James

Fluffy Buxus and fabulous wisteria. A photo I took some years ago in a garden where I used to work. This was a place where I developed my love of topiary so has very happy memories for me #topiary

Hydrangea ‘Annabelle’ - one of my favourite companions for Buxus because of the contrast of billowing white flower with the tight clipped box #topiary

Four of the Twelve Apostles that form an avenue leading up to the house at Lytes Cary Manor. Beautiful yew topiary. #topiary

Repetition of shape can be very effective with topiary. Here’s some good examples from projects I’ve recently worked on #topiary – at Cheltenham, England

Lovely ‘open’ knot garden. The hedging in open knot gardens are not interconnected, as they are in a ‘closed’ knot design. In the original design the box hedge compartments would have been planted with flowers but Moseley Old Hall have used shingle, mainly for ease of maintenance

Seeing double with some box domes I regularly clip. Simple shapes but it’s actually quite tricky to achieve matching pairs in topiary. Two plants are never the same and only through regular clipping can the topiary be guided to grow in a similar fashion and work as a pair.

The well-known yew topiary birds at Hidcote in 2020. The second photo reveals what they looked like in 1910 (from the Fuchsia garden side). They’ve put on a bit of weight but still looking good after 110 years of clipping. #topiary

A few box corner balls from designs I regularly clip. An effective way to soften the sharp corners of box hedge parterres. #topiary – at Cheltenham, England

A wonderful example of a Greek knot design in box #topiary 📷 Erik Pulkkinen

More inspiration for an upcoming project from Château de la Ballue #topiary

Flashback to a frosty morning at @asthallmanor. These large yew triangles are now maintained by their Head Gardener @owendtvaughan The gardens are open during the @onformsculpture sculpture exhibition. Worth a visit if you are in the area- 14th June to the 12th July this year

Another extraordinary piece of topiary at the Jardin du Grand Launay. This place challenges all the conventions of topiary and I love it for that. The garden was created and is cared for by Jacqueline and Jean Schalit. Hoping to visit it soon. #topiary 📷Pinterest

A glimpse of Renaissance design at Giardino Giusti in Italy. Strong use of symmetry and geometric design, punctuated with statues of mythological figures. The paths are lined with cypresses, enclosing the parterres and adding a strong vertical element to the gardens.

I definitely recommend a visit to Earlstone Box and Topiary if you are looking for native English grown box. Over 5 acres of Buxus. Standard shapes as well as unique topiary that really stimulates the imagination. It’s a magical place. Go to earlstoneboxandtopiary.com for details.

Beautiful scroll curve in the box parterres at Elvaston Castle in Derbyshire, England #topiary

The low winter sun after another rain shower was an amazing light. Lit the old Hydrangea Annabelle flower-heads perfectly. A good reason not to prune too early...

Nothing better than clipped churchyard yews. Often very old and clipped each year by volunteers who follow the shape of the growth to create beautiful organic forms. #topiary

A most perfect autumn evening two years ago for clipping box. Happy memories as Storm Brendan batters against my windows #topiary #stormbrendan