By Charlene Ashborn
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As a former apartment dweller, my gardening was confined to a few pots on a balcony. With the purchase of my own home came my own yard to enjoy—and maintain. I consider pruning, one of the few activities in life where I can exercise control without negative repercussions, one of my favorite gardening chores. (I have yet to hear a rose bush complain about the way I trimmed its canes.) Although I enjoy shaping up an unruly hedge or out-of-control shrub, I have yet to take pruning to its more artistic extreme – topiary or the cutting of foliage into specific shapes. (Great examples of topiary can be seen while waiting in line to ride It’s a Small World at Disneyland.) Stemming from the Latin word, topiarius, referring to ornamental gardening, topiary traces its roots to ancient Greece. To enhance the formal architecture of that period, evergreens were shaped and placed accordingly. With the encouragement of Roman Cneus Matius, Emperor Caesar Augustus was persuaded to adopt a more creative, less monotonous approach to landscaping. Soon, animals, geometric shapes and hedges made of foliage could be found throughout Rome; topiary had arrived. |
Unfortunately, when Rome fell, so did the popularity of gardening and topiary. It took several hundred years and the Italian Renaissance before gardening and topiary regained their popularity. Suddenly, anything associated with ancient Rome became fashionable, and gardens sporting carefully trimmed and maintained hedges, potted plants and mazes became a status symbol. Topiary spread throughout Europe, becoming fashionable among those wealthy enough to cultivate and maintain formal gardens. The gardens themselves took on different forms depending on the country where they were grown. In France, land was available to accommodate large flowing gardens highlighted by strategically placed topiaries. Dutch gardens, meanwhile, were small due to space constraints, allowing topiary to take on a more prominent role. Once more, trends changed and by the early 1700s, formal gardens were being replaced by more natural-looking varieties. The rise of Victorian England in the late 1800s saw a revival of formal gardens and topiary, which subsided with the end of World War I. While it has never regained its former prominence, topiary remains popular, especially the tabletop versions introduced in the 1960s. Regardless of its size or shape, topiary delights us while providing a living connection to the past. |