Topiaries

1. Topiary is the art of shaping, training, and clipping plants into ornamental shapes, usually geometric or animal forms. Ball, spiral, and conical are the most popular geometric topiaries.

2. The art of topiary has been practiced for over 2,000 years. Some regional expressions of topiary are highly developed and very distinctive, such as Japanese bonsai.

3. True topiary plants require a great deal of care and maintenance. Silk topiaries provide the same visual interest but with the maintenance level of a silk plant.

4. Conical and spiral topiaries present one sinuous or vertical form. Topiaries can also feature multiple similar or contrasting shapes, such as with cone and ball topiaries, or double ball and triple ball topiaries.

5. The most popular artificial topiary size is between 4 and 7 feet.