With hellish figurines - amazing element landscape design , which can revive even the most modest country cottage area. What can we say about green sculptures created by skillful hands from living plants? Topiar (from Latin topiarius - “gardener of landscape ornament”) - oldest species landscape art, related Japanese style"bonsai".
According to one version, the art of topiary trimming of trees and shrubs originated in Ancient Rome. The gardener Kalvena is known, who looked after Caesar’s lands. It was he who first tried to trim trees in the form of various shapes. This attracted the attention of the august ruler, who wanted to decorate his entire garden with similar statues. The order was carried out, and the gardener even managed to carve a bust of the legendary commander, for which he was awarded.
Soon the fashion for topiary spread throughout the world. Gardeners who knew the secrets of this art were worth their weight in gold, and they passed on their knowledge only to selected students. Topiar, like many other innovations, came to Russia thanks to Peter I. Having heard about the wonderful sculptures of European parks, he sent his gardeners to comprehend the wisdom of this matter. Returning home, they began to put their knowledge into practice, but it turned out that overseas tender plants unsuitable for the harsh Russian climate. Therefore, they were replaced by more persistent evergreen brothers - juniper, spruce and others.
Today, topiary has been enriched with new discoveries and technologies that make it possible to create even more amazing garden masterpieces. Thanks to the frames, the sculptures acquired complexity, color and multi-texture - it became possible to combine several plants and flowers in one figure.
Topiary can be bought in modern garden centers: there you can select already ready product. However, the plant will have to be looked after, maintaining its shape, otherwise it will lose its appearance. To avoid this, it is better to grow such a sculpture yourself. 
What plants are suitable for pruning?
If you want to be sure of a favorable outcome of the undertaking, you should not bring seedlings from other countries, trust local conifers or deciduous trees. Try your hand at gooseberry, lilac and bird cherry bushes. Maple, rowan and even apple trees will do. Give preference to plants with small leaves.
For topiary they also choose larch, brilliant cotoneaster, spruce, thuja, and privet. The most common option is evergreen boxwood- a plant with thick leaves that holds its shape well and, moreover, grows slowly. First, you can practice on kochia: if you don’t succeed, it doesn’t matter, this plant is an annual. 
How to do it?
Along with pruning, grafting is used in topiary, when shoots of other crops are “grown” onto the plant. The result is brighter and more impressive figures. Such sculptures should be placed in a visible and well-lit place.
It is best to start learning with a hedge: the plants growing nearby are equalized to make green wall. To do this, stretch a cord or make a wire frame, camouflaging it in the foliage. As soon as the bush grows beyond the frame, it is trimmed. Plants such as white and variegated turf and Diabolo bladderwort go well together in a hedge.
More complex options are geometric shapes: spiral, ring, ball, etc., for which it is better to use boxwood bushes. To trim a ball-shaped plant, you can use the following technique: insert a rod with a wire template in the shape of a semicircle into the center of the bush. While turning it, cut off anything that goes beyond the borders.
The peak of gardening craftsmanship is figurines of animals or people, which are also made from boxwood using frames: plant branches are woven into them, which are secured with strong thread, thin wire or special clamps. What goes beyond the scope is cut off. As the bush grows, it will completely cover the frame. All you have to do is wait, not forgetting to trim the plant. It is better to do the haircut on cloudy days so that the cut areas are not damaged by the sun. After cutting, the plants are fed and watered. The plants are cut for the first time in May, with the appearance of shoots, then every 4-6 weeks and, for the last time, at the end of August. 
* * *
And now I’ll tell you about an unusual exhibition of sculpture cutting specialists. The material for them is shrubs, and instead of a chisel, the sculptor uses ordinary garden shears. As a result of hours spent in painstaking work, a shapeless mass consisting of branches and leaves can, at the whim of the sculptor, turn into any animal, bird or even building.
The most successful sculptures are carefully copied and sent to an exhibition called Mosaicultures Internationales, which is held once a year in Montreal and lasts 38 days - from June 22 to September 29. Botanical Garden at this time it is completely transformed. Its appearance resembles a museum.
This year, more than 50 sculptures from 20 different countries will be on display in Montreal. The purpose of this exhibition is not so much to give viewers the opportunity to enjoy living sculptures, but to remind them of the need to protect nature from negative factors and preserve it in its original form. Today Mosaicultures Internationales is the largest Montreal exhibition dedicated to environmental problems planets.
