Landscaping

» Georgene A. Bramlage - Designing forms with plants

Thank you for your lovely and thought-provoking questions Any one of them would also be the basis for a wonderful article.

Immediately, here are some suggetions that come to mind:

1 - For your lady topiary - for this is what "the green industry" this type of a project: Look for plant choices other than ivies. Succulents and even some small-leaved flowering plants do well and vary the textures in your form. Of course, different species and cultivars of ivies make a more unified, but also varies composition.

2 - Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA has long been a leader in this sort of design work. If you ever get a chance to visit, check out not only the forms on display, but those that have been "retired" for R & R in back of the main conservatories. A revision of the Longwood how-to-do-it book has also been released: New-Topiary-Imaginative-Techniques-Longwood/dp/1870673212/sr=1-4/qid=1167743960/ref=sr_1_4/104-7258964-5145522?ie=UTF8&s=booksThe New Topiary: Imaginative Techniques from Longwood Gardens by Patricia R. Hamer.

I need to think more about the small grass-designs. I can imagine them as being charming!

I have many pictures of the topiaries at Longwood Gardens as well as other public and private gardens. I'll get moving along and hopefully have something more substantial for you by next week.

I hope the above helps...keep in touch,

Georgene (AKA Cercis)