The New Topiary

Book excerpt: THE NEW TOPIARY is one of the most exciting books on plant sculpture ever produced. Sure to redefine the term "topiary," it is the first book to fully detail the techniques & materials used in this new field. Topiary is no longer confined to traditionally shaped hedges, but is extended to include quick-growing ivies & perennials. Cubes & cones, monsters, birds & whimsical animals, all dressed in living green, are equally attainable. The latest American adaptation to topiary - imaginatively stuffing designed frames with sphagnum moss in which ivy & creeping figs actually grow & thrive - is described in detail. Closely guarded secrets from Longwood Gardens (near Philadelphia) are revealed for the first time. Here are the secrets behind Longwood's exotic displays - from tiny animals to cascading chrysanthemums to self-watering life-size elephants. Years of practical development & research have gone into this book. The snags, pitfalls & the disappointments are eliminated by the confident, step-by-step instructions & ideas of an expert who is the foremost authority in this colorful modern approach to decoration with plants. Aided by 235 color illustrations & 385 drawings, the reader will quickly learn how to train these "living ornaments" into almost any shape imaginable.