The price for such a unique exhibition is also surprising. From 9 am to 7 pm, everyone can visit it at a price that varies depending on the size of the group, from $10 to $30. 
I suggest you look at a few photos. Light up, get inspired, and believe me, nothing is impossible here. Everything can be done in the country, or on the lawn of the house. We read how to do this in old books on home economics of the 60s... But progress has moved forward in large ways steps, but there is still work to be done. Well, how do you want such beauty? Then go ahead! 
Walking through large parks and palace gardens abroad, it is impossible not to notice the variety of shapes and figures of decoratively trimmed trees and shrubs. Meanwhile, the art of creating topiary has long been practiced in Russia. Spectacular plant figures invariably attract everyone's attention and can decorate the garden of a country residence.
From the green obelisks of Roman times to the modestly sized but ornate figures created in medieval monasteries, topiary has been an element of garden design.
The art of pruning shrubs and trees took a huge step back at the beginning of the 20th century with the advent of a woven wire frame of a curly shape, which is put on a young plant. In this “house” a shrub or tree grows and develops. When young shoots begin to go beyond its limits, they are cut off along the boundaries of the frame.
According to one version, the art of topiary trimming of trees and shrubs originated in Ancient Rome. The gardener Kalvena is known, who looked after Caesar’s lands. It was he who first tried to trim trees in the form of various shapes. This attracted the attention of the august ruler, who wanted to decorate his entire garden with similar statues. The order was carried out, and the gardener even managed to carve a bust of the legendary commander, for which he was awarded.
Soon the fashion for topiary spread throughout the world. Gardeners who knew the secrets of this art were worth their weight in gold, and they passed on their knowledge only to selected students. Topiar, like many other innovations, came to Russia thanks to Peter I. Having heard about the wonderful sculptures of European parks, he sent his gardeners to comprehend the wisdom of this matter. Returning home, they began to put their knowledge into practice, but it turned out that the delicate plants overseas were unsuitable for the harsh Russian climate. Therefore, they were replaced by more persistent evergreen brothers - juniper, spruce and others.
Today, topiary has been enriched with new discoveries and technologies that make it possible to create even more amazing garden masterpieces. Thanks to the frames, the sculptures acquired complexity, color and multi-texture - it became possible to combine several plants and flowers in one figure.
Topiary can be bought in modern garden centers: there you can choose a ready-made product. However, the plant will have to be looked after, maintaining its shape, otherwise it will lose its appearance. To avoid this, it is better to grow such a sculpture yourself.
What plants are suitable for pruning?
If you want to be sure of a favorable outcome of the undertaking, you should not bring seedlings from other countries, trust local coniferous or deciduous trees. Try your hand at gooseberry, lilac and bird cherry bushes. Maple, rowan and even apple trees will do. Give preference to plants with small leaves.
For topiary they also choose larch, brilliant cotoneaster, spruce, thuja, and privet. The most common option is the evergreen boxwood - a plant with thick leaves that holds its shape well and, moreover, grows slowly. First, you can practice on kochia: if you don’t succeed, it doesn’t matter, this plant is an annual.
How to do it?
Along with pruning, grafting is used in topiary, when shoots of other crops are “grown” onto the plant. The result is brighter and more impressive figures. Such sculptures should be placed in a visible and well-lit place.
It is best to start learning with a hedge: plants growing nearby are aligned to create a green wall. To do this, stretch a cord or make a wire frame, camouflaging it in the foliage. As soon as the bush grows beyond the frame, it is trimmed. Plants such as white and variegated turf and Diabolo bladderwort go well together in a hedge. More complex options are geometric shapes: spiral, ring, ball, etc., for which it is better to use boxwood bushes. To trim a ball-shaped plant, you can use the following technique: insert a rod with a wire template in the shape of a semicircle into the center of the bush. While turning it, cut off anything that goes beyond the borders. The peak of gardening craftsmanship is figurines of animals or people, which are also made from boxwood using frames: plant branches are woven into them, which are secured with strong thread, thin wire or special clamps. What goes beyond the scope is cut off. As the bush grows, it will completely cover the frame. All you have to do is wait, not forgetting to trim the plant. It is better to do the haircut on cloudy days so that the cut areas are not damaged by the sun. After cutting, the plants are fed and watered. The plants are cut for the first time in May, with the appearance of shoots, then every 4-6 weeks and, for the last time, at the end of August.
