SERIES 36 | Episode 33
Costa visits a NSW nursery that specialises in topiary.
Scott Williams has been working this Peats Ridge property for 37 years, originally transforming what was a lettuce farm into its present format.
Scott has collected about 100 different plant species from around the world, seeking out plants that are best suited to topiary in different climates.
He says that topiary has a place in any style of garden, not just formal designs, as it adds contrast and structure to a landscape.
Another myth that he busts is that topiary is hard work and that many Buxus plants will look fine with just four trims a year – but pruning stimulates a plant’s growth, so if you prune more often, the plant will grow more and need more attention.
Scott adds that topiary is basically a form of bonsai, as you’re reducing the plant’s size and controlling a plant’s growth.
Buxus balls are trending at the moment, grown in groups or lines. The nursery stocks four types of Buxus because it is such a reliable plant that is tough and durable in a range of cool and warm climates, has few pest problems, and tolerates all conditions, including dry periods. “The worst thing you can do is overwater it,” Scott says.
It’s also quite slow growing; some of the saucer-shaped shrubs in the nursery that are about 1m tall are nearly 20 years old.
Cloud pruning is also popular. A range of trees can be shaped this way, including Leyland cypress and Chinese juniper, which is a favourite of Scott’s for its natural curve and dark green foliage.
Topiary can also be applied to citrus trees and flowering shrubs. Citrus is well suited to being espaliered against a wall or fence too, making them part of the garden structure and providing fruit without taking up much space.
Pro Tips on Pruning
Nursery manage Aaron Webster offers some advice.
Starting with a regular bushy Buxus that you might buy in a nursery, Aaron shows how to create a lollipop-type standard.
First trim off all the lower growth from the main trunk, leaving just the foliage at the top, which over time can be trimmed to form the ball. It will take 4-5 years to reach about 1-1.2m tall.
When at this height, Aaron shows how to use shears to prune around the outside of the crown to create a circular shape. He starts at the top of the sides and works his way down, then trims off the top to create a dome. He emphasises that you also need to prune inner branches, even though the foliage is ‘within’ the ball, because this will encourage the bushy growth that is needed to fill the space.
TIP: Aaron uses a sharpening stone to set a good edge on his shears before the start of each working day.
Cloud Pruning
Aaron and Costa move on to a more mature tree with a yellowwood that is 15-20 years old and already has a good shape.
Aaron shows how branches can be moved into a more appealing shape or position by taping them to something rigid – in this case a bamboo stake – and bracing the stick to another branch or the main trunk. The brace will stay in place for at least 12 months until the branch is set.
To prune, he trims around each foliage clump to emphasise the desired cloud shape.
TIP: A little water on the sharpened shears helps get a clean cut, he says.
Featured Plants SMALL-LEAVED BOXBuxus microphylla var. microphylla cv.LEYLAND CYPRESS× Hesperotropsis leylandii ‘Leighton Green’CHINESE JUNIPERJuniperus chinensis ‘Keteleeri’JAPANESE BOXBuxus microphylla var. microphylla syn. B. microphylla var. JaponicaOUTENIQUA YELLOWWOODAfrocarpus falcatus syn. Podocarpus falcatus
Filmed on Darkinjung Country | Peats Ridge, NSW
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