How To Make The Best Topiary: Step By Step

Have you ever tried to make a topiary tree? I am here to tell you how easy it is to create a garden full of topiaries.

You can use an assortment of plants and shapes to create beautiful topiaries. You can create angel vine topiaries, ivy topiaries, and boxwood topiaries.

Collecting Materials

Collect all of the supplies you will need to learn how to make a topiary tree

Pots

Purchase pots of your liking, I am a big fan of old or new red clay pots. I love how they look and age in the garden. However, you can use almost any kind of container as long as it has good drainage. The larger your container, the larger your topiary should be.

Gravel

Gravel, I like to put this in the bottom of the pot to help with holding the stick in place and good drainage.

Soil

Potting soil of your choice I am a big fan of Miracle Grow’s potting soil.

Garden Trowel

A garden trowel.

Wireframe

Wireframe or shape to use to shape your topiary. I bought these two football-shaped wireframes at the Dollar Tree, and you can also order topiary forms here or a heart shaped topiary form here .

If you want to create your frame, you can use a wire coat hanger and bend it into shape.

Plant

Choose a vining plant – English ivy is a common choice, though any plant that vines can be used, such as periwinkle or Boston ivy. I chose to use Angel vine, and it grows well in the shade where I like to keep my trees.

Paddle of wire.

Stick

One stick for the base of the topiary. I used a birch branch that is approx.. 1” in diameter. You can purchase these here.
Green moss.

Hot glue gun

Hot glue gun and glue sticks.

Instructions

Using the two wireframes from Dollar Tree, wire them together starting about 3” above the bottom. Wire all the way around to the other side.

Show how to wire the two topiary frames wired together — Topiary frame

Pull the end of the wireframes apart that is not wired and insert the stick.

insert the birch branch into the wire frame — Birch branch in topiary frame

Hot glue around the wireframe and the stick.

Hot glueing around the topiary frame and birch branch — Hot glue frame and birch branch

Using the paddle wire, reinforce the stick and the frame with some wire.

Hot glue around the wire again to give it extra strength.

Hot glue some green moss around where you attached the wireframes.

Showing how to attach the moss around the birch branch — DIY moss hot glued onto the stick of the topiary tree

Stand the stick up inside your pot and our a few inches of gravel around the bottom to give it some stability.

Place potting soil around the base of the stick and compact the dirt down.

pouring the potting soil around the birch branch for the topiary tree — Adding dirt to the pot of the topiary tree

Separate your plant into three pieces. For example, I bought a 6” plant and tore it into three parts.

Plant the three pieces of your plant around the base of the stick.

plant the three pieces of teh plant around the base of the topiary tree — Seperate the plant into three sections , plant around the base of the birch branch

Take the longest vines on the plant, wrap them around the stick up to the wire form, and intertwine it into the topiary form.
Repeat step 11 with as many vines as you can.

topiary in infant stage before the vines have grown — New topiary tree

As the plant grows, continue to get as many vines up to the topiary as possible.

You can also remove the leaves on the stem that remains on the stick if you prefer to have the vines leafless on the stick.

Water often and keep in a shady spot.

Feed occasionally with miracle growth once a month.

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Collecting Materials