Topiary frames and topiary frames allow you to decorate your garden. A topped frame is placed on top of the bush, thanks to which you shape your bush by cutting off the excess. Topiary frames - a figure with a divorced inside automatic watering, the inside is filled with peat and soil and plants are planted with seedlings or seeds. And soon a green sculpture appears on your site, striking and surprising all your guests. There is an option to decorate the garden with luminous sculptures - these are frames with luminous LED cords running over the figures. 
It is not difficult to form figures from flowers and plants with a topiary frame - there are metal structures and those with peat-sphagnum filling in which to plant flower plants. Figures made from flowers live from one season to five years, depending on whether they are annuals or perennials, on the quality of care and on the climate. With bushes and trees it is much easier in this regard.
To care for figures of plants and flowers, the following tools are required: pruning shears, trellis shears, garden saw and lopper (this is the minimum set). Care consists of regular trimming of the crown (according to the design and type of plant), feeding the plant, watering and sanitary pruning. The process of creating a sculpture from a plant looks like this:
Choosing a place in the garden depending on the landscape
Selecting a plant
Making a template from metal mesh
Getting a curly haircut 
Looking at this splendor, you just want to create something similar in your garden! How difficult is it? Hmm... as the sculptors of topiary art say - in moderation, if you have the desire, patience, you are very hardworking and love to care for plants. It is recommended to start with simple figures - bushes in the form of balls, pyramids and others geometric shapes, gradually making the task more difficult.
An important point: pruning is done in February-March, cutting during the period of shoot growth.
The best trees and shrubs for topiary sculptures:
Evergreen Boxwood (buxus). 
It has a stunningly beautiful crown, such thick, shiny foliage, and this plant tolerates pruning very well, which is important. For many years, a sculpture made of evergreen Boxwood has been pleasing.
Yew berry. 
Well, yew is a classic in topiary art. Magnificent figures from this plant were made back in the Renaissance.
Privet is oval-leaved. 
In the south of Russia, Privet grows several meters high, in the middle zone, as a rule, up to 1 meter. An evergreen shrub with beautiful leaves is often used as a container crop...
Let's focus our attention on plants middle zone that are suitable for a topiary garden:
Quince
Japanese
yellow acacia
common barberry
European euonymus
common privet
hawthorn prickly
elm
spruce
pine
oak
derain
pear
honeysuckle
willow
irga
viburnum
cotoneaster
maple
rose
Rowan
lilac
currant
spirea
Apple tree
bird cherry
thuja
turn
pine
fir
Linden
juniper
Here is a link to the site, for those who are really carried away and want to repeat this charm, everything is chewed and shown
One of the popular trends in modern landscape design is topiary art. Topiaries are geometric figures and sculptures from a similar way of decorating a landscape, which was born in ancient Rome.
Craftsmen create topiary figures in the form of balls, cubes, people and animals from trees and shrubs. Unusual creations allow you to make your garden different from others, alive and interesting.
The art of creating sculptures from plants is varied in technique and style. There are two types of topiary figures:
The traditional technique involves a finished tree, which is given the desired shape by trimming. Simple shapes for the garden (cubes, balls, cones) can be created by simple cutting by eye, without the use of other materials. Complex designs obtained using a metal frame of a certain shape, dug into the ground of the plant. When the tree grows and begins to go beyond the boundaries of the frame, it is pruned, and in the end the desired shape is obtained.
Frame technology is more painstaking in nature. It differs from the traditional one by the presence of a special metal frame in which a tree or shrub is grown. A frame is first made, soil for planting is placed in it. Then the crop is planted. As she grows up, she fills the frame. Branches extending beyond its limits are cut off. The plant is cared for by regular watering and pruning.
Not just any plant can be used to create a green sculpture. A suitable one must have the following characteristics:
Plants have the following properties:
Of course, 3D shapes can be created from other plants. And the mentioned crops are most suitable for climatic conditions central Russia.
These days, many owners of their own garden plots topiary landscaping is used. Step-by-step descriptions We will look at creating shapes next.
The required frame can be made from 2-3 mm wire or purchased at a special store. The finished frame has gaps for penetration inside. There is a lid on top for access to the inside of the sculpture, making it convenient to fill with earthen substrate or moss. By the way, before filling, the moss is soaked in water for about 30 minutes.
