It’s a bird
… it’s a car … no, it’s a creatively shaped tree.
Making your own topiaries might not be as hard as you think
By Jessica thy Nguyen Special to South Valley Newspapers
Topiaries – sculpted plants such as the ones found at Bonfante Gardens in Gilroy – are no longer an art form enjoyed only by horticulturists and plant enthusiasts. These unique trees and plants on display at Bonfante can be now be enjoyed as decorations on your own front lawn.
Topiaries are formed into characters such as people and animals or geometric shapes such as spheres and rectangles. Both types are on display in the Rainbow Garden and in Claudia’s Garden at Bonfante. Although most of the trees and plants at the theme park are significantly bigger than what you would want in front of your home, topiaries are surprisingly easy to create.
If you want help making a topiary garden of your own, Jim Huang of Topiary Inc. in San Martin can help.
“It started as a hobby,” Huang said about his business. He now has about 100 topiaries in front of his house.
It takes anywhere from one to two years to grow a full topiary, which reaches about 3 feet tall, Huang said. Depending on the size of the plant that is originally used, the growing time may take longer.
The plants that decorate the various gardens at Bonfante as well as the ones sold at Topiary Inc. are created in the same manner. A wire frame molded into the shape you desire is set around the plant, and as the plant grows, it is trimmed accordingly. A wide selection of plants can be used for topiaries. Some of them include varieties of boxwood, escallonia, blue star, holly, juniper and ivy.
Once the frame is set around the plant, ties are used to bind the branches into the frame. Small plant shears or hand trimmers are suitable for keeping the topiary in proper shape.
Holly Perez, communications manager for Bonfante Gardens, said the theme park employs four full-time landscapers and anywhere from 15 to 20 seasonal staff throughout the year to help with upkeep of the trees.
