Topiary is the art of clipping trees and shrubs into ornamental shapes, from simple balls, cones and pyramids to elaborate spirals, peacocks, animals and architectural forms. Slow-growing evergreens with small leaves, especially yew and box, are the traditional choices because they hold a crisp outline and respond well to regular trimming.
The practice dates back to Roman gardens and was revived in Renaissance Italy and France, reaching England in the Tudor period. Topiary became fashionable in formal gardens of the late seventeenth century, particularly under Dutch influence during the reign of William and Mary, before falling from favour with the landscape movement of the eighteenth century. It enjoyed a strong revival in Victorian and Edwardian gardens, and celebrated examples survive at Levens Hall in Cumbria. For the collector of garden antiques, topiary is closely linked to the containers and ornaments that frame it, such as lead and stone planters, Versailles-style tubs, cast iron urns and terracotta pots. In modern interiors and courtyards, clipped bay or box in antique planters remains a classic way to give structure to an entrance, terrace or orangery.
