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There is something serene and magical about a topiary garden. The strong structural lines of a maze or hedge, the fascinating perfection of globes and pyramids, and the whimsical nature of green and growing animals and objects take one's imagination to flight. A traveler could spend years visiting the magnificent topiary gardens scattered around the world, but would be unable to choose the best. They are all so fantastic! Here then, is a brief tour of some of the more famous garden "art galleries."
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 I'll start with my own favorite: Green Animals Topiary Garden in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. This beautiful estate was my first introduction to the art of topiary. Overlooking Narragansett Bay, Green Animals is on seven acres and features 80 pieces of topiary, including 21 animals and birds. The garden is the oldest and most northern topiary garden in the United States.
Virtual address: Green Animals Detailed information about the gardens can be found at Wikipedia
Moving south into warmer climates, Bishopville, South Carolina boasts another amazing topiary estate: Pearl Fryar's Topiary Garden. The man who built it used mainly unwanted plants, never fertilizes, and seldom waters. His amazing and artistic creations and fountains are made from things he "just found laying around." Read the whole story at Pearl Fryar's
Monkton, Maryland is the home of Ladew Topiary Gardens, established in the late 1930's. The most popular topiary is a hunt with horses, dogs, and the fox clearing a well-trimmed hedge; it is also the most famous single piece of classical topiary in North America.
Here in Ohio, a unique topiary garden exists in downtown Columbus. The Columbus Topiary Park at Old Deaf School features a green tableau of Georges Seurat's famous painting, "Sun day Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte." This unique garden is the only existing topiary interpretation of a painting. Fifty-four topiary people, eight boats, three dogs, a monkey, and a cat are arranged around a real pond. Virtual address:Topiary Park
Great Britain is, of course, the heart of topiary gardening. A few of the most famous include Levens Hall and Topiary Gardens in Cumbria, England (started in 1694) Levens Hall; Canons Ashby, Northamptonsh ire (a 16th century garden revived in 1708) Canons Ashby; Hidcote Manor, Gloucestershire (1907) Hidcote Manor; Hever Castle, Kent (early nineteenth century) Hever Castle; Knightshayes, Devon (1870's) Knightshayes; and Drummond Castle, Perthshire, Scotland (1605) Drummond Castle. The full list of topiary gardens in Great Britain is extensive and available here: Great Britain's Topiary Gardens
The ancient and skilled art of topiary was, and is, practiced all over the world: from Tasmania, Australia (Railton Town of Topiary, Railton) to Manipur, India (Samban-Lei Sekpil) and Thailand (Royal Palace at Bang Pa); from Costa Rica (Parque Francisco Alvarado, Zarcero) to England (Great Dixter Gardens, East Sussex, Great Dixter); in Wales (Portmeirion, Snowdonia) and France (Chateau de Villandry) and Italy (Villa Lante, Bagnaia; Castello Balduino, Montalto Pavese).
A real-time visit to even one of these magical places would be good for any gardener's soul.
 | Toni Leland has been writing for over 20 years. She has written a biweekly gardening newspaper column as a spokesman for the Ohio State University Master Gardener program, and writes for Grit magazine and Romance Writers Report. She has been a gardener all her life, working soil all over the world. In her day job, she scripts and produces educational DVDs about caring for Miniature Horses, as well as writing and editing books about this unique height breed. |
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Subject: How Fascinating
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on January 29, 2008 at 6:47 AM:Thank you for the information. It is amazing on how diverse and creative people can be with this art form. Beautiful, just beautiful. ... Posted by wrightie (from Metro DC, MD) on January 29, 2008 at 7:42 AM: I'm sensing an upcoming trip to Ladew Topiary Gardens -- Tally Ho! ... Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on January 29, 2008 at 7:45 AM: Oh, and you have the horse to ride too, :) I'll have to settle for the 4x4......LOL ... Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on January 29, 2008 at 8:53 AM: Great article and you will enjoy Ladew wrightie ! ... Posted by dryad57 (from Indianapolis, IN) on January 29, 2008 at 11:54 AM: WOW - we love road trips, I can see a few more being added on!! ... Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on January 29, 2008 at 6:13 PM: Absolutely beautiful Toni! If you ever get a chance, you MUST see the gardens in Montreal....exquisite!
Thank you for the lovely article!
Yokwe,
Shari ... Posted by tonileland (from Nashport, OH) on January 29, 2008 at 6:21 PM: Thanks everyone. :o)
I wish I could be at all the gardens everywhere all over the world all the time!
I have been taking photographs of gardens since I was in my early 20's (loooonnnng time ago) and often wonder what they look like now.
Stay warm, wherever you are!
Toni ... Posted by dryad57 (from Indianapolis, IN) on January 30, 2008 at 8:53 AM: Toni - that would be interesting to see; your pics of gardens from "a few years ago" compared with any pics that locals may have taken recently...
(edited for goofy spelling)
This message was edited Jan 30, 2008 7:54 AM ...
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