When filling the frame with substrate, you need to make holes where you plant climbing plants, herbs or succulents. Perfect for this:
When creating a topiary from climbing crops, plants with a clod of earth are transplanted from a plastic container into a metal frame, and the shoots are distributed over a stand and secured with paper clips. To make large topiary figures lighter, bags of foam balls are placed inside.
When caring for topiary, it is watered, trimmed, and pinched. For the winter, the figure is brought into a cool room or simply covered with a warm box.
Experts have simplified the process of creating topiary and proposed the following scheme:
To create a topiary by traditional technology It will require a lot of patience, imagination, and also the presence of sharp garden tools.
It's better to start with the simplest ones geometric shapes: sphere, cone, cube. It is best to trim plants in March-April or summer. It is not recommended to trim in the fall; this will undermine the plant before winter.
The figure creation scheme is as follows:
This is how they are created simple figures for garden.
The ball is considered a complex figure in topiary art. It can be obtained from a cube by trimming its edges. The best plants for this purpose are: thuja, barberry, yew, boxwood and other plants. So, for example, you can create a topiary figure " Earth", using plants that differ in shades of green.
Cylindrical shapes are obtained from western thuja, larch, serviceberry, linden. To get such a figure, adhere to the following scheme:
To create a cone-shaped figure, dig in three poles and fasten them at an imaginary top.
When creating topiary figures, the frame can be used to simplify the process of cutting the desired shapes from plants. To do this, you need a removable metal frame, which is installed on top of the wood. This technique is usually used by beginner topiaries.
The plant develops in a mesh frame, and the master only needs to trim off the stray branches. Once the crown is formed, the frame is removed. However, this is not always easy to do; often the tree grows together with its “frame”. You need to remove the frame very carefully so as not to damage the crown.
Not everyone can create natural topiary. An excellent alternative to them are topiary figures from Their advantages are obvious:
The process of caring for artificial figures involves regular cleaning dust and snow.
The elements of the figure are fixed to a wire frame. Imitation leaves and green fabric are used. The master's fantasy in this case is not limited by anything. This creation can be installed outdoors or indoors.
The art of topiary is extremely diverse and attractive. No wonder it is gaining more and more fans. Starting with green figurines in pots, you can move on to real garden masterpieces.
This art direction, such as the creation of topiary, is considered one of the most popular in the field of modern landscape design. Topiary is a geometric figure or sculpture made from garden greens. The birthplace of this art form is the Ancient Roman Empire. A topiary figure created from grass can be a ball, a cube, an image of a person or an animal. Availability of topiary on garden plot will make it original and unique.
Topiary figures made from artificial grass differ significantly from products made from flowers. Grass topiary is a three-dimensional figure, the base of which is metal carcass, covered with artificial turf. Streets and streets are decorated with topiary interior spaces. The places where topiary is used are the areas of private buildings such as a cottage, mansion or townhouse. In addition, they are installed in park areas, gardens or on city streets as a separate landscape object. Also, this type of decoration, such as a grass figurine, can be found in a shopping and entertainment center, in a restaurant, cafe, or placed in a small garden plot.
Artificial grass topiary
The advantages of artificial grass topiary are the ability to maintain the original, most often green, grass color for a long time, the absence of the need to mow and water the lawn, and the fact that artificial grass does not wither. Shapes created from artificial turf do not rust or rot. All of the above advantages allow this decorative items keep perfect appearance during the whole year.
There are many ways to make such wood. However, the degree of complexity of the work is determined by the choice of artificial flowers, which can be purchased ready-made in a store or made with your own hands. For self-creation artificial flowers, you can choose one of the most commonly used materials:
Most often, needlewomen prefer making roses from paper due to the simplicity of the process. Thus, the most common request on the Internet is “master class on making paper roses.”
Tools and equipment needed to create paper roses:
Note. Even old sheets of music books or music paper can be used as material for creating roses. Often, books or magazines are used as material for creating roses. foreign language, including those with yellowed pages.
Topiary made of artificial flowers
Helpful advice. To give the edges of the petals a brownish tint, it is recommended to hold them over a lit candle. Thus, the rose will acquire the effect of antiquity, and the resulting composition can be called vintage.
Note. If there are gaps, they can be masked using beads.
