When to clip topiary: a year-round calendar
Photograph coming soon
Suggested lead photograph: when to clip topiary: a year-round calendar
Most topiary is clipped once a year in late summer. Very precise shapes may need a second light trim, and large-leaved plants such as Portuguese laurel are best cut with secateurs.
The clipping calendar
| Plant | When to clip | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Yew, Taxus baccata | Late summer | Once a year is usually enough |
| Beech, Fagus sylvatica | Late summer | Helps it hold leaves in winter |
| Hornbeam, Carpinus betulus | Late summer | Crisp lines with one cut |
| Portuguese laurel, Prunus lusitanica | Spring and late summer | Use secateurs to avoid cut leaves |
| Japanese holly, Ilex crenata | Early to late summer | One or two light trims |
Photograph coming soon
Suggested photograph: before you start
Before you start
Choose a dull, dry day, because clipping in hot sun can scorch freshly cut leaves. Use sharp, clean shears and wipe the blades between plants. Before you make the first cut, check hedges and shrubs for nesting birds.
Keeping shapes true
Work from the bottom up and step back often to check your progress. For balls, clip in sweeping curves that follow the shape. For cubes and blocks, a string line or a simple frame keeps the faces flat and the edges sharp. Laying a sheet on the ground makes clearing up easy.
Photograph coming soon
Suggested photograph: feeding and watering
Feeding and watering
Topiary in containers needs regular watering and a spring feed. In the ground, a mulch of organic matter each spring keeps the roots cool and moist.
Choose your topiary
From yew domes to purple beech cubes, every piece of our topiary is hand-shaped. Come and choose yours at our Row Town showroom.