Perhaps many do not know what topiary art is, but they observe the results of such activities. Stunning green sculptures created by the hands of people attract attention with a variety of shapes. It is amazing how shrubs and trees grow and develop not according to natural laws, but according to human-dictated laws that correlate with his ideas about beauty.
Art history
Curly trimming of trees and shrubs was carried out in ancient Rome. Residents decorated their gardens in this way, and art-makers were highly regarded. Later, topiary art was forgotten for a long time, and only during the Renaissance it again revived to life. In Italian villas, live masterpieces made from boxwood bushes resembling animals and birds appeared. Bizarre labyrinths of linden and thuja, neat curbs, green rooms formed from the walls of yew, surprised and delighted the eye.
However, France is the trendsetter of one of the areas of landscape design, and her regular gardens are recognized as the greatest achievement in this area. After the 17th century, the art of creating such parks spread throughout Europe. Unusual ideas for working with shrubs under Peter I were brought to Russia. And after several decades, a “new topiary” appeared - a special technique in which a metal frame is used for cutting, but in this case there is a high risk of a tree growing into it.
There are special forms filled with sphagnum (moss) and peat, in which bushes are planted, and they grow with a crown of unusual shapes.
Hedges
In addition to green sculptures that adorn gardens and parks, the most common form of art for creating various figures using cropping are hedges, which are compact. They vary in width and height, can be single and multi-row. They are planted in a checkerboard pattern, and the distance between the bushes depends on their size and can reach one meter. Ornate labyrinths that enclose the area around the perimeter consist of sheared hedges, and evergreens like laurel or viburnum are used to create them.
Plants suitable for cutting
I must say that few plants are suitable for curly haircuts. In the natural environment of Russia, privet, spruce and yew are most often used, and for the winter such topiary must be carefully covered. When a fast-growing living wall is needed, the ideal material is the thuja western, which is a very unpretentious plant.
Bonsai
The cultivation of dwarf trees of the most bizarre forms is distinguished as a separate species, and such art in Japan is called bonsai. Recently, oriental motifs are extremely popular in Europe. Trees trimmed in a special way add color to parks and create coziness. In Russia, bonsai is an imitation of ancient Japanese art, since it is impossible to follow all the rules without a long study. Unfortunately, our compatriots are chasing external exoticism and walking past dwarf trees growing in forests. But you can transplant them to the site and get ready-made bonsai.
Topiary magic at the height of fashion
Topiary art, wonderful examples of which are the magnificent gardens of Peterhof and Versailles, is often subject to fashion trends, however, green labyrinths with specially intricate passages never come out of it. They appeared in the Renaissance and to this day are popular.
A spectacular novelty in landscape art are plants formed in the form of a high arch. At the peak of fashion, there are always lively arbors made of yew and hornbeam, and bosquets - enclosed plots of land planted with trimmed shrubs in the form of a dense hedge around lawns.
Long and fun process
The process of creating green sculptures (topiary or topiary) is very exciting, but lengthy, taking about six to seven years, and before you do it, you need to master the basics of topiary art. Care for live compositions requires pruning shears , delimbers, garden saws and hedge trimmers.
First, a place is selected taking into account all the features of the landscape, then shrubs, from which original figures will be formed. Using a metal mesh, a template is created, and as the shoots grow, a haircut is performed when the branches are cut at the same length with garden scissors and a smooth surface is created (for example, hedges). The work is carried out during the growth period of the shoots of the bush.
And pruning of trees with secateurs is most often carried out in early March. In this case, the length of the branches is calculated depending on the imagination of the master. Cropping is performed when creating complex shapes.
What to look for?
Being the most interesting area of landscape architecture, topiary art requires not only patience, but also special knowledge. Below are some recommendations of specialists in this field:
1. When creating living sculptures do not use plants under five years old.
2. In hedges, different plant species look best: unusual color effects will attract attention.
3. If you remove more than a third of the shrub in one haircut, then it will begin to hurt.
4. In the cold climate of Russia, hedges should not have vertical walls. Otherwise, the lower branches will receive less sunlight and will be exposed.
The only topiary art park in Russia
There are several topiary parks in the world where you can find amazing works of landscape art. They exist in India, England, USA, Belgium, Ecuador. And in our country, a similar kind of park is located in Abakan. The Dream Gardens complex, created 10 years ago, is admired by all visitors. In a small area housed amazing masterpieces created by human hands from plant material. Topiary art park in Abakan is the main attraction of Khakassia. Landscape designer Antropov has patented his own technology, which creates unique figures.
The tall Eiffel Tower, which looks like a real, three-meter panda, a steppe eagle soaring up, a fluffy kitten made of barley, a cute hedgehog - but why not!
The most famous specialist in topiary art - V. Lyapchev
In addition to Vasily Antropov, who gave the city of Bryansk a three-meter-tall figure of a wise owl and dreams of creating a topiary park here, the name of Vladimir Lyapchev, who has been doing tree cutting since 2005, is known in Russia. The leading specialist in landscape architecture transforms beyond recognition the old gardens, and in a few days an unremarkable corner takes on a unique look. Informative articles by the master of topiary art can be read in special journals on homestead farming. Lyapchev holds seminars in our country and abroad, at which he shares the intricacies of work. Repeatedly he took part in special projects at international festivals, for which he received prestigious awards.
Currently, topiary art is incredibly popular. Photos of unique masterpieces, the variety of which depends only on the imagination of a person, lead the viewer into genuine delight. Over the past ten years, no exhibition dedicated to landscape art has been complete without green compositions made from sheared plants.