To make a sea topiary, you will need the following materials:
The process of creating topiary in nautical style is as follows:
Coffee topiary
Tools needed to create a coffee bean topiary:
The process of creating topiary from coffee beans is as follows:
A complex sculpture made of artificial grass can have the shape of a ball, which is achieved by truncation of the faces of a cube, or cylindrical. You can cut a columnar or cylindrical shape from lawn grass. To do this, you need to install wooden stakes under the crown of the tree, having first drawn a circle.
Making a complex topiary
Often figures from grass are cut in the shape of a truncated cone or simply cone-shaped. To make a frame for a cone-shaped topiary, add three poles fastened in the central part - the resulting cone resembles an Indian wigwam.
Helpful advice. For beginning topiary growers, experts recommend using a plant such as thuja occidentalis to create a cone-shaped sculpture.
Most simple option The creation of pyramidal topiaries with four sides is considered. Several of these pyramids placed on a garden plot will make it look like traditional Egyptian pyramids.
The list of complex sculptures also includes spiral, tiered geometric, volumetric and combined. Technically, especially if the topiary artist does not have enough experienced hand, the most difficult thing is to depict a person or animal in full growth.
Despite the fact that hand-made topiary production from artificial grass is considered a new direction in art, it has gained quite wide popularity. You can make a figure from artificial grass, following numerous techniques presented on the Internet and thematic publications, according to your own sketch, or take an existing composition as a basis.
Topiary art - topiary trimming of trees, shrubs and flowers, in which plants are given the shape of animals, architectural structures, people, geometric figures, and in general everything that excites the imagination of a landscape ornament gardener.
Creation figures of flowers and plants came to us from the distant past - topiary art has been known since the times of the Roman Empire. Gardens with plants in the shape of a ball, cube, pyramid decorated the possessions of rich people who lived 2000 years ago!
I think many of us are very interested in how all this beauty is created, right? In this article we will look at this issue, but before that, let's admire figures of flowers and plants:
Looking at this splendor, you just want to create something similar in your garden! How difficult is it? Hmm... as the sculptors of topiary art say - in moderation, if you have the desire, patience, you are very hardworking and love to care for plants. It is recommended to start with simple shapes - bushes in the form of balls, pyramids and other geometric shapes, gradually complicating the task.
Shape figures made of flowers and plants It’s easy to use a ready-made topiary frame - there are metal structures and those with peat-sphagnum filling, in which flower plants are planted. live flower figures from one season to five years, depending on whether they are annuals or perennials, on the quality of care and on the climate. With bushes and trees it is much easier in this regard.
To care for figures of plants and flowers, the following tools are required: pruning shears, trellis shears, garden saw and lopper (this is the minimum set). Care consists of regular trimming of the crown (according to the design and type of plant), feeding the plant, watering and sanitary pruning. The creation process itself plant sculptures looks like that:
Choosing a place in the garden depending on the landscape
Selecting a plant
Making a template from metal mesh
Getting a curly haircut
Important point: pruning is done in February-March, cutting during the period of shoot growth.
The best trees and shrubs for topiary sculptures:
Evergreen Boxwood (buxus).
It has a stunningly beautiful crown, such thick, shiny foliage, and this plant tolerates pruning very well, which is important. For many years, a sculpture made of evergreen Boxwood has been pleasing.
Yew berry.
Well, yew is a classic in topiary art. Magnificent figures from this plant were made back in the Renaissance.
Privet is oval-leaved.
In the south of Russia, Privet grows several meters high, in the middle zone, as a rule, up to 1 meter. An evergreen shrub with beautiful leaves is often used as a container crop...
Let us focus our attention on plants from the middle zone that are suitable for a topiary garden:
quince
Japanese
yellow acacia
common barberry
European euonymus
common privet
hawthorn prickly
elm
spruce
pine
oak
derain
pear
honeysuckle
willow
irga
viburnum
cotoneaster
maple
rose
Rowan
lilac
currant
spirea
Apple tree
bird cherry
thuja
turn
pine
fir
Linden
juniper
Bonsai
If we talk about such a miracle as bonsai, then one cannot fail to mention that this is also a type of topiary art - growing dwarf trees the most bizarre forms. Bonsai creates a fabulous atmosphere, helps to feel harmony with nature, giving health. The legend says that great emperor Han Shui Dynasty decided to recreate an exact copy of his luxurious garden, with its rivers, hills and trees, and since then the creation miniature garden has become a very popular hobby.
