A toparius was a Roman garden designer, the clipping and shaping of trees and shrubs is thus a very old art, yet in this book the reader is treated to designs such as a locomotive, an Egyptian temple and a leafy Loch Ness Monster.

The first new guide to topiary in over 80 years, this guide presents all the classic methods of formal plant shaping and includes 100 plans for indoor and outdoor plant creations anyone can make for themselves. Illustrated.

This is a practical guide to the art of clipping, training and shaping plants. It offers fascinating insight into the art of topiary, with step-by-step instructions, spectacular photography and authoritative text. It shows how topiary can complement a range of garden styles and create design effects, such as defining an entranceway, marking a boundary or creating depth. Projects for beginners through to experienced gardeners show how to clip a spiral, create freehand figures, use topiary frames, train an arch, and tame a hedge. Jenny Hendy explains how topiary can be incorporated into garden styles, from traditional and contemporary to country-house and Japanese. A section on green architecture looks at larger topiary elements, including hedges, doorways and windows, and niches and alcoves. Achievable geometric shapes are also covered, from spheres and pyramids to turrets and helter-skelters. There are suggestions for more ambitious planting effects, such as knot gardens and parterres. Sculptural topiary is also explored, from the clipped creatures of cottage gardens to modern plant shaping. A plant directory then lists the best plants and the training to which they are suited.

A follow-up to the widely popular Flower Recipe Book, The Plant Recipe Book is the next great thing in interior plant design, providing simple steps showing anyone how to create stunning living plant decor. Each one of the 100 “recipes” specifies the type and quantity of plants needed; clearly numbered instructions detail each step; and 400 photographs show how to place every stem. Traditional pots and plant containers are used, but so are less conventional vehicles and methods, like shutters and planting under glass. A basic how-to chapter provides planting techniques, a tools and materials list, sourcing and plant care information, and expert advice.

This is essentially a practical work based upon Nathaniel Lloyd's personal experiences of established yew and box topiary and hedging at Great Dixter, Northiam in Sussex after his move there in 1912.

THE NEW TOPIARY is one of the most exciting books on plant sculpture ever produced. Sure to redefine the term "topiary," it is the first book to fully detail the techniques & materials used in this new field. Topiary is no longer confined to traditionally shaped hedges, but is extended to include quick-growing ivies & perennials. Cubes & cones, monsters, birds & whimsical animals, all dressed in living green, are equally attainable. The latest American adaptation to topiary - imaginatively stuffing designed frames with sphagnum moss in which ivy & creeping figs actually grow & thrive - is described in detail. Closely guarded secrets from Longwood Gardens (near Philadelphia) are revealed for the first time. Here are the secrets behind Longwood's exotic displays - from tiny animals to cascading chrysanthemums to self-watering life-size elephants. Years of practical development & research have gone into this book. The snags, pitfalls & the disappointments are eliminated by the confident, step-by-step instructions & ideas of an expert who is the foremost authority in this colorful modern approach to decoration with plants. Aided by 235 color illustrations & 385 drawings, the reader will quickly learn how to train these "living ornaments" into almost any shape imaginable.

WhiteHots.

"One of the most important German-language poets of the younger generation."--Goethe Institut

This text explores the wealth of ideas and techniques for growing, clipping, pruning and training the living elements of the garden to make stylish shapes, patterns, structures and focal points. The book focuses on small-space gardening, but all the techniques apply to larger gardens.