Saturday Magazine – July 20, 2019

T

opiary is

something

that comes

into its own

in autumn and

winter, when

much of the

garden is bare. But right now I’m

in the middle of the clipping season

and, in my case, with 72 different

lumps of clipped box and yew, the

process does tend to become

all-consuming.

There are various

rules for clipping, such

as timing. With box,

Derby Day back in

June signalled the start

of the big trim, but if

you have a lot of orbs

and obelisks, cones

and pyramids, the job

can last for weeks.

Yew, on the other

hand, can be clipped

now, but that does mean you might

need to give it another trim at the

end of summer. If you have the time

for just one clip, then September is

the best month.

But back to box. The dreaded box

blight has put many folk off growing

these hedges, but I reckon it’s worth

trying ‘Faulkner’, a variety with a

tougher constitution than most.

Clipping when the hedge was

wet used to be recommended,

but it is now thought that the

excessive dampness may well have

exacerbated the blight problem

and clipping in dry weather is

today’s preferred option.

My own method is to clip with

hand shears and, although I clip in

dry or sunny weather, I do like to

give the plants a really good soak

immediately after their annual trim.

The ideal shears

are finely pointed

and relatively

lightweight. The

originals are made by

a company with the

rather unfortunate

name of ARS, though

Burgon & Ball make

a more reasonably

priced alternative.

Use powered

trimmers on yew if

you have a long length to clip and

also on Leyland cypress hedges

which, like yew, are best trimmed

in September or early October.

Oh, it may seem like a lot of

bother, but I never tire of seeing

the crisp, sculptural outline of my

topiary specimens all year round,

even if the hinge in my back gets

a little creaky at clipping time.

64 SATURDAY MAGAZINE

GARDENING

PLANT

OF THE

WEEK

BE BOLD

with yew

Pictures: Alamy; Getty Images

Why settle for shapeless shrubs when you could

have smart, stylish topiary? Now’s the time to

start clipping, says Alan Titchmarsh

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Go for the chop

‘My own

method is to clip

with hand shears

and, although I

clip in dry or sunny

weather, I do like to

give the plants a

good soak after

their trim’

SIMPLY STUNNING

evergreen boxwood

SHAPE UP and trim

your topiary

GET SCISSOR HAPPY with

a pair of hand shears

● Don’t miss Alan’s gardening column and Tip Of The Day every weekday in the Daily Express.