Secrets of Topiary Shared by World’s Oldest Topiary Garden Master ‘Craftsman’

Put aside the shears and clipper brochures and forget the wire frame.  The key thing that emerges, as the head gardener at the world’s oldest topiary garden shares the secrets of topiary, is that they number one thing you will need is patience.

Chris Crowder, head gardener at Cumbrian-based Levens Hall and Gardens since 1986, says many of the home gardeners that he meets think that a piece of topiary art can be created almost instantaneously.  Instead, it takes a good few years to achieve the shape and form that you intend, because of the way that topiary develops.

Rather than it being a case of buying a shrub and clipping it back to quickly achieve the ‘destination’ shape you want from your hand shears, topiary is a journey.  A gardener needs to be committed to their topiary task for a couple of years, recognising that topiary is an artform and that topiary is a long-term handcrafting project.

This is because, when you first cut back a shrub, it will appear fairly rough.  However, the cutting process itself sparks new growth in the plant, which responds by creating shoots that fill the gaps.  It is the repetition of cutting and filling that finally helps achieve the smooth topiary effect that the gardening artist ultimately desires.

Chris recommends box and yew for the shrubs that will do the job best in a home garden, with these two evergreens having the advantage of being small-leaved plants.  Trimming back these small leaves can lead to a more subtly trimmed shape than would be the case when tackling a larger-leaved shrub such as laurel.  Yew trees can be particularly helpful because they do not mind shade, and so lower parts of the plant will still keep their leaves as you trim away above, even if your shaping creates shadow and less light infiltration below.

Another ‘secret’ is that patience is also needed in terms of size. Rather than jumping in with a large plant from the get-go, a gardener should start their topiary project with a smaller plant.  Through careful clipping and tending, this can then undergo a metamorphosis and become the desired shape, over the course of a few years.  Before even thinking of clipping it, however, the newly planted shrub should be allowed to get established, with time given to facilitate the roots’ adaptation to their new environment.

Once that timeframe has passed, it’s time to reach for either secateurs, clippers or battery trimmers.  The secret to a good clipping is, of course, the sharpness of the tools used and, here, nature can play its part.  A topiary plant’s leaves can be covered in sap and slippery gum, which can quickly stick to the blade and create a blunting effect.  To avoid this happening and keep blades keen, the secret is to spray them with water, before starting the growth trimming and clipping process.

Rather than ambitiously diving straight in and tackling a peacock or a representation of Elvis in the back garden, the home gardener should start smaller and earn their clipping stripes.  Ideal things to begin with, when embarking on a topiary journey, are rounded shapes, cones or cubes.  Having a key structure in mind, in terms of a geometrical shape, makes it easier to focus and achieve the goal.  

Using a wire frame might assist with the cutting but can be detrimental in the longer term, as the wire will cut into the tree and could stunt natural growth.

Standing back frequently, to eye the developing shape from a short distance away and assess how it looks, is an essential part of the preferred ‘freehand’ process.  When clipping up close, it can be easy to get angles wrong.  Using canes, or pieces of string, to establish what you might call the ‘true north’ of the plant, can help the keen clipper keep a perspective on what they are doing.

The good news is that, even if things go awry, the shrub will quickly grow back.  A few trims a year should spark the growth that is needed when trying to form a topiary shape.  Just don’t over-cut the plant and stay patient.  The way to tackle the clipping should be a top down approach.  Of course, if you choose to follow a modern trend and establish ‘cloud topiary’, little can go wrong.  It’s hard to be criticised when your desired shape is very nebulous and subjective! 

The clean-cut topiary at Levens Hall and Gardens can be viewed at its best at the start of the South Lakes visitor attraction’s season, which is one reason why the venue founded its hugely popular World Topiary Day in mid-May. World Topiary Day is one pretty much unique in the Levens Hall and Gardens calendar, as it is one on which Chris Crowder leads public tours around the Topiary Garden, imparting more knowledge from his part of the offering at Cumbria’s Small Visitor Attraction of the Year.

This year’s tours will be given on Sunday May 11, at 11am and 2pm, so don’t miss the opportunity to get to the bottom of the garden’s history and the work of the gardening team, or the chance to pick up more tips and hints.  No question is a stupid one, if you want to ask for advice with your topiary.

As well as hearing all about the garden, you will be able to tour it at your leisure, admiring over 100 pieces that benefit from the team’s approach to clipping.  From there, there are many other parts of the gardens to enjoy, including another ‘secret’ – the earliest known example of a ha-ha in an English garden.

Entrance to Levens Hall and Gardens costs no more on World Topiary Day than any other but is definitely the key one to aim for, if you want to learn the gardens’ secrets from the gardener who has cared for it for 39 years.  Visit www.levenshall.co.uk to view admission prices and opening times.

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Editors notes

Levens Hall & Gardens is a historic house in the South Lakes, Cumbria, close to Kendal and home to the world's oldest topiary gardens, dating from 1694, created by French garden designer, Guillaume Beaumont. The Hall is a stunning Elizabethan house built around a 13th century pele tower and has close links to the Duke of Wellington, as well as various items which once belonged to him and Napoleon Bonaparte. Levens Park is home to the rare Bagot goats gifted to the Bagot family and a place in which to stroll and enjoy nature. Levens Kitchen is the contemporary new cafe, full of delights for cake lovers and foodies alike.