Enhancing the Day-to-Day with Topiary

What do you do to relax when you are at home during the weekends? Many residents throughout Houston enjoy sitting back and engaging in a little topiary, the art of clipping plants to create ornamental shapes. It’s a great way to let your creativity and artistic side shine.

The best thing about topiary is one can live in one of the city’s more densely populated areas of Downtown or have a big house out in Sugar Land and still keep a plant. Nature is beautiful and there’s no better way to see that than when it’s your own two hands creating it. Topiary is a soothing and challenging activity, making it a great way to both relax and get some exercise at the same time.

Managing topiary has many benefits, both mental and environmental. Plants produce breathable oxygen. They also add a beautiful splash of color wherever you choose to place them in your yard.

There are a range of options when you engage in topiary. You may want to start out by purchasing hedges, shrubs, vines, and/or herbs from a trusted plant and garden center, such as River Oaks Plant House. Hedges include hollies, yews, and Alberta spruce. The most common shrub is boxwood, but you can also get laurel or holly. If you prefer to spend time in the kitchen, pick out a plant that produces lavender, rosemary, thyme, or olive.

The real challenge in topiary is maintaining the plant’s shape. The beginner may want to tackle simpler plants. There are cones, pyramids, spirals, wreaths, globes and the ever popular ball shape. Topiaries can have up to three balls. There are also unique shapes, like hearts. The seasoned hand can work with angel vines, ivies or creeping figs, tailoring them to grow in complex patterns.

You don’t need a green thumb to enjoy topiary. If you are interested in enjoying topiary in your own garden, do not hesitate to ask for advice from a topiary service in your area. Professional sculptors and landscape artists can easily help you design a garden that expresses the artistic soul residing within you.
Sources:

Gardening Reduces Stress. www.sound-mind.org

The best benefit of gardening? Mental health improvement, The Telegraph