Learn to Make Your Own TopiaryThere are many plants that will work well for being shaped for your topiary, some of which are the herb rosemary, hollies, ivies, boxwoods, lantana, fuchsia, and hydrangeas. WHAT YOU NEED: * Plant of your choice * Peat and perlite (amount in proportion to plant's pot) * Pruning shears * Staking ties
* Water-soluble fertilizer
1. Plant a rooted cutting in a half-and-half mixture of peat and perlite. 2. Transplant it to a 3-1/2-inch pot adding additional potting soil as needed, when it is fully rooted. Prune the side shoots to encourage vertical growth. 3. Stake the plant snugly with ties. Let it grow in a sunny spot for two months. Give it plenty of water. When the plant is 2 feet tall, trim off its main vertical shoot. This will stop its upward growth and encourage branching. Strip the bottom two-thirds of the plant of all its shoots, leaving the top one-third and its branches for shaping. 4. Loosen ties as the trunk grows in diameter. Turn the plant regularly so it receives even sunlight. Feed with a water-soluble fertilizer once a month during summer. Pinch off growing tips to maintain a full, dense top and encourage branching.
Re-pot or trim the roots to prevent it from becoming root-bound.
This is a solution to making ivy form centerpieces, without the time-consuming task of training ivy to climb and fill a frame. WHAT YOU NEED: * Potting soil * A spherical topiary frame (10-12 inches in diameter) with spikes at the base for anchoring it into the soil * A pot large enough in circumference to contain the frame * A full-fledged ivy (your favorite variety) with long, trailing runners or six single ivies with long runners * Green twine or raffia to tie up the ivy
* Ribbon and ornaments for decorative accents
1. Put soil in the bottom of pot and transplant ivy. 2. Add the frame. Press the topiary frame securely into place in the pot. 3. Separate the ivy runners and wrap them up the frame. Tie them into place with lengths of twine or raffia. 4. Decorate the centerpiece by winding lengths of bright ribbon through the ivy and suspending a holiday ornament or other decoration in the center.
FAUX TOPIARY (Great for the holidays): Insert tree branches into two plastic-foam balls that have been spray-painted with the color of your choice (red and green for Christmas, orange, browns and yellows look great for the Fall). Hot-glue colored peppercorns onto the balls and anchor the entire thing in a terra-cotta pot that has been painted the appropriate color to match your faux topiary, sealed, and fitted with a piece of plastic foam. For a polished look, pour additional peppercorns around the base of the topiary and tie a colorful plaid ribbon bows around the branches. MATERIALS: * 5-inch-diameter terra-cotta pot * Acrylic paints * 1/2-inch crafts paintbrush * Matte-finish clear acrylic sealant spray * Plastic-foam rectangle * Hot-glue gun and glue sticks * 3- and 4-inch-diameter plastic-foam balls * Spray paint * 5- and 6-inch lengths of 1/2-inch-diameter tree branch * Peppercorns: 12 ounces of each color and 4 ounces of white * Medium-size bowl * Tablespoon
* 2 yards of 2-inch-wide green-and-red plaid wire-edge ribbon
INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Paint the outside surfaces of the pot the color of your choice (pick a darker shade of color for this first layer then use lighter shades of the same color in the steps that follow), making quick strokes with the paintbrush for a mottled effect and leaving about one-fourth of the terra-cotta showing. Let the paint dry. 2. Use the same technique to apply a lighter shade of the same color, followed by a light shade of a complementary color, letting the paint dry between coats and leaving some of the previous colors showing. When the paint is dry, apply a coat of matte-finish clear acrylic sealant; let dry. 3. Cut pieces from the plastic-foam rectangle to fit snugly and fill the pot. Add wedge-shape pieces of foam to fill any open spaces around the edges, positioning the foam so a flat surface is level with the top of the pot. Hot-glue the foam pieces to the inside bottom of the pot and to each other. 4. Spray the 4-inch plastic-foam ball with colored paint and the 3-inch ball with a different, complimentary color paint, applying as many coats as needed for complete coverage; let dry. 5. Insert 1 inch of the 6-inch-long branch into the bottom of the 4-inch ball. Insert 1 inch of the 5-inch-long branch into the bottom of the 3-inch ball. Insert 1 inch of the remaining end of the shorter branch into the center top of the 4 inch ball to mark the location; remove this branch from the top of the 4 inch ball, leaving each ball with a branch at the bottom. 6. Place colored peppercorns in a bowl. Hold the the 4 inch ball by the branch and apply a quarter-size amount of hot glue to the top of the ball, covering the area with glue so there are no spaces. Immediately hold the ball over the peppercorn bowl and use the tablespoon to sprinkle peppercorns over the glue, letting the excess fall into the bowl. When the glue is covered with peppercorns, use the back of the tablespoon to gently press the peppercorns into place. Continue applying quarter-size amounts of glue and attaching peppercorns until the ball is covered, with the exception of the branch hole at the top. 7. Repeat the process to cover the moss 3 inch ball with different colored peppercorns. 8. Remove the branch from the bottom of each ball and place hot glue inside the hole; reinsert the branch; hold for 10 seconds. To connect the balls, apply hot glue inside the hole at the top of the 4 inch ball; insert the branch at the bottom of the 3 inch ball into the hole and hold for 10 seconds. 9. To secure the topiary in the pot, insert 1 inch of the bottom branch into the center of the foam in the pot. Adjust the depth of the branch until a space of 4 inches remains between the pot and the bottom ball. Remove the branch from the pot and place hot glue inside the hole; reinsert the branch and hold for 10 seconds. 10. Apply hot glue to a small area of foam in the pot. Use a tablespoon to immediately sprinkle white peppercorns into the glue. Repeat to completely cover the foam in the pot with peppercorns. Randomly sprinkle a mix of colored peppercorns over the white peppercorns. 11. Cut the ribbon in half. Wrap a ribbon length around each branch, tie a bow, and trim the ends to the desired length. Return to Garden Crafts from Topiary
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