How to Make a Topiary Tree
A topiary tree makes a lovely addition to a celebration like a wedding, a birthday party or an anniversary. It brightens up spaces and makes the overall mood and decoration more festive. We will be discussing making two kinds of topiary trees: Natural topiary trees and those crafted from your own hands. Here’s how.
Natural Topiary Tree
When it comes to natural topiary trees, the key to making one that is to buy a topiary tree frame that will guide how your topiary tree should grow. Natural topiary trees also require a bit of maintenance work to keep them in the shape they are supposed to be.
Materials
topiary tree
Topiary tool or frame, available in most gardening stores
Two young trees whose stems are a quarter inch in diameter each. Have them braided or woven together.
Trimming shears
Procedure
Choose the best plants that would make for natural topiaries. These include Engelmann Ivy, Honeysuckle
, Bittersweet, Japanese Gourd and Fleece vine, among others. Inquire with your gardening expert on what type of tree would suit your best.
“Train” your plants to grow into a fixed trellis by attaching strings where appropriate to guide them to grow.
When the plant is relatively strong, you can start regularly trimming it into what shape you like. Most common topiary shapes are spherical or in the shape of a pyramid. Trim regularly to maintain its shape.
Topiary nurseries typically provide pamphlets on how to take care of your topiary, so be sure to get one.
While growing your topiary, make sure that you include a monthly slow-release fertilizer to encourage growth.
Artificial Topiary Tree
An artificial topiary tree can be made to look whimsical or natural. It can be made to look like a real tree or be made from other things, like toys or candy. Here’s how to make a relatively small artificial topiary tree, although the materials can be altered to make bigger ones.
Materials
Glue gun
Twig
Two 2-inch Styrofoam balls
Four-inch clay pot
Light gauge wire or sticks
Moss
Sand or pebbles
Flowers, fake or real (optional)
Small fruits (optional)
Candies (optional)
Ribbons
Procedure
Use hot glue from the glue gun to attach one Styrofoam balls on one tip of the twig. Let the glue cool.
Here you can start decorating. You can use clipped flowers, clipped candies on sticks (such as lollipops) or even small fruits to insert in the Styrofoam ball. You can also use the light gauge wire instead of sticks. Use the glue gun to make sure they are more secure. Make sure that you do not overload the Styrofoam ball with too much decoration as it may cause imbalance.
Make sure the clay pot is clean. Decorate or design as you please, but make sure the inside is clean.
Fill one half of the clay pot with sand, pebbles or anything that can be use to weigh down the topiary tree.
Cut the second Styrofoam ball into two equal halves. Put one half on top of the sand or pebbles, rounded side out, and glue it around the edges, making sure that the styrofoam sticks to the pot. Let the glue cool and dry.
Put glue on the other side of the twig, and insert into the styrofoam in the pot. Let the glue dry and check if the topiary tree is stable.
Cover the Styrofoam base with moss to give it a more organic appearance.