Our Plants
Topiary
Every piece of our topiary is hand-shaped, from yew domes and Portuguese laurel standards to purple beech cubes and cloud-pruned Ilex crenata. Explore our topiary below and visit our Row Town showroom to choose your pieces by eye.
Topiary shapes and styles
Our topiary is clipped by hand into classic and contemporary forms, so you can choose anything from a single statement piece to matching pairs and repeated rows for a formal scheme.
Topiary balls and domes to soften borders, edge paths and sit in pots either side of a door.
Cones, pyramids and obelisks for height and formality in parterres and knot gardens.
Cubes and blocks for crisp, modern lines on terraces and roof gardens.
Lollipop standards and half-standards: a clear stem with a clipped head, ideal for pots and narrow spaces.
Cloud-pruned (niwaki-style) topiary in Ilex crenata and yew for a Japanese-inspired, sculptural look.
Spirals and bespoke shapes, plus box-headed and pleached trees for screening at height.
Shapes and sizes in stock change through the year. Tell us what you are looking for and we will check availability or source it for you.
The best alternatives to box (Buxus)
Box blight and box tree caterpillar have made Buxus difficult to keep looking good, so many garden designers and homeowners now choose hardier evergreens that clip just as well.
Yew topiary (Taxus baccata) is the closest like-for-like replacement: dense, dark and slow-growing, it holds sharp lines in sun or shade.
Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) has small, glossy leaves that look very like box, making it ideal for balls, low hedges and cloud pruning.
Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) gives a bolder, glossy finish and makes handsome lollipop standards and large domes.
For garden designers and landscapers
We supply matched sets of topiary in quantity for residential, commercial and show garden projects, with trade pricing for account holders.
Topiary for pots, terraces and London gardens
Topiary is one of the easiest ways to add year-round structure to a small garden, courtyard, front door or roof terrace. Evergreen yew, Ilex crenata and Portuguese laurel all grow happily in large containers with regular watering, and a pair of clipped balls or standards instantly frames an entrance.
We deliver topiary across London and the Home Counties, including Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire, and nationwide. Larger pieces can be offloaded by HI-AB or Moffett.
Deciduous topiary: beech and hornbeam
Beech, purple beech and hornbeam topiary bring seasonal change. Fresh green or deep purple leaves in spring turn warm copper in autumn, and beech in particular often holds its dry leaves through winter.
They are ideal for cubes, blocks and pleached forms in more naturalistic or contemporary schemes. For a matching boundary, see our instant hedging and hedging plants.
How to care for topiary
Clipping: trim most topiary once or twice a year. Clip yew from late summer to early autumn; beech and hornbeam in late summer; Ilex crenata from late spring to late summer; and Portuguese laurel in spring and again in late summer if needed. Use sharp shears and avoid clipping in hot sun or frost.
Watering: topiary in pots dries out quickly. Water thoroughly whenever the top few centimetres of compost are dry, especially in spring and summer, and do not let containers sit in water.
Feeding: give container topiary a slow-release feed in spring. Plants in the ground rarely need more than a mulch.
Planting: plant at the same depth it sat in the pot, firm in well and water in. Our team will give you aftercare advice when you buy.
Topiary FAQs
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Yes. Anyone can visit our Row Town showroom near Addlestone, Surrey during opening hours to choose topiary by eye, no appointment needed. Trade customers can also apply for a trade account.
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Yew (Taxus baccata) and Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) are the most popular box alternatives. Both are evergreen, clip to crisp shapes and are not affected by box blight or box tree caterpillar.
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Yes. Yew, Ilex crenata and Portuguese laurel all do well in large containers. Water regularly, feed in spring and use a pot large enough for the root ball.
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Price depends on the plant, the shape and the size. Every piece is individually shaped, so please contact us for current prices and availability.
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Yes. We deliver across London, Surrey and the Home Counties, and nationwide. Smaller orders that fit safely in your vehicle can be taken away on the day.
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Yes. If we do not have it in stock we can usually source it through our network of growers, or grow it on for you through our contract growing service.
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We have never used peat in our own growing and we do not buy in any plant containing new peat.
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Our nursery is very well stocked, but stock varies by season, so please contact us before visiting to check availability.
Choose yours in person
Walk in to our Row Town showroom any time during opening hours, or book a Genus Bar appointment for dedicated time with a specialist.
Explore all our plants
Trees · Multi-stem trees · Pleached trees · Standard trees · Parasol trees · Topiary · Hedging · Instant hedging · Shrubs · Perennials · Bespoke sourcing · Contract growing
Can’t see what you’re looking for?
Get in touch and we’ll help you find it. Our nursery is very well stocked and we can source almost any plant through our network of trusted growers. Email info@formplants.com, or send us your whole plant list through our bespoke sourcing service.