A Brief Walk Through History

The art of making topiaries - sculpting fantastic shapes from growing plants - dates back  to the Egyptians. The Roman gardeners improved on their craft The word is from the Latin topiarius, meaning ornamental gardening. And that is just what they are: purely ornamental, fanciful shapes that have delighted gardeners for centuries. Pliny the Elder describes plants shaped into "hunting scenes, fleets of ships, and all sorts of shapes." He attributes the art's invention to a friend of Julius Caesar, Gnaius Matius, though other sources speak of topiaries much earlier, in ancient Egypt. Whatever its exact origin, topiary was found throughout the Roman world, and to a large degree, almost disappeared with it. With the end of this era of cities and large country villas, the urbane practice of making topiaries was largely forgotten, not to be revived until well into the late Middle Ages. The confined spaces of cloister and castle gardens necessitated the growing of various trees and shrubs in tight surroundings. Fruit trees were pruned flat against walls in a form of topiary now known as espalier, and as time progressed, various other trained shapes were devised or rediscovered. Renaissance and Baroque gardens were filled with topiary in every imaginable shape, both geometric and realistic. Wild animals, historical figures, even entire fox hunts were created in topiary.

The first topiary on our shores was found in Williamsburg, Virginia during the 1690s. From there, the art soon spread throughout the colonies. Spared the dramatic decline that the English landscape movement caused to European topiary gardens, American topiary continued to be created throughout the early 19th century and experienced a mini renaissance during the Victorian period, as it has again at the end of this century.

Among botanists your ivy topiary is also known as a "Hedera Helix".

All of our topiaries are grown from the bottom  as one plant. If cared for properly, your beautiful ivy topiary will provide you with lasting enjoyment.

Watering

Watering is the most important factor in keeping your topiary healthy and looking beautiful.

  Depending on where the ivy is placed and on the season, an ivy topiary might need to be watered every 2 to 4 days. {Use of "softened" water should be avoided as the salts can damage your plant} In very hot summer, you might have to water it every day. Like almost all house plants, topiaries like to be outdoors in the shade during the summer.

Employing a traditional "green thumb" method, you can determine whether your ivy needs water, by sticking your finger in the soil. If your first knuckle reaches the soil and your finger tip (!) does not feel moisture, add water. If your finger tip senses damp soil, don't water. A more 'high-tech' approach would be to purchase a moisture meter at a garden center or nursery. After being placed in the soil, the meter's probe will indicate whether the plant should be watered. With a little experience, both methods should render you a reliable test of your plant's water needs.

Consider also that a plant may outgrow the pot it is in an needs to be replanted. A larger pot holds water better than a small container and might extend watering time by a day or two.

Prolonged underwatering, when your topiary is watered less than its sustainable minimum (under even best circumstances going for 6 days without watering is too long) will cause roots and leaves to dry up and eventually die.

Prolonged overwatering, when water is given to an already moist soil, means the air cannot reach the roots, so they stop growing, break down and die.

Once a plant has suffered damage through severe underwatering, the damage cannot be 'corrected' by beginning to water it after the fact. The root is a plant's primary means of feeding itself, its only way by which to absorb nutrients and water. Once perished, a root remains unreceptive to revival attempts. The plant stays for all intents and purposes demised even if you pour henceforth water onto it. Leaves can still be seen on the branches yet they are not receiving water any more through the atrophied root vessels.

A mildly overwatered plant has to be brought onto a proper regular watering schedule for damage to the roots to be kept to a minimum. If too much of the root ball has been affected, consider cutting branches and regrowing a plant. The mother plant will most likely be lost.

 Now and then, another "green thumb" way of watering is going a "little drier" with your ivy which prompts the ivy to go deeper with its root for water and thus promotes a strong root structure. "Going drier" with the plant does not mean going so dry so the soil is pulling away from the sides of the pot, but to wait until the soil surface looks dry but is still cool to the touch. This method of encouraging root growth should first be attempted not with your prized triple ball topiary but with a simple potted ivy to make sure you have gained enough experience with the timing.

In general, the best way to water an ivy plant is to place it in a sink or your patio floor and water it thoroughly so the water runs out amply of the drainage hole. Should you have forgotten your plant for a day past its regular watering time, a good way of emergency watering is to place the ivy in the sink and fill it with an inch or two of water. Place the ivy in the sink for an hour and let it soak up all the water it needs. But again, beware of going too long without watering: An atrophied root ball cannot be watered back into life and health.

Like all wonderfully living things, your topiary will do best when its watering schedule is kept regular, like all of nature, plants thrive under a caring hand.

  Please, remember that these are approximations, and only you know where your topiary is placed and can gauge how much water your plant might need. Giving your topiary nurturing attention is due to tell you how many days before you need to water it again.

Fertilizing

Fertilize the ivy every two or three weeks during the active growing season; less often when growth slows down. It is recommended to fertilize with a light, general purpose {20/10/20}fertilizer one teaspoon per gallon of water .

How Much Sun ?

Ivy topiaries prefer filtered sun. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight may scorch the leaves.. The leaves on ivy are too thin to handle direct sun. Porches and patios are often the perfect places.  A half day* of at least moderate sun should under most circumstances suffice for your topiary to thrive. (* per day). A sun-starved plant might produce fast, "leggy", very light-colored growth which might call for moving the plant to a different location. The fast growth is a plants way of reaching to the light as swiftly as possible.

Temperature

House plants, like the ivy, have preferred temperature range in which they will thrive and usually another which they will tolerate. The ivy will do best in a temperature range from 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The maximum temperature an ivy will tolerate without added humidity is 75 degrees. The temperature range which an ivy tolerates but does not thrive in is 45 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

An ivy should not be exposed to freezing    temperatures without prior hardening.

 Avoid placing the topiary near heaters,     stoves, hot air blowers, vents radiators and high wattage lighting sources. Remember also that some electrical units radiate a good amount of heat (i.e. back of a television).

Misting

You may mist the topiary every time you check on it to keep the leaves green and healthy, and periodically mist the leaves with mildly soapy water to help deter pests, and always remove debris.  This is non-toxic but relatively effective deterrent for spider mites. An infestation usually occurs when the plant has been weakened due to improper care. Then, stronger pesticides are needed.

Removing dead leaves and debris will also help to reduce hideouts for insects and minimize the potential for disease.

Pesticides

(if and only if a problem exists)

  Always wear protective gloves when working with pesticides. Chemicals can be absorbed through the skin as well as through breathing.   Always keep the area properly ventilated, better even, apply the pesticide outdoors in an unrestricted area. If you spray a larger plant, you might want to consider a face mask and safety glasses as well. Remember: pesticides are by definition poisons ! Follow the instructions of the manufacturer of the pesticide. Most of all, please, keep your children and pets away when spraying and afterwards away from the sprayed plant.

We find the best results come from two thorough applications one week apart. This will usually address both the adult insect as well as their eggs. Weather permitting, put the plant outdoors in a shaded area, apply insecticide as directed on the bottle, leave on for 6 to 8 hours and rinse the stems and the foliage very, very thoroughly (residual pesticide can damage plant). Repeat the application in about a week.

What To Do With The New Growth ?

   Our small trouble shooting guide