Have you ever seen a shrub that has been shaped to resemble an animal or fanciful ornamental shape? There is a word for this type of pruning, it is called “Topiary.” Turning plants into specialized shapes dates back to early Roman times. Creating Topiaries gained a revival during the Renaissance of the 1600s and has had other periods of popularization since, and most recently popularized by the Disney parks in the 1960s and still are there today. There is one Botanic Garden in America that is solely dedicated to Topiarys. It’s the Ladew Topiary Gardens in Maryland. The most famous fictional topiary artist was Edward Scissorhands.
Growing Home: Topiary Pruning
