mardi 3 avril 2018

Useful Information On Ivy Topiary

By Kathleen Stone


Topiary is style of ornamental gardening. People with specialty in this area are called topiarists. Topiarists create sculpture of various designs and styles out of plants. The plants come in a wide variety too. This process is done by training, trimming, and weaving plants. Resultant sculptures vary in size from very small to very large. This is what ivy topiary entails.

The word topiary originated from Latin. It roughly translates to ornamental gardener in English. People from ancient civilizations like Roman Empire and Greek engaged in this practice. According to historical evidence the practice emerged about 2000 years back. Topiary is assumed to have emerged from ancient Greek before spreading to the rest of Europe. It is believed to have spread during the Renaissance period. In Europe, it spread more in the Victorian era.

Topiary can be done on any type of plant if one has the right skills and tools. However shrubs and sub-shrubs are the most commonly used plants. Shrubs and sub-shrubs are preferred because of the manner in which they grow. They are made of small leaves and needles that form a dense and lightly packed cover of foliage. Some of the plants used include yew, myrtle, bay laurel, holly, box, privet rosemary, jasmine, ficus, cypress, and the English ivy.

Topiary is an art that requires a lot of skill and practice. However, there are also many factors that determine success in this industry. One of the main factors is the choice of plant to use. It is also important to know that the various shrubs and sub-shrubs named about grow well in certain climatic and soil conditions. As such, it is important to consider the weather and soil type too.

The second factor of consideration is tools. One should use suitable tools. Different tools are used in this work and each is applied specifically in a certain conditions. Shears with longer handles are best used in making initial cuts. The shears used must have a slight angle to enable them to cut from either side.

For parts that need a detailed focus, a pair of secateurs should be used. Good secateurs is one that can be used with one hand. Often these ones have a spring at the handles. Other tools for use in this work exist. All tools should be kept clean to avoid spreading disease from plant to plant. Also, they should be disinfected and oiled to stay in good shape. All edged tools must be sharpened for efficiency.

One should use a cutting guide to achieve better results. With a cutting guide one can know which areas need to be chopped and which ones still need to be left to grow. Also, one must time the cutting process correctly. Cutting before the plant grows to a given size or after it exceeds a given size can cause difficulties in achieving results.

Lastly, it is important to pick a plant that is most suited for the shape one wants to achieve. The plant should have a general resemblance of the shape that is being aimed at. For instance, if one is trying to cut a pentagon into the plant, the plant should have a general triangle shape.




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