly what each of these features is: A plant standard is a landscape feature where the plant has been trained to a single stem with a mass of vegetation at the top. Topiaries, on the other hand, are plants that have been trained to fill a predetermined space (or form). There’s a tremendous amount of fluidity in these definitions – with some standards being more like topiaries and some topiaries being more like standards.

Regardless of the definitions, either of these lovely trained plant styles can enhance a formal entry or add a focal point to your garden. You can use topiaries in your outdoor living spaces to cool the rigid materials of rock and concrete, or place standards as sentinels of color to enhance your décor with a splash of green texture or flowering presence. Use these forms in containers and move them about the garden to create different looks as the season progresses. Or think of them as living pieces of accent furniture you have inside your home – you can move them about as your moods change. They’re a great way to modify your space without a major overhaul.

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With the right care, it won’t be long before your little transplant is transformed into a beautiful standard – like this lovely tabletop fuschia form.

Once you decide to create a standard or topiary for your outdoor living space, the first thing you need to remember is that it takes some time, patience and planning. Full-sized standards can take as long as 2-4 years to bring to maturity. The same could be said of topiaries. (Although you can grow 14-inch-tall tabletop standards or topiaries in as little as a growing season. Consider using rosemary, lavender, scented geraniums and small-leaved ivies as tabletop décor. They’re easy to get and relatively inexpensive.)

Warnings

When selecting a plant for a standard, look for one with a strong vertical growing stem, and make sure that the topmost growing point on the stem is present. This tip is called the apical tip. A knowledgeable staff member at your garden center or nursery can verify if the growing point is still present on your plant.

Facts

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) makes an excellent standard. Not only is it aromatic and pretty in bloom, it has strong vertical growth and takes pruning nicely.

Tips

A topiary frame can be constructed from any pliable wire. Some people use strands from leftover electrical wire. The copper is easy to shape and, if stripped of its plastic coating, takes on a nice patina with age.
Try using ivy (Hedera helix) for your first tabletop topiary. It comes in all leaf shapes and sizes. Just go to your local garden center or nursery and pick up an ivy with extra-long runners. Then train these runners onto the frame, which will eventually become your topiary.

Tools

Perhaps the best tool to have on hand when playing with topiary is a fine-pointed, sharp pair of scissors. A detail pruner (the kind used to deadhead flowers) is another option. You can also try a specialty tool called a secateur, which you can find at some nurseries. (It’s large handle openings allow you to wear a glove when pruning or shaping.) Whichever tool you use, just make sure it’s sharp: Topiary needs to be cut – not torn – as you shape your living art.

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