Frosted Topiary
Discussing the beauty of frosted topiary and whether to clip, or not.
A couple of weeks ago we had a period of cold weather and early morning frosts.
I avoid clipping in frosts. No scientific reason why. I just feel the cold getting into fresh cuts on leaves may cause damage to the plant.
So while I wait for the sun to rise and the air to warm, I have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of the topiary with a white frosted glaze.
The white dusting seems to accentuate the shape while adding solidity to the form. This frost won’t harm plants like Box and Yew- these are the ones I work with the most.
More caution is advised with plants such as Pittosporum and Corokia. They are native to New Zealand and Australia, preferring temperatures to remain a little warmer. So covering with protective horticultural fleece in periods of prolonged cold temperatures is not a bad idea.
My box clipping has finished for this season. But this doesn’t mean I don’t clip in winter. Most of my work now is with Yew and Beech.
Yew is fine to clip through winter. I think this is an ideal time as the plant is semi-dormant and less sap is travelling around the plants. The topiary or hedging won’t put on new regrowth until early summer so this gives the home owner a long period to appreciate the clipped green sculptures in their garden.
Just avoid periods of prolonged cold as this can bronze the foliage. Not to worry if this does happen as the yew will recover in the spring.
I have clipped Box in Winter too. I did hear that some European nurseries have started to do this to avoid issues with sun scorch. Best to make sure it is a tougher variety such as Common Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens). I do find species such as Buxus Microphylla are a little more sensitive to cold temperatures.
I recently clipped some Buxus Sempervirens balls a day before a cold snap. Overnight temperatures dropped to -4°C for a few days and we had heavy frosts in the morning. When the weather warmed up, the Box showed no signs of damage. In fact the topiary looked really good and didn’t have any of the leaf browning that can often occur when clipping in Summer. I could have been lucky but I also think the advice to start clipping Box on Derby Day (1st June) may need a rethink.
This is my last post for 2023. Thank you for subscribing to my new Substack publication about the Art of Topiary and I look forward to writing more content in the New Year. If you have any topics or ideas for new posts about topiary that you would like me to write about, then please let me know in the comments.
Happy New Year!