Monday, February 13, 2006

Topiary

Last summer I attended a class at our local library on "topiary". Being the kind of person that likes to figure out how to do things rather than dropping lots of cash on something someone else has done, I thought I better attend this class. Well, just as I'm learning about creating a lot of things in life, topiary is quite easy! A green thumb helps, though.

Rabbit Shadow Farms is the greenhouse that presented the class. Rather than give a lengthy explanation of how to grow topiary, the instructions are here.

I received this lime-scented geranium at the end of the class:
lime-scented geranium topiary
It has grown about 3 times its original size and still looks quite puny. Not for long though because it has reached the top of the bamboo stick. Soon it will be time to clip the "apical meristem" better known as the top of the plant! Once you do this the plant begins to bush out. I bought the pot in Santa Fe, NM last summer it is a Guy Wolff & Co., lovely!

Here is the geranium after a few leaves have been stripped off:
lime-scented geranium topiary
My goal with this topiary is to have it shaped in two "balls". I'd like for it to bush out on the top and also around the center.

A great thing about stripping off leaves is that you can take the leaves and replant them to start a new plant.
lime-scented geranium cutting
Root hormone would be helpful here, but since I don't have any I'll just make sure to pay extra special attention to this "new" plant. I hope it will be successful because my attempts at this have not amounted to much in the past.

Here are some coleus plants that I want to grow into topiary plants as well:
coleus
They are very small and have been growing since the end of summer. I love the color variegation of coleus. These clippings are from plants I had in an outdoor plant stand last summer.

Main lesson learned from topiary, patience!!!

2 comments:

beki said...

Gardening sure does test your patience! About 3-4 years ago I cross polinated some daylilies. I collected the seeds, then planed them the next year. This past fall I finally put them in the ground. They seem to be doing well, much better than in the pot. I have my fingrs crossed that I'll get flowers this year. I can't wait to see what color they are!

Leslie said...

Yes, patience! I have very little when it comes to gardening. We had these fabulous day lillies planted in the front of our house -- they were thriving, and I was quite proud that they were doing so well.

Along came our exterminator who tented our house -- and killed them all off. Bah! :(

Can't wait to see how your topiary turns out. I like the idea of replanting the leaves to keep the cycle going! :)