Topiary Organisation

Topiary is the fascinating and extraordinary art of cutting trees and shrubs into quaint and imaginative shapes. It derives from Topiarius, and originally had a much wider meaning, referring to ornamental gardening in general. Its Latin roots give us a clue as to the great antiquity of the craft, and indeed, the history of topiary is as long as that of gardening itself. The dictates of fashion or the need for economy may have affected topiary's popularity, but whenever there has been the opportunity and luxury to indulge in plants for ornament, then topiary has never been far away. It has had an enduring appeal, and we need to go far back in time to discover its origins.