Tuesday, 3 April 2018

Tips Excelling In 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.

This practice needs a lot of practice and skill. Besides these two, there are other factors which determine whether a person will succeed in this industry or not. Choice of plant to use is one of the major factors. It is worth noting that the aforementioned shrubs and sub-shrubs grow in certain soils and climatic conditions. This means that the type of soil and weather must be considered greatly.

Secondly, it is important to use the right kind of tools. There are different tools that are used and each tool has its own specific purpose. Initial cuts are best when done using shears with long handles. The blades of the shears should have a slight angle so that they can be used to cut using either side of the blade.

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.

A cutting guide must always be used so as to achieve better results. The guide tells one what parts are to be cut and which ones should not. For better results, the cutting must also be done at the appropriate time. Twigs are never to be cut while too young or left to overgrow.

Finally, one is advised to choose a plant with a suitable shape and configuration. This means that the shape of the plant chosen should be close in shape to the sculpture that one intends to attain. For example, a tree that is shaped like a triangle can easily be used to produce a pentagon shape.




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